baby nurse or night nurse?

Just wondering how you all did it??

Did you have any hired help? Rely on family or just did it all?

Im wondering how it is possible, esp w twins. I think Im most scared for the night! Will my husband need to help me thru the night?

My mom will come over during the day to help. My son w be in school for 2 1/2 hrs 4x a week. Im really getting myself scared!!

Any advice would be great!!

baby nurse or night nurse?

My Mary. How are you feeling?
I didnt hire help but yes, my husband got up all the time with me. You can do by yourself but will be exausted. I would feel it out & see how he feels about helping. If you can afford to hire someone...totally GO FOR IT!!!!!!

Re: baby nurse or night nurse?

There were at least 2 adults on call (always me bc I had to pump and my dw or mom if she were in town.). Having help is very valuable!!! We were lucky that ours came home on a schedule from the nicu. And our motto of always wake the other baby worked!! If you can get any help I would take it. Even if it is to help with your other dec, cleaning and food!

Re: baby nurse or night nurse?

I dit it all by myself. DH has to be at work at 3:00 am so he couldn't get up with me. It was kind of rough in the beginning but I adjusted and it got better once they were sleepign longer.

Re: baby nurse or night nurse?

We didn't have help but DH helped all night. For the first few weeks we did shifts DH would do 8 pm to 1am and then I would do the rest of the night. That way we each got some sleep. When they started sleeping in 3 hour stretches we alternated babies each night. It was hard but not impossible. The hardest part was keeping up with a 2 year old all day after an exhausting night. If we could have afforded help it would have been nice but not a necessity.

Re: baby nurse or night nurse?

I stayed with my parents the first week the babies were home because we only closed on our house the day the babies were discharged and a few things had to be done before we moved in.

My mom was a huge help but mostly with stuff during the day. She did all of our laundry, cooked and helped with the babies. At night I was bfing so I did most of it. She did wake up with me a few times just for moral support though. DH was exhausted from working on our house she he slept at night.

Once we were home (about a week later) we were on our own. Honestly it wasn't too bad. I did the nights pretty much on my own with some help for changing and swaddling here and there from dh.

I think the BIGGEST help for me was people bring over meals. Not having to cook was the best!!

baby nurse or night nurse?

look the first few weeks are torture. it sucks and i wanted to run away, lol. my parents or in laws would stay some nights and take a baby in thier room (i was formula feeding from the getgo)- then my husband and i would split the feedings on the other baby. this worked great.

if we had no help, he had one baby on his side in our room and i had one baby on my side - both in rock and plays. on the worst nights we got 4 hours each..on the best night or weekends its possible to get 6-7 hours if you sleep when they sleep.

once they hit 8+ weeks they start sleeping longer stretches....and by 3 months mybe you will get lucky and have one STTN like we do- so now my dh and i take turns on Teddy who only wakes at 4 am and reagan sleeps all night so no feedings for her....- its not bad at all once you get past the 2.5-3 month mark.....

Re: baby nurse or night nurse?

thanks ladies...

you all made me feel a little better. i know the first weeks will be the toughest. i do want to let DH sleep a bit at night b/c he will be taking care of DH in morning and working full days himself. but some nights i may need him more.

im sure i will be asking A LOT of questions as my pregnancy continues. 30 weeks today its all hitting me at once!

Re: baby nurse or night nurse?

Did not really have help. My husband got up for 1-2 feedings and I did the others. I didn't get much sleep.

If I was by myself went something like this...Got faster baby up fed her then got the other baby up fed her and pumped. Sometimes by the time I was done pumping I could sleep for a half hour then it was time to repeat all over again.

Since they had been in the NICU they came home on a schedule. They were every 3 hours then one night we made it every 4.

During the day if they were both screaming to be fed I held one and fed and with one hand and put the other in the boppy pillow and fed her with the other hand.

We all survived! Sometimes, I even miss those times.