So, defensiveness acknowledged and up front. I'm not really sleeping all that much. The funny part is that I don't really notice how tired I am until I start thinking about it. Or actually until I start thinking---research lab was a challenge this week: we were talking so quickly that my head was spinning by the end. And I'm the professor!!
Anyhoo, I decided last night to use my athletic watch to find out how many times I was waking up and how long I was going between nursings. Perhaps I should explain what happens: the twins go to sleep in their own cribs (HOORAY!) and when they wake up, we bring them to bed. Unfortunately, they wake up relatively early, around 11. One reason for this is that I know they are still eating at night. If, per chance, someone sleeps a bit later, my boobs are rock hard, filled with milk. I can also tell that during the night they are "eating." I don't really know how to feed them more during the day, but apparently I need to.
Back to last night, I decided to hit the lap button on my watch every time I woke up and rolled over to feed someone. Did I mention that during the night, I'll be facing right and at some point the baby behind me will whack on my back until I roll over and feed him/her. Then the baby on my right will spoon me for some time and then whack me on the back until I roll back over and feed him/her? I feel like I'm rolling over about 6 to 8 times per night, but am I doing it once an hour? Am I doing it every 15 minutes, which is what it feels like. Am I over or underestimating how little sleep I'm getting?
Well, last night, I did 8 "laps" during the night. That means, I rolled over 8 times during the night. That's about right. Sometimes I've done 6 times (great night!). Sometimes I've done 10 (suck egg dog night).
What was nice to find out is that I actually had a couple of long stretches last night. I had one 2 hour stretch and one one 1 hour 15 minute stretch. I know that's not a lot, but it's wasn't so bad. Of course, I also had a 50 minute stretch and an 8 minute and a 16 minute stretch, too, which definitely sucks.
The babies are actually sleeping quite well on their own. Each one is getting about a 5 hour stretch of sleep on his/her own. The problem is that they are still waking and eating (not comfort sucking---at least not early on) after that 5 hour stretch.
Here's the scoop folks: I have no idea how women who do not breastfeed do it. Although I'm up a lot during the night, if I'm awake for an entire minute, I'd be shocked. A couple of times, I'll stay awake 3 to 5 minutes thinking about something, but really, I wake up, position the bbs and then go right back to sleep. I'd rather sleep all the way through, but if I'm having to deal with this, I'd rather deal with it with the babies in my bed than any other place.
Also, can I tell you HOW ADORABLE it is to have the babies snuggling up against me? Especially when both of them throw a leg and an arm over me. It's so cute. And it's not just me. When I get up in the morning, they roll over to each other and snuggle up with each other to sleep for a bit more. We're snugglers around here. Tired. But snugglers.
No advice, promise :)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't get over the fear that one of us would roll over on top of them, or they'd wedge in an unsafe position, so I never could sleep with them with me in bed.
Now that they're older (15 months) I LOVE snuggling with them!! I'm envious of your snuggling time with them now :) :)
You pondered how non-BF'ing moms do it...
I remember the early weeks when I had to feed them every couple of hours over night. If one woke, I'd feed her and wake the other to feed her. I took the night shifts until we were both back at work. then the first wake-up was mine, second was my husband's turn.
Since we weren't BFing, my husband could be nudged out of bed to let me go back to sleep once in a while.
When they were sleeping longer stretches, I'd wait until after that 11pm wake-up -- then go to bed. He'd go to bed earlier, and get up at the 5am wake-up and stay up. He'd go to bed earlier, I'd sleep in a little.
I don't know how mom's that have to handle all the feedings do it! But you do it with my admiration, that's for sure :)
Glad you're enjoying the twins!
My almost-5-month old still eats (really eats) every 2-3 hours at night. I'm also wondering how to get her more calories during the day so that she can sleep longer stretches at night. She is strong-willed and when she is done eating she purses her little lips (so cute) and won't open up.
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