Hi All,
I need some help with breastfeeding and sleeping. I have 6 month old twin boys. They were 8 weeks premature so they are 4-5 months adjusted. They have had either the breast or EBM since they were born.
Anyway, they were sleeping in 5 hour streches at 4 months but have reverted to eating every 3 hours at night. I am dying because they often get off cycle and I am up every hour to hour and a half. This has caused me to develop some very bad habits... like letting them latch and going back to sleep until the other baby wakes up.
I work during the day and my parents who babysit them give them EBM bottles. The Doctor also has me giving them prunes and pear stage one food because they are constipated. (Well only one is but she said the other could eat if they wanted). I was wondering if they are waking up every 3 hours at night because they missed me and just wanted to suck? Or maybe because they like sleeping with me?
I was also wondering if they woke up every 3 hours because they were hungry? Feeding them fruit late at night is a bad idea because they get fussy but maybe I should try a bottle of formula for dinner? If I do this, what kind of formula should I use? I think they will still want/need the breast to go to sleep so should I still give them a quick suck before before bed too?
That said the paci is becomming a PITA. They take it out, play with it, toss it around the crib then get tired and the great paci hunt begins. This is no fun at 12, 2, 3 and 4 am so I would like to get rid of the paci. Is this too much to do at once?
Anyway, sorry for the really long post but I really need to get some sleep someday and I really want to keep breast feeding. I just do not know what to do...
BTW- My DH works out of town for part of the week so if they wake up in the middle of the night, I need to give them the breast because I just can't manage the two and go warm them bottles by myself...
Thanks for your help,
Little Monkies.