Feeding, Sleeping and Schedule for Twins

Have you heard of a book called "Becoming Baby Wise"? It is a quick read and has a special section for multiples. It really helps you with the snacking and the sleeping through the night section. Niether one of my kids were 12 pounds when they began sleeping through the night. My daugher was maybe 10 pounds and my son was 9 pounds when both slept through the night. I attribute the success to the Baby Wise book and recommend it to everyone I talk to. Good luck!

I have not used it, but my good friend (who is also a Dr.)used the Babywise techniques for both of her children and swears by it. Good Luck!

I used the book Baby Wise. I had several people tell me before my son was born to use it. I loved it! It help me put them on a schedule and realize that a schedule is important. I do not have the patience to do demand feed. You just have to realize that you are always going to be feeding them. Some mothers love that but not me. With using the book my son started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks and my daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 weeks. I should explain that sleeping through the night for us is last feeding at 11:30p and getting up at between 8-9a. Try the book even if you dont use everything from it you can get ideas on how you want to do things. It explain how all the methods people might use. Hopefully this helps you out.

The best advice I can give is to let all your expectations go. It sounds like you're worrying yourself over things you can't or really shouldn't change. All babies are different. When your doctor says they should be sleeping through the night by such and such I want to laugh like a crazy person because um, these guidelines we set for kids are ridiculous and I think they just drive the parents crazy. I say this as someone who's been there. I had so many expectations with my first child, when she should sleep, when she should eat. Babies know when they're hungry, sounds like yours are fighting a set schedule so just feed when they want it. You'll feel so much better when you do and as long as they continue to gain weight, what's the problem? Same for the sleep. My first child didn't sleep through the night until well over a year. And despite this fact she is a child who now thrives on schedule, goes to bed at a certain time, sleeps through the night (most of the time) and is happy and healthy. I used to drive myself crazy and think if she doesn't do this now, she never will, I have to set a schedule, I have to be the perfect mom. I quickly found out that being a good mom meant listening to my child and my instincts and ignoring the well intentioned advice of others. As for the gas thing I remember that so well. My doctor explained to me that it's a very difficult thing for babies to learn how to poop and they often grunt and cry in the process because they have to simultaneously relax and squeeze. It takes a lot of patience but once I knew that all of it was normal I felt much better. You can help them relieve their gas and bowels by rubbing their bellies clockwise and pushing their knees gently to their belly. Hope this helps. Just relax because you're doing wonderfully!!!!!

Hi J.,
I have three boys. One boy who is almost nine and twin boys who just turned six. I remember about 2 months old they had a growth spurt and went through a bit of what you are describing.(except for the constipation) That is actually when I stopped nursing my oldest, but with the twins, I kind of let them eat when they wanted to and by three months we had a nice schedule back. It changed many times until about one year old they finally settled in and kept the schedule. So I guess what my opinion is is to let them tell you what they need for now. Don't give up on a schedule, just be flexible. I hope that helps.
Good luck,
J.

LOL...ahhhh...a schedule...

I am only laughing because I've been there, done that...still doing that! I have 9 month old fraternal twin girls and to be completely honest, we didn't have a really solid schedule until almost 6 months old. It is just too hard! I caused myself unneeded stress trying to force them into a routine and it didn't work. Even now, when they go through a growth spurt or any major change the schedule is out the window. The schedule is very helpful though when it does get established! I am not trying to scare you...just to let you know that where you are at with the schedule is OK! They will tell YOU when they are ready for a schedule. :)

As far as the feeding issues go...we had a similar issue and every time it would happen it was due to a growth spurt. I think that 9 weeks is a time for a growth spurt. What we did is upped their regular feedings a half an ounce to see if that would help. Usually it did the trick. If they were still fussy after their feeding...I'd give them another half an ounce and so on. The growth spurt usually only lasted about 3-5 days.

My girls started sleeping from 10P-7A at about 3 1/2 months...so hopefully you will get lucky like we did! :) Something that I learned that I wish I would have known sooner is that babies need to go to bed early. I was putting the girls to bed after they were past the tired point and it was a struggle to get them to sleep in their cribs - they would just cry and scream. Now their bedtime is 7P and they sleep til 6:30 or 7A. It is really nice and they get the sleep they need while I get the break I need!

