Preemie Moms -STTN....help !

One of my twins still wakes every 3 hrs (on the dot!) to feed. And because I keep them on the same schedule, I always wake the other.

He does drink the entire bottle. He drinks 4 oz. during the day, but I give 3oz at night. He will be 3 months this Sunday. (he was 2 months early) He is over 10lbs. Everyone is telling me he should be giving me at least 5-6 hrs at night. I am not sure if he is still just doing this out of habit (NICU schedule) Or if I should up the ounces.

Feeding both takes an hour. I am exhausted. DH is exhausted.

I am up 12m-1am, 3am-4am, 6-7am. DH helps but he is back at the firehouse now and does overnights.

I am seriously considering CIO. But he is so young Anyone have any advice? When did your preemie STTN? Am I expecting too much?

Message edited 11/9/2011 8:51:39 AM.

Re: Preemie Moms -STTN....help !

I dont have any experience with this but I just wanted to send some hugs!!

Re: Preemie Moms -STTN....help !

We are going through the exact same thing over here! Sleep deprivation is a biotch!!!!

My guys were only born 2 weeks after yours, at almost 32 weeks premature. So while they may be 10 weeks old, their adjusted age is only 2 1/2 weeks.

What is their adjusted age?

I'm curious - those that are telling you that they should be giving you 5-6 hours over night familiar with preemies?

At our last appointment, our ped said we could let them go longer than 3 hours over night but not to let them go more than 4ish hours.

We pour full bottles overnight and let them drink what they want. Sometimes they drink the whole bottle, sometimes the leave a little bit over. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, but we figure if they're waking up because they're hungry we have the best chance of getting a longer stretch after that bottle if they're as full as they want to be.

Re: Preemie Moms -STTN....help !

one book i have said you can give them 5 or so minutes but if he is hungry feed

also another option if you think it is habit waking is to wake up 12 minutes earlier andfeed before he wakes up

my guys are 3 months today - but were born at 36 weeks - they take 5 ounces every 3 hours -they are also over 11 lbs each

i feed at 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, 10:30 (dream feed), anywhere from 2-4, then anywhere from 5-7
all matters on the night

i don't always wake the 2nd on the 2nd wake up - only on the 1st middle of the night wake

can you and your dh take turns doing the night feedings to get more sleep

Re: Preemie Moms -STTN....help !

My Twins were born at 32 weeks and did not start STTN until about 14 weeks. I just started playing around with their feedings and gave them a little more before their bedtime. I didn't do CIO with them until they were 8 months (6 months adjusted) because they were just too young and small IMO. Once they started STTN, i got about 7 hours out of them a night. Now, they sleep 9-10 hours a night. they go to bed at 8 and wake up between 5 and 6. Sometimes longer on the weekends.

Re: Preemie Moms -STTN....help !

we are dealing with the same thing as well but mine are a little younger then yours they will be 9 weeks sat, but will hit their due date tuesday. we let them go at night as of last week and the most we have gotten is 4 hours. If there is an answer out there, please let us all know :)

Message edited 11/9/2011 12:57:50 PM.

Re: Preemie Moms -STTN....help !

when mine were doing something similar i brought it up to the ped and he said he didn't want them to drain the bottle. he said if they consistently drained the bottle they were not getting enough.

i added 1/2 an once or so at a time and it helped a lot.

it sounds like he needs more to eat. i would up each feeding by 1/2ounce, not just the night time ones.

Re: Preemie Moms -STTN....help !

my triplets are 4months...they were born at 30 weeks, so they will be 2months adjusted tomorrow. They all just started STTN about 2 weeks ago....which I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER ABOUT!!! we all need our sleep.
But when they all came home from the NICU at 9 weeks old we kept them on the NICU schedule of every 3 hours for the first 3 weeks. They we would let them go to every 4 hours, and then even 5 hours. We would usually feed them at 9pm, they would wake around 2:30am, and we would feed them again, and then they would wake up around 7am. About a month ago...so they were 1 month adjusted, 3 months actual, they would wake up for that middle of the night feed, but NEVER finish their bottles. So I realized that they were just waking up out of habit. And you know how it is when they all wake up, they just dont go back to bed. So then my DH and I began doing a Dream feed at 2:30am every night. When they just began stirring (not completely awake yet) my DH and I would get the bottles ready, and only give them 2oz each (during the day they take 5-6oz), while they are all still laying in their cribs and are still asleep. We would burp them (but luckily they hardly ever woke up). This whole process would take 15minutes. It was great, bc they never fully woke up so they were sleeping once their bottle was finished.
About 2 weeks ago we took away the 2:30 "dream feed". My ped told me that since they were only taking 2oz (if that) they really werent hungry and they should be able to sleep through the night. Well we took away the feed. The first night, we just had to go in their and calm them down when they began to stir, but after that....they have all been STTN. They go down at 9pm and they wake up at 7am!

My one DS is 10lbs 10oz, my other DS is 9lbs 8oz and my DD is only 7lbs 5oz. But they are all able to sleep through the night, and we just uped their feedings throoughtout the day so they are still getting the same about of OZ and calories.

Its amazing how much a feel like a person again after having a full nights sleep. After being pregnant with triplets and always waking up to pump while they were in the NICU and then having them home, I forgot what it was like!