Life with TWIN Girls...

Read 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child', it's a great book. ALso, as long as it's food they won't choke on, then they can eat what you do. Good luck!

We found that to change a shedule go in small time increments.
THey go to bed at 11pm? THat is a ittle late and you and your husband need couple time. So this week put them to bed no later than 10:30. THen wake them up at 9:30 in the AM. If they need a nap, put them down for abotu an hour to an hour and a half. It will take a great deal of perseverence on your part but you can do it. After a week at 10:30 start at 10 then go to 9:30 and so on. Soon they will be going to bed at 8ish and getting up around 7.
I fed mine what we ate fron day one. I just mash it up really well.

I would start by cutting their bedtime back. My husband worked nights and things got hectic until he went to a daytime schedule. My oldest DD would want to stay up with daddy on his days off, and then I would stay up and my youngest DD (almost 11 mos) wouldn't stay asleep unless I was in bed with her (we co-slept) and if I got up, she would wake up and think it was time to play. We now have her going to bed at 8:30-9pm and she wakes up between 8-9am, sometimes a smidgen earlier. We trained her to sleep in her crib, weaned her off the boob and now she is a pleasant, peaceful sleeper, all within 2 days (YAY!). She has 1 nap in the am (she usually goes down around noon after lunch for 1.5 hrs) and an afternoon nap around 4pm for 1.5 hrs, or so.

As for food, she also has 2 teeth, 1 bottom and 1 top. She has never been a huge fan of jarred baby food. She likes diced steamed, soft vegetables like peas (peeled, you can just squeeze the soft inside out) and carrots. She likes potatoes and sweet potatoes, boiled and diced, very soft. They also have little baby jars of soft pears and peaches, diced. I also give her baby snacks: puffs (the little stars), yogurt bites, dried pieces, crackers, veggie puffs (like cheetos), mum mums. I also feed her small pieces of cheese, jelly sandwiches cut into tiny squares (like half a fingernail), pasta (small soft pieces), lunch meat, waffles, pancakes, rice krispies/milk, she pretty much eats anything that we do, if it's soft and in tiny pieces. She has water, enfagrow, baby juice to drink. It's recommended that 10 mos and up eat 6 times a day, 3 being meals and 3 snacks. That's pretty much the schedule she's on, breakfast, lunch, dinner (with a sippy cup each sitting) and snacks, bottles and sippy cups in between.

Goodluck!

Below is a sample sleep schedule taken from the sleepy planet website. They are experts on sleep schedules.Children need social experiences and interaction that occur during the day.
4 TO 6 MONTHS
11 to 12 hours of night sleep; 3 to 4 hours of nap sleep (2 to 3 naps)
•Bedtime 7:00 PM
•Waketime 6:00 AM
•First nap: 8:00 AM
•Second nap: 11:30 AM
•Third nap: 3:00 PM
6 TO 9 MONTHS
11 to 12 hours of night sleep; 2 to 3 hours of nap sleep (2 to 3 naps)

•Bedtime: 7:30 PM
•Waketime: 6:30 AM
•First nap: 9:00 AM
•Second nap: 1:00 PM
•May need to make bedtime earlier as child drops 3rd nap
9 TO 12 MONTHS
11 to 12 hours of night sleep; 1½ to 3 hours of nap sleep (2 naps)

•Bedtime: 7:30 PM
•Waketime: 6:30 AM
•First nap: 9:30 AM
•Second nap: 2:00 PM
12 TO 24 MONTHS
11 to 12 hours of night sleep; 1½ to 3 hours of nap sleep (1 or 2 naps)

•Bedtime: 7:30 PM
•Waketime: 6:30 AM
•Nap: 11:30 AM
•May need to make bedtime earlier as child drops to 1 nap
Transitioning from Crib to Bed

•Don’t transition child to bed before age 3 unless she is climbing out of her crib.
•If your child is climbing out of his crib, safety is most important and it may be time to make the transition to a bed. For help with this transition, see chapter 10, “Special Situations,” in our book, The Sleepeasy Solution. This subject is also covered on our DVD, in “Commonly Asked Questions,” and on our audio CD for Children 3 to 5 Years.
2 TO 3 YEARS
11 to 12 hours of night sleep; 1½ to 3 hours of nap sleep (1 nap)

•Bedtime: 8:00 PM
•Waketime: 7:00 AM
•Nap: 12:00 PM
3 TO 5 YEARS
11 to 12 hours of night sleep; 1½ to 2 hours of nap sleep (if still napping)

•Bedtime: 8:00 PM
•Waketime: 6:30 AM
•Nap: 12:30 PM
•May need to make bedtime earlier when child drops nap
Note: Some children will sleep 10½ hours at night and seem well rested in the morning. If this is the case for your child, then he is rested with 10½ hours of night sleep.