As far as the fussiness goes...they could be hungry still or they could be tired or a multitude of other things. I think that crying peaks at 3 months and then starts to lessen, so hang on, you are almost there! One of my girls was really fussy and the other was not. I think part of it has to do with personality too. My "fussy" baby did have a lot of gas and we would have to hold her back to our stomachs and put our arm around her abdomen. This helped squeeze the gas out and calmed her down.

I have an online twins e-mail group that I started when I was pregnant and you are more than welcome to join. There are about 20 of us twin mommies with babies ranging from 3 weeks to 16 months. It has been a huge help for all of us to lean on each other and just have a place to vent and know that there are people who understand! Let me know if you'd like to join! :)

Good luck and hang in there! :)

Read some books by Dr William Sears. He often writes with his wife Martha, and his sons Jim and Bob. Their writing teaches attachment parenting, which talks about adjusting to your children's patterns rather than scheduling, as well as lots of other wonderful ways to bond with your baby and keep them happy, calm and healthy. Also, all babies should be fed on demand, regardless of whether they are nursing or formula fed. And many babies don't sleep through the night till they are MUCH older. My 14mo old is still up during the night and my son slept through the night as a small baby, then started waking up every night from the time he was 12mo to 24mo. So every baby has their own timing. You just have to let your little ones be your guide. They know when they need to eat and sleep (and how much) and you just have to be able to work with them on it!

J.,

i am the mother of 5 year boy/girl twins. scheduling was the best thing for us...our twins were 7 weeks early and stayed in the NICU for 2 weeks. They came home on a schedule and our pediatrician advised us to stay on a schedule. They were fed 2-4 oz. formula every four hours. We maintained this schedule around the clock--even through the night and never had a problem with snacking. Our son suffered from acid reflux and was more fussy than our daughter and he sometimes ate less...but we never had a problem with him wanting to eat in between feedings. The fussiness that occurred between feedings was related to the acid reflux which also caused a lot of gas and constipation. We used over the counter anti-gas drops and that worked very well.

Eventually we added more time in between feedings as we added more oz. We are still on a "schedule" even today. Our kids are very good sleepers and eaters and I chalk that up to the scheduling we've had since birth. I'm not rigid about keeping to exact times but because they are accustom to a routine...they naturally want to eat and sleep at the same times everyday. They have several friends from daycare who don't have a set bedtime and are up until 11 or 12 every night. The parents always seem mystified that 1) our kids have a bedtime and 2) that they abide by it. Again, it's just comes naturally since we have always followed a schedule.

I think the most important thing is to make it a routine...don't stress about the exact timing...just do things in the same order. We always did a diaper change before feeding, did the feeding and then slipped them back into the crib (especially at night). They get used to routine and find comfort in knowing things happen the same way every time.

I can't imagine not following a schedule (routine) with multiples. Hope my advice was helpful. Best wishes!

L. L.
Delaware, Ohio

i don't completely agree with the complete schedule because everytime my boys go through a growth spurt they eat constantly all day. me myself i eat like 6 small meals a day. so in my mind each person is different my husband only eats 2 meals a day. my boys did not go on what you would call there schedule until like 3-4 months. and as far as sleeping through the night my 2nd child does great sinch about 5 months he has slept through the night. but my four year old still does not sleep through the night. he has maybe 2 nights a week he sleeps through. don't let the books get you down. they are a guideline for most kids but there is always that one child that forgot to read it before they were born. for instance my four year old. i have bought every book on sleep there is and tried to to no avail. and my second child is the greatest sleeper i have every heard of. i mean he goes down at 730 800 and he sleeps till 1000 in the morning sometime later( he might wake up but he just plays in his bed) and then takes a good four hour nap during the day. there is even times he askes me to go night night and walks up to his room for his nap. he is more like me i love sleep.

Hi J.,
My name is E. and I am a SAHM of identical 3 year old boys and a girl who will turn 2 next month. I wanted to respond to you b/c those first couple months with twins can be so hard and the books don't always address doing things with 2!
First of all, it sounds like they are on a good schedule for sleeping....you didn't mention where they sleep or if they sleep together. But we slept our boys together until they were about 4 months old (they were born 11 weeks premature, so they actually fit in one crib for a long time). We always, and still do, play the same CD for them when we put them down for bed....they started sleeping through the night around 5 months. And they are SO great about bedtime now. I think having the music helped them to have a que of 'it's sleepy time' but that it also helped them sleep through noise. And that is SO important when 1 wakes up in the middle of the night.
I bet you will notice a difference in their eating after they are on this drug for a while. My boys had acid-reflux and the prescription really helped them as well. But I think...kids won't starve, you can hold them off for an hour and get a good feeding in.
Hope it helps....just wait until they notice each other. One of my favorite moments was the first time they made each other laugh! And I always tell people having twins isn't twicw as hard, it's just twice as time-consuming.
All the best~E.

