For those who have children or if you have been around newborns you know that eat-play-sleep is the magic ticket for a happy baby. After all it is about getting that baby on a schedule. Why? It will make your life, the babies life and anyone else living in the home more pleasant. As the husband and I started making the announcement that we were expecting twins the typical response was "Congrats, get them on a schedule" or "Congrats, you ain't never getting sleep." The point is sleep and schedules tend to be high on the list of priorities when it comes to newborns, especially twins. So today we will explore the land of You Better Get Them On A Schedule.
When "The Great" was born I read as many books, articles and "expert" websites to get parenting advice. I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect but most of all I didn't want to mess up. Mess up: hungry, overtired, fussy, or gassy baby. Little did I know that at some point no matter how much you read or prepare your baby will be one of the above or maybe all at the same time. As a young mom I didn't know that and instead I kept a journal of "The Great's" activities and corresponding times. I was looking for trends and trying to work on his schedule. What time did he nap? How often did he eat? When is playtime? It did help bring order to my day but it left little room for spontaneity. Everything was planned around his schedule and if I deviated it meant disaster. So when I heard the "S" word thrown around so freely as it relates to twins I jumped on board that train once again. Why? No one likes disasters.
With twins it's not just about the schedule, it has to be the SAME schedule. This means eating, playing and sleeping at the same time throughout the day, everyday. If not according to all the experts you will never get any sleep and you will always be tending to someone's needs. Never and always are very strong words and to be honest it struck fear in my heart. Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic but it did cause me to focus on getting ME on a schedule instead of enjoying being their mom. So I decided to take a step back and really examine if putting them on a schedule at two weeks was best for all of us. As you might have guessed the answer was "no". Ethan goes down easy for naps and bedtime while Madelyn will stare a hole into your head as you pace the floor for 45 minutes. When it comes to feedings Madelyn likes to enjoy her meal but Ethan.....that boy eats as if it's his last meal. During playtime Ethan is content with cooing and talking to the mirror while Madelyn must have your undivided attention. You see two different babies, two different temperaments that don't always fall within the confines of a concrete schedule.
For us it's all about a soft schedule that allows for flexibility and which caters to them as individuals. In addition, it allows me to spend one-on-one time with ME. For the most part they are within 30 minutes of each other when it comes to eat, play and sleep. This has proven to work well for us because I'm pretty good at multitasking but putting two babies down for a nap and bed has proven to be disastrous. Just last night Madelyn was one roll away from being on the floor and Ethan was SCREAMING because his food was delayed. At the end of the day you gotta do what's best for you and your family. Advice and suggestions are great but if they leave you frustrated then it's bad advice. Schedules serve a purpose but only if they serve you. Everyday bring a new and different adventure with the twins. As long as they are fed, dry, rested and content this train will keep on moving! Shoot the only schedule I'm worried about is when I can eat, play and sleep!