Conflicting information

[Kerrykins]

Hi all,

I could really do with some advice. I'll give you the details first. Our twins (Finnley & Eden) were born on 5th January at 38w +1.

We're feeding them between 50ml and 80ml every three hours or thereabouts if they get hungry earlier etc.

Sometimes its more, sometimes its less. We've really been going by what they want to be honest.

Well, my sister got me a book and just the introduction freaked me out, I then had my health visitor round (and her supervisor as she was just being watched) and they both said that I shouldn't worry too much aboutt routine at this stage, that we should just feed them on demand and that the first 6 weeks are just survival really.

So, before the health visitors had come I already had an appointment for a consultant type person to come the next day. She had seen a post I had put on a twins site saying I was worried about night feeds when Martin goes back to work and offered to pop round and give me a free consultation to set up a routine specific to us. All she'd want for it would be a good review if it all works out.

She's said we shouldn't be waking them at night every 3 hours for a feed and should be rigidly feeding them at 7am, 10am,, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm and that they will probably just wake once in the night for a feed.

She also said each feed should be 2oz (60ml) per feed. Well, it did occur to me that each feed will most of the time be less than we had been feeding them and they will be missing a feed at night too so surely they wouldn't be having enough? We decided to give it a go and Eden just cried and cried after her 10pm feed on Wednesday night and last night. In the end last night I called the 24hr midwives near us and they said they thought she was just hungry and to give her more formula (we had given her an interim feed but they reckoned even more) and lo and behold after 5 hours of crying she finally settled down.

Sorry about the essay but please can anyone advise how much they should be having at each feed? Or at least how much per day? Finn is now 5lb 8oz and Eden is now 5lb 4oz.

I think we have pretty much decided to go back to feeding on demand which works out about every 2.5 to 3 hours anyway, but I just want to make sure they get enough.

Thanks so much in advance.

Kerry x

PS Is it possible to overfeed them? I don't want to just keep feeding them and find I am making them ill.......................

 

[misscrazycooki]

I would make my son 90ml bottles to begin with. I fed every 3 hourly at first because he was jaundice. But once he was better I was tol to feed on demand. So when he cried I made a bottle and fed him. He then settled into his own routine hun.

Just start with 3 oz (90ml) then up an 1 oz when they start to finish the whole bottle. Thats how I did it and my son only drank 125ml on a good day till he was 7 months old. So don't worry about them not getting enought they will drink what they want and tell you otherwise if still hungary x

 

[pinkyprincess]

I'm no expert but at this stage I'd say feed on demand! They are still very little and I think the routine thing at this age is very old fashioned!

 

[Hunnie]

We are feeding on demand as well and Sophie is much happier and much more settled, especially at night!

 

[Smithy1980]

We feed on demand too....works best for us! You can't over feed a baby they will just sick up what they don't need xx


Sent from my sparkly new 4s!!!

 

[hopefulmummy]

I def think under normal circumstances, a routine at this age is too early and you should def be feeding on demand. However, with twins I suspect or your sanity you need a routine. You can't have twin 1 waking at 1 for a feed, have just got back into bed and then twin 2 wakes. Personally, i would have the person round to advise on routine, follow it, but for as much milk as they want at each feed, don't restrict them to a certain number of oz. I breastfeed so have no idea how much they "should" be having, but personally i would follow the routine bit not neccesarily the amount f milk. My baby is 6.5 months and is only **starting** to get intona routine now solids have been introduced. Personally with twins I would have had to have it much earlier. Good luck! Xx

 

[Kerrykins]

Thanks so much all, good to know were thinking the same thing. I.think we'll.try.to stick roughly to the timings but up the amounts. They are just so hungry all the time. But as you say they won't drink what they don't want and if they do then they'll probably just be sick, it shouldnt do any actual harm. I love this forum, its so good to hear people's actual experiences.

Kerry
xxx

 

[vickib_1984]

Kerry do as you have been babe feed them when they are hungry I hate people that want you to do things so rigid!!!! They are young and tiny poor little mites and Eden was obv hungry they are your best info source xxx

 

[charliebear]

We fed on demand too. Its much easier, AJ went 2/3 hours when he was so young.

We did as misscrazycooki did, made bottles up to 3oz and when he started to drain those bottles I increased them by an ounce.
He soon settled down into his own routine.

Do the twins both wake around the same time for a feed? Though their feeding pattern sounds about right. x

 

[Squeakz]

i think what misscrazycooki said sounds about perfect. When my son was young (about the twins age) and we literally did whatever j want. as soon as he started draining a bottle we put it up an oz. We got told we were overfeeding j and that we should only feed him x amount every hours and he screamed so we just gave him more (at the time ni hosp for a week and the nurses monitored everything) abd wouldnt give us more milk to feed him and just let him scream. I honestly feel when they are so young just give them mwhat they need...................................... sorry that was a ramble xx

 

[1986princess]

were still demand feeding until twinnies settle into their own routine, hope ur feeling better about the feeding xx