How to start the twins on a routine, what needs to be included within the routine...

Charlotte - posted on 11/16/2009

Also with feeding try to give them another 30mls in their bottles and that way they will go longer betweek feeds and should cut out one of their bottles completely. I had to do this t get them to feed less. And at 4mths they were having 4 x 200ml bottles a day. Which was alot easier than 6 x 125ml bottles.

Charlotte - posted on 11/16/2009

Def feed at the same time I have 7mth twin boys. If one woke I would wake the other and make them eat if they didn't finnish the bottle I would just discard it. Def 4 hourly feeding schedule and If one goes for asleep do the same with the other. If one gets hungry 1/2 hr early make them hold out for 1/2hr. It's hard for a week or 2 but then they get use to it and will stick to it. Def set a bed time for them I have one at 7pm and wether they are ready for bed to not they have to go. I start at 6pm give them a bottle then bath then cuddles with daddy and he put's them to bed. At 4mths one of my boys would always cry and carry one after his bath because he knew that ment bed time was next. LOL But the more you stick to a routine they will to and they are smart they will test you even at 8 wks. Good luck with everything

Mi-Young - posted on 11/16/2009

Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess I'll just have to keep perservering! They're still young (two months), I guess I need more time. I wish I could get them to eat every three hours, but it's more like every two hours, sometimes even an hour and a half! I'll start to write down their play times moving forward - right now they play at random times (one is asleep, the other awake, etc). As for bathtime, it's always around 7-8PM. After bathtime, it's then their last feeding before going to bed (of course they get up again around 9 or 10PM for another feeding).

Sumi - posted on 11/13/2009

In some ways I had it easier to get my twins on a schedule. They were in the NICU for 19 days after birth and basically, we just kept to the NICU schedule once they were home. Feedings every 3 hrs around the clock until they were about 6 weeks old, then feedings every 4 hrs. If they were asleep at feeding time, I would wake them up. They just naturally slept between feedings this way. One thing I did do was space their bottles. I kept about 1 hr between feedings because they both had pretty bad reflux and had to be held upright and still for at least 30 min after each feeding.. It meant that I had only a little time between feedings, but it took the pressure off during feedings. So if my daughter got her bottle at 3, my son got his at 4, then they would sleep/play until the next feedings at 7 and 8.

Good luck. Just remember that the key is perseverance. They will adapt to whatever schedule you set up as long as you are consistent.

Shannon - posted on 11/13/2009

I have 7 month old B/G twins and my son ate more than my daughter what we did and still do is if one is sleeping and its time for them to eat we wake the other and if ones not that hungry we just make less of a bottle for that child. our baths r sched and bedtime is sched.

Jennifer - posted on 11/13/2009

Hello and congratulations on your twins!! In the beginning, I was on a STRICT feeding and sleeping schedule with my boys. They ate every four hours -- even through the night. If one baby was sleeping when it was feeding time, I'd wake him. I kept doing this until they began sleeping through the night at around 3 months. As far as a bed time routine, I didn't have much of one at 2 months. I wasn't as stringent as I am now. We do bath (every other night), book, bottle, bed. 4 B's -- ha!!



Good luck to you! I'd continue feeding both babies at the same time if I were you. When they actually get better head control, it'll be so much easier for you to feed them both at the same time. I was so stressed out in the beginning when it came to feeding both at the same time! It's only gotten easier :)

Jocelyn - posted on 11/13/2009

I started with my boys around 12 weeks getting them into a routine. I read the book Baby Wise and it really works. Basically you are on a 3-4 hour schedule (based on what you babies need). We were every 3 hours. You start the morning off with a feeding, then playtime, then naptime. Then when they wake you do it all over again. In the beginning (for us anyway) it was more like a 2 1/2 hour schedule. they didn't want to stay awake very long and then didn't sleep long enough but the older they get, the better they sleep, The last bottle is right before bed, no playtime after. My boys are now 7 months old and take 3 naps a day, one that is about 2 hours, the others are 1- 1 1/2 hours. They go to bed at 7:30 and don't usually wake until 7 am. Get the book. It's an easy read and it really works. When they are that young and not sleeping through the night yet, you would give them a bottle and they go right back to bed.
We also do a bath every other day (I don't have the energy to do it every day!) before bed. I try to read them a book before bed but sometimes they just want their bottles and to go to bed. It's nice because I can plan my day around their schedule.
I recommend this book to everyone I know who has kids, and there is an extra section about multiples. It's an easy read.
As far as the "hiccups" go, you just re-set yourself and start over. I've always woken one up after I'm done feeding the other if he hasn't woken up yet. Some people frown on that but it's kept them on track and on schedule (the same schedule!) I get my time during their naps. I hope this helps a little. I'm not great at explaining the whole concept so give the book a try!

Angelique - posted on 11/11/2009

The EASY routine.

E – Eat

A – Awake time

S – Sleep

Y – Your time.

Its not easy to get them on a routine, but once there you will benefit. Remember a routine makes a child feel safe and secure, and what ever you do DO NOT give in to the routine. If it says no milk until 1 don’t give a bottle before that for example. Work out how much your child must drink, sleep etc and base it on the EASY routine.

My first routine looked something like this before I changed it as they got older. My boys now eat more solids than milk at the moment so I had to adjust this routine a couple of times.

06:00 Milk Bottle 150ml-200ml

08:30 Morning Bath

09:00 Milk Bottle 150ml

12:00 Lunch/Milk Bottle 150ml

13:00 Juice

15:00 Milk Bottle 150ml

18:00 Dinner/Milk Bottle 150ml

19:00 Evening Bath

21:00 Milk Bottle 150ml-200ml

This is just based on feeding, you need to add your awake time (play)

And you need to add your little ones sleep time.

And important, add the your time, one can go crazy without having a time out for yourself…



YOU HAVE TO STICK TO IT, its going to be hard but they will get use to it. It took me 2 months to get my boys in it, and we still not 100% there.