Hello J.!!

I am the proud Mom of a set of 17 year old Twin Boys!! They are not identical but noone can hardle tell them apart!! My advice is settle down and quit reading soooo many books!! Use the Mommy instincts that God gave you!! It sounds to me like your children are "normal" and doing great! My boys didn't sleep all night until after 4-5 months old. They were always hungry!! We did end of and added some rice cereal to their bottles and that helped a bunch!! But you won't read that in any books!! We kept them in separate beds because they would always roll over and wake each other up. We just tried to feed the babies one then the other...They learn how it works. When I changed one I usually changed the other. Since they are twins they will unbelivable do things at the same time including going to the bathroom. They will learn to be patient, knowing that their turn is coming!! Rememer they are individuals just blessed to have a buddy raised with them. So make sure you as a parent remember that as you take pictures etc....When they grow up they want to see some with just them!! When my boys were little I always dressed them alike and they looked so cute. But as they turned older they did not like that at all and I wish I would have just done it now on special occasions because as they grow older they try to prove their individuality more. I would love for you to email me some pictures of them....I am so excited for you!! You will have sooo much fun watching them grow!! Yes, read some books but remember you as a Mom and Dad can tell what they really need!! Relax and enjoy!! Wish my husband or I was able to stay home with them but we weren't. We now also have a 12 year old daughter also. I am currently working on a way to stay home...You may be interested?? It is networking company that you do out of your home and is a Health and Wealth business (basically natural products). Check out my website at: www.ahealthychoice.myarbonne.com always looking for people to join our team!! Several of our team now have the husband AND wife able to stay home!!
God Bless you on your new family!! You have brought back some memories. Enjoy each day and know that YOU have been Blessed!! Keep in touch!!

J. G.

I have identical 7mth old boys. We feed them around 10pm and then they eat around 6:30am. This is been their schedule for several months now. Unfortunately I can't relate with the fussiness because the boys didn't have it. We didn't really use schedules with any of our kids they always ate on demand except if one twin is hungry we feed the other one too. My advice would be to listen to the doctor if they think it's colic otherwise lots of holding and love always worked with my other two kids.

J.,
I am a mom of a 4 year old and 18 month old boy/girl twins. I also babysit a 1 and 2 year old. We feed them every 3 to 4 hours. If they were cranky and wanted a snack in between, I would try to hold them out for at least 3 hours. As for sleeping through the night, the twins didnt sleep through the night till they were 3 months old. we had and still have them sleeping 12 hours a night. at about 2 and a half months when they woke up in the middle of the night we went into their room and rubbed their backs. it took up to 20 minutes sometimes, but they went back to sleep. But before then, if one woke up and wanted to eat I would wake the other one up and feed that one too. If you have any other questions, please just ask!

Dear J.,
I myself having a four month old daughter have been where you were, and I send my love for being able to have the love and patience for TWINS!
My daughter, Ayla Mae, at 9 weeks also suffered these syptoms of gas, fussiness, and what some may call...gasp...COLIC!
Colic seems to be a problem with digestion, causing babies great discomfort.
There are a few short term fixes for this. Ear plugs being one. (Joke)
I. The type of formula you are using for your girls makes a world of difference on their tiny digestive systems.
My daughter was started on Similac Soy, which was just god awful. She was on that and breast milk for month 1, so her digestive tract was having all sorts of problems, including constipation.
So next my cousin, Chrissy, (mother of 3 grown children), came over with a bit of advice and a can of Enfamil for fussy babies. My husband and I used that for about 2 weeks, with no result. But she showed me how to add DARK KARO SYRUP to baby's formula as a temporary relief for gas/fussiness. We used 1 tsp. per 8 oz. bottle. A little more or less won't hurt baby.
Now, perhaps you have already tried SOY and EASY DIGEST types of formula...Still no success?
John, my husband, and I had to bite the big one and purchase a hydrolized protein formula, SIMILAC ALIMENTUM, (purple can). It is a small fortune. I am thankful for it every day. My baby is quiet and happy and I've come to like her for her personality, which was unnoticiable previous due to constant screaming.
SIMILAC ALIMENTUM is used for children who cannot digest protein correctly, as Ayla Mae could not.
Now when you decide which formula is going to work for you, you don't have to jump to the most expensive formula first. If you don't get WIC (WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN), this can be quite costly. Try offbrands, also. My girlfriends swear by Parent's Choice, (WALMART brand).

