Comments on: Ask the Moms, part 10 - schedules http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/ask-the-moms-part-10/ Moms of Multiples Tell it Like it Is Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:29:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Tammy http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/ask-the-moms-part-10/#comment-2257 Tammy Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:19:54 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?p=500#comment-2257 My twin girls are 2 months old. One of my girls co-sleep with me, I know a lot of people don't agree with this but from things I read, they always say do whatever it takes in the first 2 months so that you can get some rest. AAP doesn't recommend co-sleep but it works for us. Well, after a few hours of trying to get her to sleep and calm down and with me exhausted, I nursed her to sleep in my bed and that went on for a couple of weeks and now she's used to it. I didn't think she would realize it since she's so young and she was born at 1 month early so I always thought she would be 1 month behind developmentally and would not realize it if I try to move her back to her crib. She does realize it, in fact, she lays there and waits for me to come to her. If she doesn't find me there, she cries and only wants me. My husband tries to console her but it doesn't work. Problem is I'm going back to work soon and he will care for them for 6 weeks. We would like to maybe have her sleep in her crib. The pediatrician and nurse said it's ok to let her cry it out a bit, like a few minutes and see if she will self sooth. I feel really bad to do it to her at 2 months old since she'll cry hysterically. Babies don't have the neurological maturity to self soothe at this age, do they? Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you My twin girls are 2 months old. One of my girls co-sleep with me, I know a lot of people don’t agree with this but from things I read, they always say do whatever it takes in the first 2 months so that you can get some rest. AAP doesn’t recommend co-sleep but it works for us. Well, after a few hours of trying to get her to sleep and calm down and with me exhausted, I nursed her to sleep in my bed and that went on for a couple of weeks and now she’s used to it. I didn’t think she would realize it since she’s so young and she was born at 1 month early so I always thought she would be 1 month behind developmentally and would not realize it if I try to move her back to her crib. She does realize it, in fact, she lays there and waits for me to come to her. If she doesn’t find me there, she cries and only wants me. My husband tries to console her but it doesn’t work. Problem is I’m going back to work soon and he will care for them for 6 weeks. We would like to maybe have her sleep in her crib.

The pediatrician and nurse said it’s ok to let her cry it out a bit, like a few minutes and see if she will self sooth. I feel really bad to do it to her at 2 months old since she’ll cry hysterically. Babies don’t have the neurological maturity to self soothe at this age, do they? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you

]]> By: Rhonda (twinsanity) http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/ask-the-moms-part-10/#comment-1572 Rhonda (twinsanity) Mon, 19 May 2008 01:37:46 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?p=500#comment-1572 Actually, we tried to keep the girls on the same schedule at first and it just made the entire family miserable. Life was so much better and much easier when we started feeding on demand and meeting their needs as individuals rather than treating them as a unit. I grew to dread the times they both woke up demanding to be fed at the same time or needed attention at the same time. While it may have been more labor intensive during the early months, I was so much happier and better able to bond with each baby separately. My husband and I shared night duty and by letting them each wake on their own to be fed, one of them started sleeping through the night much earlier than she might otherwise have done. Once they were on three solid meals a day, then they synced their schedules and we developed a pretty solid routine, but before that, NO THANKS. It didn't work for us. I think it is important for each family to find what works best for them and I encourage other twin moms to experiment with ditching the schedule for their newborns and see how things go for the first 3-6 months. A lot of other moms have told me they really appreciated the advice. Actually, we tried to keep the girls on the same schedule at first and it just made the entire family miserable. Life was so much better and much easier when we started feeding on demand and meeting their needs as individuals rather than treating them as a unit. I grew to dread the times they both woke up demanding to be fed at the same time or needed attention at the same time. While it may have been more labor intensive during the early months, I was so much happier and better able to bond with each baby separately. My husband and I shared night duty and by letting them each wake on their own to be fed, one of them started sleeping through the night much earlier than she might otherwise have done. Once they were on three solid meals a day, then they synced their schedules and we developed a pretty solid routine, but before that, NO THANKS. It didn’t work for us.

I think it is important for each family to find what works best for them and I encourage other twin moms to experiment with ditching the schedule for their newborns and see how things go for the first 3-6 months. A lot of other moms have told me they really appreciated the advice.

]]> By: Staci http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/ask-the-moms-part-10/#comment-1260 Staci Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:58:26 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?p=500#comment-1260 Very well said. I was able to go to Canada for 5 days while family took care of our twins. The family knew exactly what to expect and when because the twins are on a very good schedule/routine and have been since 2 months. Thanks for the blog. Staci Very well said. I was able to go to Canada for 5 days while family took care of our twins. The family knew exactly what to expect and when because the twins are on a very good schedule/routine and have been since 2 months.

Thanks for the blog.
Staci

]]> By: Dawn http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/ask-the-moms-part-10/#comment-1259 Dawn Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:39:11 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?p=500#comment-1259 Thanks for covering this topic. I've gotten flack from my only family during visits because I was so solid about keeping them on schedule. But it really is for everyone's sanity and when away from home that is at least one known. I think it was at about 4 or 5 months old that I started to take the reigns and lead my guys into a schedule as much as possible. I found that having a wake time and a bed time helped set the rest up really well. Thanks for covering this topic. I’ve gotten flack from my only family during visits because I was so solid about keeping them on schedule. But it really is for everyone’s sanity and when away from home that is at least one known.

I think it was at about 4 or 5 months old that I started to take the reigns and lead my guys into a schedule as much as possible. I found that having a wake time and a bed time helped set the rest up really well.

]]> By: Rebecca http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/ask-the-moms-part-10/#comment-1258 Rebecca Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:14:12 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?p=500#comment-1258 Ah, the schedule. This is what keeps me sane (most of the time, at least). Love the schedule. Someone once asked me if the babies nap at the same time. Can you IMAGINE the chaos if they napped at different times? I am dreading the switch to one nap...happily, they are still napping long both in the am and pm, so hopefully, that is a long ways off. Ah, the schedule. This is what keeps me sane (most of the time, at least). Love the schedule. Someone once asked me if the babies nap at the same time. Can you IMAGINE the chaos if they napped at different times? I am dreading the switch to one nap…happily, they are still napping long both in the am and pm, so hopefully, that is a long ways off.

]]> By: mamie http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/ask-the-moms-part-10/#comment-1256 mamie Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:42:02 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?p=500#comment-1256 well said. believe me, i never anticipated twins so i never thought i would be the mama i am. i hold to a routine that tends to follow the same path every day and it has helped so much. i know pretty much every twin mom does. but one thing i wanted to mention. the routine is great but i am finding out that one has to also be aware of the changes. we are going through the initial stages of the 2 to 1 nap switch and it means that things are fluctuating round here (quite a bit). the cool part is that they can play and enjoy themselves so much longer, the sucky part is the loss of me time that i had with two naps (not that they were always great at napping, but, you know, every minute counts). so, go with the routine but also be aware it changes. and do not listen to them folks that think you are crazy....we MOMs get it. well said. believe me, i never anticipated twins so i never thought i would be the mama i am. i hold to a routine that tends to follow the same path every day and it has helped so much. i know pretty much every twin mom does. but one thing i wanted to mention. the routine is great but i am finding out that one has to also be aware of the changes. we are going through the initial stages of the 2 to 1 nap switch and it means that things are fluctuating round here (quite a bit). the cool part is that they can play and enjoy themselves so much longer, the sucky part is the loss of me time that i had with two naps (not that they were always great at napping, but, you know, every minute counts). so, go with the routine but also be aware it changes. and do not listen to them folks that think you are crazy….we MOMs get it.

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