Hi, N.~ Sorry to tell you this, but you have some work ahead. Nothing impossible but you will have to be determined and consistent. Napping in their swings is pretty much a no-no. It may have been easier for a while, but now they sometimes need to swing before bedtime, too. What happens when they outgrow the swings? Easier to train them now than later when it's even more ingrained. (When one of my twins had a cold, I put him in his car seat to sleep so he wouldn't get all stuffed up. He slept so well in there and I hated to put him back in his crib, but the doctor said I really couldn't keep letting him sleep in the car seat.) I, too, agree with putting them to bed earlier by slowly adjusting the time in increments. By the time you have it figured out, daylight savings time will end then you'll have to adjust them to that. (It's always something!) I know school seems far away, but they'll need a good schedule and a good night's sleep before preschool starts in a couple of years. Better to get their schedule adjusted earlier now. We did whole milk at one year of age, too. No more formula, no more bottles, just sippy cups. At 2yo, the Am. Acad. of Pediatricians recommends switching to fat free milk I believe. It certainly doesn't hurt to try to give them more solids, but they still should be soft. Here are some of the things that worked for us: Cheerios, boiled peas/frozen (but boiled) mixed vegetables, graham crackers, kidney beans cut in 1/2, canned green beans (salt free), cut up meatballs/meatloaf, banana bread/muffins, cheese, small chunks of boiled sweet potatoes/yams, banana pieces, bites of grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. Good luck and have fun with them!!

You are so lucky to have your girls...twins are indeed special!

As for the choking part...my pediatrician really put my mind at ease when she told me to think of their windpipes as about the size of a dime at that point. If I cut things up to that size, it should be fine.

I will also say that knowing the baby heimlich has come in handy more than once. Good luck...it's a little scary, but they will pick it all up and get it and life will be so much easier on you when they can eat what you eat!

-M

Everyone else has some great answers for you. I have 11 month old b/g twins and I'll tell you what has been a lifesaver is my local Mothers of Multiples (MOM) group. We've got an online forum and all sorts of questions are answered. It's sort of like this forum, except everyone has multiples so all of the ansers are tailored to that. Check out a group near you!

I have 17month old twins (boy/girl) and they go to sleep about 7:30pm and my girl sleeps until 7:00am. My boy on the other hand has always been an early riser and it is by 5:00 - 5:30am. It might be easiest if you transition them slowly and put them to bed a 1/2 hour earlier at night a few days and then another 1/2 earlier, etc. My babies use to also love their swings and the transition was tough but establishing a routine was the key for me. I now take them from their highchair to their cribs directly after they eat for a nap at 12:30pm. They usually will nap about 2 hours. Surprisingly, most of the time one does not wake the other up.

I have been slow to transition them to what we eat. Even now they only eat what we eat about 75% of the time. Both have all their teeth but are still learning to chew better. I started with pasta's with red sauce which is still their favorite. Also, grilled cheese works cut up in small pieces. I add thin slices of ham or turkey as well to get the extra protein. I was very worried about choking as well but they did pretty good. Giving small finger foods like peas, well cooked carrots, sweet potato and green beans also develops their dexterity.

Good Luck - it does get easier!

I have 21 month old b/g twins. Getting on a good schedule is imperative to survive with twins. Regarding food, because they only have 2 teeth whatever you give them should be gummable, i.e. they should be able to mash it easily before swallowing. Personally, I used baby food until they had more teeth because it was quick, easy and nutritious. Regarding sleep, I'm not sure why your twins are going to bed so late. Is this your usual schedule? Kids this age usually go to bed around 7pm. They get up early and have a mid- morning nap and an afternoon nap. When they get a little older they drop the morning nap and have a longer afternoon nap. My kids still follow this schedule and I think this is pretty much what they stick to until they get older when they go to bed just a little later. Even at school age they need to go to bed pretty early because they need 11-12 hours of sleep a night. At your twins' age my kids, or I should say my boy, slept about 10 1/2 hours. Now they both sleep 11 hours. Good luck. P.S. Just a note about juice - they really shouldn't drink it because it is almost entirely sugar. It also promotes tooth decay. Just water is best. There was a big article in the LA Times recently that said juice for adults isn't good either because of the sugar content. Juice has more sugar than Coke. Individual pieces of fruit are better because of the fiber and because there is less juice versus a big glass of orange juice that contains the juice of many pieces of fruit.

ok... so I also have twin girls who are 10 months and let me tell you, keeping them on a tight schedule is a life saver for my family!!
first, I think it would be beneficial for you to try and get your girls to bed a bit earlier than 11pm. Mine go to bed at 8pm and wake up around 7:30 or 8am. Going to bed early means adult time for you! lol. they may fuss at first but eventually it will become routine for them and they will get used to going to bed early.
second, my girls have about 5-6 teeth each and they love these cereal puffs that I've gotten them. They say they are for todlers but they disolve quickly and they forced my girls to practice chewing. So, your girls only have 2 teeth?? I wouldn't give them anything bigger than the size of a small pea.
This is just my advice, I do a lot of research too and some advice is helpful but some just doesn't apply to my circumstances.
I don't know if this helps but here is our schedule:
*Girls wake at 8am. They share a yogurt cup or 4oz. of oatmeal and each drink a 4oz bottle of formula. rest in their highchairs or fisher price chairs for 20min.
*Playtime. either in their excersaucers or on the playmat with their toys (I've heard you are supposed to move babies from activity to activity every 20 min. but I think it's a little excesive! Plus, they have each other to play with!)
*Take a 45min. nap at 10am
*eat again 3 hours after breakfast (usually about 11:30). Level 3 meat/veg. with a side of fruit medley and a 4oz. bottle
*playtime (I usually practice standing and attempting to walk but I'm sure your girls are already walking!)
*eat again around 2:30 or 3 (mix it up if you want)
*take another nap! this time it will last longer, my girls usually nap from 3pm to 5pm.
*Have dinner at 6pm
*Rest 20min. and then it's playtime once more
*bed time is at 8pm. at about 7:30, they put on PJ's and at 7:45 I give them warm oatmeal mixed with fruit (you can buy jars of it)just the smallest amount and a 3oz. warm bottle. then it's off to bed!
Hope I've helped and take care!
K.