II.As for your daughters waking in the middle of the night, there is a wonderful solution to that. BABY RICE CEREAL. I am under the impression that every brand makes their own version, but I can only vouch for BEECH NUT brand, it's all I use.
Now, the box is against me on this one, but my mother, grandmother, girlfriends, and sisters are for it. Pretty much every mother I know will agree.
What you want to do is add 2-3 scoops (same formula scooper) of rice cereal to an 8 oz. bottle. This will thicken the formula so the child, will feel full and be sustained for much longer than a bottle of just water and formula. As the girls get older, the solution should get slightly thicker. If you have problems with the nipple, cut a little "X" on the top with scissors. Only use these nipples for bottles with cereal in them.
There is a reason for RICE CEREAL. Allergies are virtually unknown to rice. You can experiment with other cereals later. It's never a good idea to add too much to the girls diet at once.
Please don't be afraid to try these suggestions. They are tried and true. My mother, a Registered Nurse, used them on my brother and I. I use them, and now, I SLEEP!

III. Your baby girl's schedule will even itself out around the third month, should be by itself, but may need a little help. Try to keep them awake when you are awake. More likely chance the girls will konk out at night. The rice cereal helped my daughter sleep at night, and now she will sleep, this is not an exageration, an 8 hour night. Almost 4 months old. But I do give her formula w/ rice during the day, and especially last feeding.
John had to feed her in the middle of the night until adding rice.
Also, when the babies are about five-six months, they can be given about 1/2 bottle of warm JELL-O. Do not use red (staining). It will fill their tummes and keep them full until morning.

IV. Laying the girls on their tummies during a screaming fit will help. They will be out of pain and nod off. Just keep an eye on the girls. It may make you nervous at first to lie the girls on their stomach, but it will help. I do not recommend for night sleeping unless they can turn their head on their own. If they have any sleep apnea problems, do not attempt this. You can lay one of the girls across your lap face down if that is the case. The pressure on her belly helps force gas out one end or the other.
A technique to help get gas moving, and help with a bowel movement: lay child along lap, head at knees, feet at your tummy. Hold little feet and perform slow, methodical bicycle movements. First go one way and then the other. Then, bring child's knees close to abdomen, and then back you. Don't be overzealous. This helps force the gas out.
I have also tried baby gas drops (SIMETHECONE)and found they did not work for my child.

All in all, things should go well for you and your husband(Kudos to stay at home dad!) very soon. Please try Alimentum. The real fix for our daughter was the final change in formula. Try every formula for about 3 weeks for her systems to get used to it, unless it gets notably worse. Then stop immediately. A change in formula is much safer than constipation meds. And it works. God Bless,
R. Anastasia

I hope this won't discourage you but when my daughter was born I tred to nurse her and realized too late that I had inverted nipples. I worked with the Laleche League and they tried to encourage me to tr;y this and that but after a week I felt like I was starving the poor child to death and broke down and started feeding her formula. That is when the colic began and the sleepless nights. And I'm sorry to say that they never ended until she was about a year old! I nursed all my other children (having worn a shield during pregnancy that forced my nipples out), and never had any problems with colic or spitting up. Try different kinds of formulas until you find one that agrees with your twins and that may alleviate the problem.

Hi J.,
You sound like you are doing a great job, and have a great attitude given the fact that you have twins. I don't have twins, but I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 10 1/2 month old. First, I agree with you in regards to the colic thing. A lot of babies have a fussy time in the evening. We called it the witching hour. Colic is more of an all day thing. I think they will grow out of it. Second, for constipation, I've heard Karo syrup works great. A couple drops in their bottle (ask your Ped. first).
I think the feed on demand thing works best. I breastfed both my children and I think with my first I was way to stringent on the schedule thing. Babies know when they are hungry and so with my second I fed her when she was hungry whether it be 1 hour or 3....Same goes with the schedule. You are doing fine. Your twins are so little still and they will eventually work themselves into a schedule especially if you are already conscious about it. I was way too worried about schedules and everything has worked out. Both my children are on great schedules but I have stopped stressing if there are days when it doesn't happen.
Lastly, my son started sleeping through the night when he was 11 weeks old (by the way I don't think it has anything to do with weight) and my daughter on the other hand was 9 1/2 months old before she was. My mistake was I continued to nurse her when she woke in the middle of the night. I finally had to let her scream it out for two nights. But I think you are doing fine in that area too.
Hope this helped a little.

