Sleep deprived breastfeeding twins! Help

Sleep deprived breastfeeding twins! Help

I don't get it. How do twin parents, especially breast feeding moms,
speak so easily about nursing around the clock. Doesn't anyone need
sleep? I'm beginning to feel like an alien. How do you all survive
when nursing every 2 to 3 hours. When do you sleep?
Advice says sleep when the babies sleep but that's less than 1.5 hours
between feedings. Who can survive on that?
My twins are 6 weeks and I've been bf and supplementing with
formula since hospital (not producing enough milk). My partner takes
over for 4 to 5 hours everyday so that I can sleep and I'm still
sleep deprived and zombie-like. I just cant understand how the
breastfeeding twins only moms do it...and no one really even mentions
it.

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Sleep deprived breastfeeding twins! Help

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Dec 23, 2010
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It only gets eaiser!
by: Anonymous

My daughter was three when my twin girls were born, so she didn't take a nap. The twins were on different sleeping schedules to, so i never had sleep. The first 7 months were a daze prob. due to sleep deprivation!! But I got threw it with NO HELP at all.
God won't give you more than you can handle girl! But now they are 14 months old, and take two long naps a day and sleep all night long and my older daughter is in school, so I take advantage of my sleep!

It was very hard and stressful, but now I am getting the rewards of having twins! There is nothing better than watching them interacte with each other!

I think the scripture.. and this to shall pass.. is how everyone gets through the first couple months. They will grow up and they will sleep again!!

Dec 13, 2010
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Tiredness..
by: Jimmy Ipock

I'm afraid there isn't an easy answer. Actually..I'm afraid there isn't any answer except..you're going to be very tired for a long time. Our twins were born at 30 weeks. When they finally went home, they had to be awakened every two hours for feeding. This went on for two months. I really thought I was going to die.

It's all a fuzzy memory now. It will pass, and you will laugh about it.

Dec 13, 2010
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It gets easier...maybe
by: Destry

It will get easier. Either it gets easier or you just get used to it. I am not sure which. I wasn't sleeping for a good month before my boys came so I was used to the no sleep right off the bat. I am also breastfeeding, although I exclusively pump for both. I was doing the same thing trying to nurse both boys and that wouldn't work for me because they would just fall asleep and then be hungry when I got fed up and took them off. So I just start out pumping like 2 hours or so before their next feeding to have bottles ready when they wake up. I prop up both bottles with blankets and monitor them both while pumping. Doing it this way takes appx. 20 min and they are both fed and I have bottles ready for the next feeding. I burp one change him and put back to bed, do the same to the other one and then I am back to bed. Total it takes about 45 min-1 hour then we repete about 3 hours later. But 2 1/2 hours is a lot better than 1 hour of sleep. You just have to find what works for you. I am working ful time and come home around 430. I am in bed and dad takes over from 5-10 or 11. By that time I have to wake up anyway because I am so engorged I can't physically sleep anymore. But that gives me a good head start so I get some sleep in the event I am up all night with one or the other. But with 4 hours streight and 2 hours here and there I end up getting enough to function through the week. But I do make sure I catch up on sleep on the weekends. I pretty much sleep all day just waking up every 4 hours to pump then back to sleep.

Dec 13, 2010
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It can be done
by: Kristin

Congratulations on your new babies! I exclusively breastfed our girls (minus the food they ate) for 13 months and our girls NEVER took a bottle during that time and NO formula. I nursed on demand which ended up being every1.5-2 hours for the first 4 months and then we started baby food at 4 months. It took until about 6 months for us to stretch out nursing sessions. I know that it's hard and you are very lucky to get relief from your partner...... my husband couldn't help with feedings a I'm the only with the goods ;-)

My point in sharing this is to let you know that it can be done and your babies will eventually sleep for longer periods of time which will allow you more sleep. I found that tandem nursing was key so that both of my girls were eating and sleeping at the same time and I always nursed them to sleep.....Sometimes I would nap but most of the time I would lay them down and just take a breather. Our girls are 21 months now and I am finally feeling a bit more human but every moment of sleep deprivation was worth it and I am very proud of myself for nursing for over a year.

You can do this, take care fo yourself!

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