Currently spending a lot of time managing other people's sleep. I am interested in baby sleep and I was super excited to implement everything I've learned about sleep on this third baby. Twins has thrown me for a loop. I'm fairly sure I could have either one of these babies on a pretty OK schedule by now... but the double schedule is eluding me. So my days look like this:
7:30 Wake up, feed babies
8:00 Babies awake time
8:30 spend a huge amount of time trying to get them to sleep and keep them to sleep. Stand rocking pram for up to 2 hours
10:00(ish) Feed babies
11:00 try to get babies to sleep. Stand rocking pram for up to 2 hours
Repeat repeat repeat. Are my arms going to be strong from all this back and forth pram rocking?
Unfortunately when alone I can't really put one baby to sleep then play with the other. I can't change one baby while feeding the other. So even though my current option of endless pram rocking while staring out the window and listening to podcasts kind of sucks, it seems better than most other options I can think of.
I do think that if Andy was on partnerity leave right now I would have little trouble returning to work (at home. Not an office. And with a flexible schedule to accommodate feedings). I am aware this is a short time, but I miss using my brain for more than counting time between feeds and tracking sleep and calculating what time the last wake up should be to make a 7pm beditme.
I dropped lilah off at her monday play group (20 minute walk way) and managed to get the babies and the bike back home with this nifty set up.
Hello, I’m also a twin mom. Puddle jumpers are awesome. Easy to put on and take off and great for keeping kids afloat. For sleep time, I always put mine to sleep at the same time. During the day they slept in their prams and at night in a cot. I did not do any rocking etc as I felt it was important that they learn to self-soothe. If they are taking so long to settle have you considered they might have reflux/silent reflux or something gastro-related? The first 18 months with twins is very tough, never mind that you have two older kids as well, so be kind to yourself. Getting out on time to walk to an appointment with twins and another child is a major achievement. I remember no matter how far in advance I’d start getting ready I was always late, because one would need a change just as we were heading out the door ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
ReplyDeleteHi! thanks for your comment and for finding my blog :) I am being a bit excessive in my time estimations.... some days are better than others. one twin was born jaundiced and has always been much sleepier than the other, which is why i find it hard to get their wake windows synched. I also don't want to instill feeding to sleep but they seem to young for totally unassisted naps. did yours just fall asleep at the same time?
DeleteAnd yes, one probably has some reflux as well which I'm hoping she grows out of but which I'll mention at the 6 week check next week.
I'm glad to hear you did pram in the day and cot at night too. I cant remember what age they start napping in the crib. My last was a covid baby so we were always home but I want to eventually get out more with these two :)
I loosely followed Gina Ford guidelines/principles. I wasn’t going on a strict schedule but I tried to time the naps to follow the feeds as she suggests (seems you are doing similar, nap about an hour -90 min after feeding?). If I recall, they both slept at the same time and for roughly the same length also. We used a normal size cot and put them sleeping side by side width wise until about 5 months which was when they started disturbing each other’s sleep. There was a short period where we used a pacifier to help them settle but they never really took to using them. I don’t remember how long we used the prams for naps, probably until they grew out of them!
DeleteI just found your blog a little while ago. I didn’t realize yours were still so young. It’ll take time to figure things out but you’ll get there!
You have a lot to juggle right now. Twins alone is probably enough work, but you also have two older children who want your attention. I think you're doing a phenomenal job, even if you don't always think you do ;) (cheering you on!)
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