I don't have twins and never had but it sounds to me like you are doing all the right things I have an 9 year old, 5 year old and 7 month old. He doesn't sleep through the night. I have about the same schedule you do. It is a good one. Symethicone/gas drops were always helpful to all my fussy babies in the evening. Formula can be hard on their little bodies. The snacking could just be them growing or they like your touch and comfort to fall asleep or just miss you. Do they use pacifiers? Maybe just that and a snuggle might work. To me it sounds like you are very in-tune to your babies needs and that you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.

hello, i'm a widowed mom of twins (girl/boy - 3 1/2 yrs old)...i went through my pregnancy and everything else alone...if nothing else sticks set a strick scedule with them and do not detour from it...my twins are in bed at 5:30 pm every night and sleep all night until 7:30 am...with the hunger issue...i fed my twins a bottle of water in the morning and the evening...it helped them adjust to the taste and now they love water...it should also give comfort with the constipation and gas...I also took the advice of my mother (of 5) over my pediatrician and started them on orange colored baby food in the evening at the age of 2 months...it helped tremndously...Hope that I have helped you in some way; but as I said before if nothing else, set a schedule and stick to it...Don't let anyone or thing make you stray from it; it just makes things harder on you and even harder on the babies...Good Luck Rebecca

I myself am the mother of 19 month old twin boys. I don't know that I necessarily had them on a schedule except the one they created. But when one wanted to eat we also fed the other one. My boys, however, were breastfed until about 6 months of age. One of the boys did have colic (he cried nonstop from 7-10 every night). I heard from a cousin that gripe water was very helpful and after researching it invested in it. It worked wonders. I suggest it to every parent with this problem. It has natural ingredients that work on gas. You can find it at health food stores but I think the Little Tummies people now make one. My other twin was very gassy and struggled to poop. We used a lot of gas drops (Mylicon), I had some on every floor!

As far as sleeping, I think your peditrician is correct, they aren't going to sleep through the night this early. Be grateful you are only getting up once. My boys didn't sleep through until about 5 months. I followed a book by Marc Weissbluth, Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child. He talks about children with colic as well as twins. My boys now sleep 7pm to 7am with a nap at 1pm that is at least an hour and half, usually longer. If there was anything I did right, it was getting them on this sleep schedule.

Hope these suggestions are helpful.

I know what you mean about not wanting to label your baby as colicky (or however you spell that). My son (now almost 3 months old) was doing the same thing...happy all day, then fussy at night. My cousin told me about this natural remedy called Gripe Water, and it was a blessing from the Lord for us. As soon as we gave it to him, he released a ton of gas within five minutes and went limp to sleep. It uses fennel and ginger to calm the digestive system. I totally recommend it. You can by it at Walgreens or a Natural food store in the baby section, right next to the Mylicon, which did not help my son at all. It is in a blue box, and the brand name is Baby's Bliss. It comes with a syringe, but I found it easier to give to him in a bottle. Hope you are as blessed by this as we have been!

I just have to respond because I am the proud mom of 6 year old twin boys and you are bringing back memories! My first recommendation is YES get them on a schedule! Don't worry about where you are now, just start in that direction. I used the Baby Whisperer's methods and it worked beautifully for me. Basically, Eat, Activity, Sleep, Your time. Then you can better deduce what their needs are.

There is also a wonderful chart on baby body language in that book that helped me figure out if they were having gas pains or were hungry, etc. If it's truly gas, milicon drops or a simethicone product worked beautifully. Another thought, are they burping in the middle of the feed? Maybe they will eat more if they can burp and make it longer until their next feeding?

I remember that we would have changes every so often in schedule and sleeping habits. A little tweak and we could get them back on schedule. In other words, this too shall pass! The first year is the hardest, but you can do it! Good luck!