I have 22 month b/g twins that have been on a sleep schedule since there were 9 or 10 months old. They go to bed at 7pm. Sleep until 6:30 or 7am. Nap from noon-2. They only started taking one nap when they were about 18 months old. Before that they napped at about 10:30 for an hour and 1pm for another hour but always go to bed at 7. We followed the sleep schedule in "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" at the advice of our ped and it has kept us sane and our babies happy and well rested. They have always slept in the same room in different cribs. Changing a sleep schedule can be very very difficult but well worth it and babies like routine. It can take up to 30 days to change sleep habits but you will be happy you did.
I breastfed my twins exclusively for the first year but then put them on whole organic cow's milk just after their first birthday. Until they were about 18 months I made homeade baby food but now they eat what we eats, lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains and very little processed food. We still have to cut everything up small but they will pretty much eat anything.
...D

Has the doctor said they can have milk? My children drank cow's milk at one year out of a sippy cup. We tend to have food allergies in our family, but by the age of one our doctor said milk was safe and appropriate. By now you should be able to get rid of the bottles. Also, be sure you are cleaning their teeth well and not sending them to bed with a bottle. Their teeth can rot if they fall asleep drinking from a bottle and it's anything but plain water.

As a mother of 9 yo twins I can sympathize...It is very hard, but if you get on a good schedule it does get better. With them getting up so late it is hard to do anything for the day so you've got to start waking them up earlier and putting them to bed earlier. Yes, it will feel like you're being a bad parent because you're waking them up and yes they will be tired and grumpy for a while, but you need to do this. If you stick with it, at most it will take a week to get turned around. Start waking them 9-930 then nap should come after lunch, no later than 1p then make sure you have a regular bedtime routine. Make sure to start it 30min to 1 hour before bed so they start to get the feeling that this is settle down time. Baths or whatever you do then sit and watch TV with them, then off to bed. At this age bed should 9ish, then they should be waking 8-9a.

At 1 your doc should be saying to switch to milk unless they are underweight and worried about that which I doubt that's the case. Feeding them anything you eat is fine as long as you cut it up good. Meat obviously is going to be harder for them to grind, but most other things are fine. Any bread things, cheeses, bologna, etc. Goodluck

I have b/g twins the same age as yours. Their first birthday is on Saturday the 30th. I would highly recommend like a long time ago to go to a multiples class. I go to Sue's Twins Class in Sherman Oaks or Babies 1st Class. It's invaluable and worth the money it costs. Once a week on Thursdays. You would probably be in my class based on their birthdays. Call them and try and get in. I have mine on a 7 to 7 schedule and it works for me. Me and my husband are able to have dinner and watch TV and relax before bed. You have them going to to bed way to late. You should change their schedule gradually. Solid foods should be 3x a day breakfast lunch and dinner with milk at each meal. No more formula! They should be only on whole milk now. And they can virtually eat anything, no baby food. I only give them the baby cereal still. I could go on and on. Good luck.

hello
i have 1 year old twins boy and girl and now is being a little easy because at 1 year they don't need you all the time ,also i think the bedtime is a little later my twins go to sleep around 7:30-8:30pm no later and wake up at 8:30am they nap time is around 12:00pm to 2:00pm and thats it because otherwise they have problem sleeping ,they are starting in grown up food but basically what they eat is chicken soup with a lot of veggies just a little blended

they take about 2-3 botles of milk a day and eat 3 meals a day plus snacks they weight baout 25 lbs each and very healty,i put them in they cribs and they are sleeping about 10 min later

try to do bedtime earl;ier that way you have more time for you and your hubby at night.;

Hi! I have 15 month old twin boys. I would start feeding them more table food, but not quite everything you eat yet. Try boiling some carrots or sweet potatoes cut into small chunks. Over ripe pears and bananas are great, too. Cheerios and puffs, of course, work well. Give your twins small pieces of regular food and they will start to gradually eat what you do. I have a food chopper, and I used it to chop up stir fry or spaghetti to feed to the boys. They loved it!

As for naps, I would try to get them napping in their cribs as soon as you can. It's a tough transition, but so worth it.

It is always challenging to go out with twins, but you really need to do it to save your sanity. Go to the play place at the mall, or just walk around pushing them. You'll be amazed at how much happier you and they are. Babies need a change of scenery, too!

Good luck!