Hi J.,

It actully sounds like you are in great shape. At nine weeks they only wake up once during the night and eat six ounces at a time? Thats awsome! Remember, the most important thing with infant twins is help! If your husband is able to be home with you, great, but otherwise, don't feel like you have to do it all yourself. Ask a family memeber or sitter to help during the day. Make sure the formula you use isn't "iron reinforced" if you feel like they are struggling with constipaption. Also, keep in mind that babies way of soothing is by sucking. If they are uncomfortable from constipation or gas, they probably aren't hungry, but they do want to eat bacause it is a comforting experience for them. At their age, you are still at the point where you just meet their needs, so don't beat yourself up if they aren't on a schedule yet. But do keep that schedule in the back of your mind... it will become important in another month or so. Enjoy!

J.-
I do not have twins but my daughter is 3 1/2 months old now and has been sleeping through the night since she was 8 weeks old. WE had trouble with gas and constipation as well. We switched to playtex drop ins bottles and enfamil gentle ease formula. After about 2 weeks of new formula and bottles she was pooping more regularly and seemed to have less gas. She was not gas free so we tried mylicon but that only seemed to constipate her. I know it sounds crazy but every time I used mylicon she would become constipated and still had gas, so my sister-in-law suggested I use Babybliss gripe water. It is all natural and is found at the medicine shoppe and it works great. It breaks up the gas bubble in like 5-20 minutes. Also good for hiccups. I asked my pediatrician if I could use it and she said it was all right to use but because it is an herbal supplement they cannot suggest it. I highly recommend the gripe water, it has been a life saver. The first time I used it my baby had been fussying for about 2-3 hrs i gave it and within 15 minutes she was relaxed passing gas and slept for a couple of hours. It also seemed that when she was gasy she seemed hungry so I would feed her and it only made her tummy more upset. So I try to burp frequently when feeding and afterward

As far as a schedule. I am a believer. I recommend On Becoming Babywise. I follow it but not as strictly as it recommends. Everyday is different but I try to stick to it as much as possible. I also feel children thrive off a schedule and parents do as well. I feel as a parent you need time for yourself as well as to regroup and relax before the next cycle of feeding, changing, and playing. After getting her on a schedule of sleeping all night, awake for about 1 1/2-2 hrs then nap for 2 1/2 hrs, then feed/awake time 1 1/2-2hrs then nap 2 1/2 hrs etc. She became more regulated in everything and so much happier and so did my husband and myself. Plus having a child on a scheule you can kind of plan your day,but not entirely. I hope this helps and good luck

did you know there is a "twins club" for moms...they would probably be a much better resource for you...I do not have twins but my cousin was president for a while...you might try google-ing Mothers of Twins Club or sometheing like that...God Bless!!

I can't help much on the sleeping or schedule for twins, but the type of formula may be causing the gas or constipation. If you are giving them enfamil or something milk based try switching to a soy formula because the milk based may be too much for their tummies. It may sound crazy, but I actually would not do a schedule with them because it is easy to have the schedule disrupted, even for a short period of say a few days and then you will have to get them readjusted to the schedule again. I am a married mom of 3 boys ages 10,7 and 4. All 3 of my boys had issues with gas and such with enfamil so I switched them to a soy base formula and they did well on the soy base. Also, I never had any of them on a schedule and they did just fine without one.

Congratulations......I too have twins, they are boys about 2 1/2 right now. Those days seem like yesterday. Are they your first. We were lucky enough to have twins on the 3rd try. We were much more relaxed by the 3rd child. My babies were never on a schedule. We let them create their own schedule. They would nap alot during the day, but you are lucky to have them sleep so much at night. My boys would fall asleep at the same time in the morning in their swings and in the afternoon we would lay them down. The difference is we would let them cry a little bit. They took to it after a while.

As far as the colic, that is soooo hard. Are you nursing, if not, what kind of formula are your babies on? My babies both had problems with gas and crying, they were on soy, then they checked the stool, and their was blood in the stool (couldn't be seen without a microscope), so they needed to be on Allimentum which is pre digested formula. Once we started that, within days, they were soooo much happier.

Any other questions, let me know. C.

I agree:
1) give cereal for evening meal. It made all the difference with my twin sons.
2) schedules are great for a few days at a time. A growth spurt can not be on any schedule.
3) Playtex bottle with bag that collapses limits air in tummy as advertised. I would never use anything else.

In addition:
1) twenty mintues after feeding, put babies on their tummies to "work things through"
2) The babies miss each other and need time to interact to enjoy one another throughout the day.
3) play the same music at first feeding and at last feeding each day. To begin and end each day with a signal brings security. (Turn off the TV!)

Congratulations! I am the mother of three boys ages 7, 5, and 21/2..........and I also just had twin girls. We have good days and we have, well.........craziness! I was told to read BABY WISE.......it has some good advice. As far as a schedule?? Our plan is that we keep them together as much as possible when it comes to feeding and sleeping times. Our day looks like this: Up at 8:30, change diapers, playtime, bottle (4-6 oz) around 9:30....morning nap at 10:30. Wake girls up at 12 to take my 5 yr old to pre-school, back home for bottle at 1:00, more playtime, afternoon nap by 3, up around 5, playtime, bottle about 5:30 or 6.......they seem to be up most of the evening with a few little cat naps. They will take a "snack feeding" around 9, and then their final bottle at 11:30........then we RUSH to bed hoping for 4 hours of sleep! back to bed at 5am until my husbands alarm at 7am. Get my oldest ready for school and the girls wake up as he is walking to the bus stop...........only to do it all again!
I prefer the 3-4 hour feeding schedule, but they seem to have little changes here and there...........remember, you can't make them eat, sleep or poop on the potty! until they are ready! Schedules are good, but from experience I realize flexibility is better. There is no truth to the "sleep through the night" when they weigh __pounds........they'll do it when they are ready. You can coach them, but can't make them! Good Luck....enjoy your blessings. The time flies!

HI, I too had a very fussy little girl around this time. I changed or did 3 things. I changed bottles from advent to playtex with the disposable liners. That helped tremendously with the gas. Also, infant gas drops were my savior. I cannot say enough about those. My pediatrician said they were ok to use!!!!! and boy did I. Sometimes 3-4 doses to keep gas away or be rid of.

Last thing I end up changing formulas to Enfamil, Gentlease. I personally feel it was the change in bottles and the gas drops that made the most difference though.

As for sleeping through the night, my daughter didn;'t until way way late in the game.
I hope this is helpful
Good luck

Hi J.. Congratulations on the twin girls. I have twin girls that just turned two years old, and looking back, there is nothing that I would change. My girls have been on a schedule since the beginning because as I attempted to breast feed, the schedule just came natural. I feel that the babies need the schedule. My girls go to bed at 8:30 every night - sometimes they say they want to go to bed about 10 minutes early, and they know they are ready. They also nap at the same time for about 3 hours every day - which from what i hear, at their age is pretty good.

I agree with the advice given on the gas drops. We used the gas drops until they were off the bottle at a year. Also, regarding the advise of switching to soy formula - we didn't but have a number of family and friends that had to switch to soy and never heard a complaint again.

You are lucky because it sounds like their sleeping pretty good for as young as they are. Ours didn't sleep all night until right around a year.

If I wasn't at work, I could keep on typing. There are so many milestones - double with twins. To this day, almost every day one of the girls is doing something new and different. Twins are a wonderful blessing. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I won't do it again unless I could be 100% sure that I'd have twins again.

Hi J.,

I have twin boys who are 2. My gosh those early days are challenging! I do remember a strong correlation with body weight and their ability to sleep. I breast fed and supplemented a bit. We learned quickly (about 8 months) that they had food allergies. Sometimes it takes twins longer to have their intestines working properly. Ask your pediatrician about giving them a bit of accedophelis(available at most grocers and health food stores--I like the powdered form for infants) in their formula. That worked better for us than stool softener. Also, my twins were my second pregnancy. I did everything on demand for my daughter and threw that partially out the window when I had twins. Now I think it's more of a blend of a schedule plus just listening to what may have changed and what they need today. Good luck and get some sleep!

J., I don't have twins but I do have a 14 month old and a friend of mine has triplets. She recommended the Book "On Becoming Babywise" and it was a huge help in getting my daughter on a schedule. I recommend this book to all new parents. My daughter was on no schedule at all when she was first born and by 7 weeks I was exhausted. After the second day of following the book's schedule she was sleeping through the night and on a normal schedule. It made all the difference in the world. She was happy when she was awake and very rarely fussy. I doubt your kids have colic - they are probably just over-tired. My daughter is still a great sleeper and I know it is because I started a schedule early. Good luck!

I am the mom of one year old twins, a girl and a boy.
I went through much of what you are dealing with. My twins were also fussie in the evening. This would usually start around 7pm and last any where between an hour and 3 hours. I did not believe it was colic, my nefew had that and we were not close to that bad. Our Dr. determined it was reflux and put them on medicine for it. My boy was only on it for a month or so, my girl untill about 9 months old. The meds helped alot, some nights were still a bit fussie. Like with almost everything time will make the biggest diffrence.
I breast fed but it sounds like the lack of stool is similer with your twins, my boy only pooped about once every 2 weeks, my girl about once a week. I took them to the Dr. and he said it was OK, there stomach wasn't hard or blotted, he felt that they were just using everything they ate, they had been 9 weeks early and very small. I originally thought it was what caused the fussiness. At 6 months I started adding solid food, baby food etc., and they started going one or more times a day.
My twins also wen't through many periods were they seemed to be hungery all the time. I was worried my milk wasen't enough then another mom of twins told me that all of us go through this, the baby hunger and the mom worry, she said it was just growth sperts and it was totally normal. There were times that I thought I was doing nothing but feeding them. Every thing I have read and heard since them confermed this and most say to feed on damand. I fed on damand and my twins started at 3 lbs and now are a healthy and happy 19 lbs. They are also right on track with the developmental milestones.
I was also feeling very presured to get on a schedual. I am finally on one, scince about 6-7 month old is when it realy started, and solidified at about 8 months. Waiting did not hurt our forming a schedual and it gave me more flexability when even little taskes seemes huge. The best badvice I have been given is to follow my instics, they are your children I you know best what they need.
Being the mom of twins is so wonderful but harder and more tiering then any other job in the world, besides being the mom of triplets. I was an army officer for years and they were wrong, your current job not the Army is the hardest job you'll ever love.

Hang in there and try to enjoy every second, it gose so fast.

HI J., I have identical twins as well and I have been through it all. Mine are now 15 months so we've gotten past the newborn stages so I want to help you if I can. Are the girls fussy at feedings at all? do they seem uncomfortable?
What kind of schedule are you doing now? It is so important to stick to a schedule so the babies can get consistency and then will sleep through the night very very soon.
Let me know if you have other questions- tiwns are so much fun :) Take Care,
Lisa

I'm sure you'll get some great answers to all your questions in this forum, but I wanted to share a solution for the gas and constipation. My twins had gas so badly they would keep us all up at night so I developed a tea to give them. It has the same ingredients as the Tummy Soothers, but it's alot cheaper and easier, plus it's not so overly sweet.

Take 1 cup of chamomile flowers, 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (smoosh it up so the juice can get out - you don't have to get fancy and grate it or anything) and put them into a clean sock. Knot the top of the sock and put it into a crock pot of water and "cook" it on low for the day. When you're ready to take it out of the crock pot (or a pot on low, for that matter, just be careful not to burn it), add a small amount of baking soda - really small, like the size of a baby's fingernail - and whatever sweetener you decide on (I use agave - it's plant-based, low glycemic). Give them a teaspoon or so before you feed them. That's it - it works because the chamomile relaxes them and helps the gas pass more easily, the fennel and ginger help with digestion and the baking soda will soothe any acidy feelings they might be having.

Good luck! I hope that helps...
A. P

I saw a wonderful special that featured the Sears family doctors--no affiliation with the Sears stores--and they said that no one should accept the term "colic" as a reason for baby's discomfort. There is ALWAYS a reason for the discomfort, and you should work with a new Ped if your current one is willing to apply the label and do nothing for the babies. It is likely the formula they are on, and it will take time to find the right one--but a baby shouldn't need gas or constipation medication once you find the right nourishment for them. Given that you have twins, it may not be the same formula for both, but don't accept the diagnosis without trying other things--just be sure to wean on/off each formula rather than making dramatic change. My daughter had bad gas and didn't want to drink as she became very uncomfortable afterward--and all was solved with a simple switch of the type of bottle I was using to the Playtex with liners that don't allow enough gas in, as well as a switch in formula (the breast milk hormones now put in formula were the culprit--too hard on stomach--I would buy one with hormones and one without, same brand, and mix them to dilute the synthetic hormones; got this advice from my Ped and another MD with children). Mind you, I bought many types of bottles to find the right one, but I felt better in knowing that she didn't need medication at all and the fix was easy. Google the Sears doctors--see what they say about colic--it is eye-opening. As a new mom, I am sure you will want to investigate further rather than have your children be uncomfortable.