Identical Twin Boys - Almost 8 months old

[KShannon]

Hi,

I'm new to this site and have never participated in any forums before. My twin boys are turning 8 months on 1st Nov, they were two months prem and my first two babies! I'm interested to know how other mums of twins around this age are coping. Especially if they were premature I am interested to know if mine are way behind! Also interested in other twin 8 month old routines. (feeding/sleeping etc..)

Look forward to chatting with anyone who can relate!

Kris xo

[diva det]

hey there
there are a few of us twin mums here - so ask away
my twins are now 4 - nearly five
they were 10 weeks early
it took them until they were around 2ish to catch up size wise and about didn't really have any developmental delays that needed OT - although the reseach says that prem twins do develop their emapthy, social and emotional skills quicker than singletons, but usually are delayed with fine and gross motor at preschool skill
there is some great info on this done by Prof. DAvid Hayes who is the partron of AMBA. There is info about his reseach on their websit
At your twins age, you check their milestones by their adjusted age (i.e what a 6 month old is doing, not an 8 month), not their real age. You do this until they are about 3 or 4 or its not so noticalbeAs .
You should use this as a guide for introducing solids, and even their vaccinations.
As for routine, from what i can remember at that blurry time - mine feed 3 hourly until they were 6 months old. They then dropped one of the night feeds, but started to extend their wake time a bit more. There is a great DVD resource by a MCHN called Lorna Cowan and its all about sleep routines. You should be able to borrow it from your local library. She also runs workshops here in Melb!
ok rambled enough
good luck Kris
odette

[julie26]

Kris

I posted on the other thread for you(the one I posted asking how to put twins to sleep), I forgot to mention my boys were also 8 wks early. We go to physion monthly and they seem to be doing well.

Jules

[KShannon]

Hey Odette,

Thanks for all the great advice, I will look into those sources you mentioned. My boys have definately caught up size wise (Blake 10kg and Dylan 9.5kg) and gone overboard! You wouldn't know they were prem if you saw them now thats for sure. However like you said they are behind in development as they are not completely rolling or crawling yet, but I'm not too worried as I have heard about going off corrected age as you mentioned. Just interested to know if other prem twins are behind in development too.
The boys are eating 3 meals a day plus 4 bottles so they seem to be all ok in that area but I think their sleeping routines are still out and they don't seem to sleep long enough at night (always awake at 5am).. but I'm sure they will get there!

Thanks again for you're great advice.

Kris xo

Dylan - 01/03/2007
Blake - 01/03/2007

[KShannon]

Hi Julie,

I have put down my twins routine below, is it ok if you share yours? Interested to know if I'm on the right track with the boys at this age.

(roughly)
5 - 5.30am - bottle
nap
8 - 8.30am - Breakfast + water
nap (usually only 30mins)
10 - 10.30am - bottle
12.30pm - Lunch + water
nap (usually only 30mins but if lucky 1 hour)
2.30pm - bottle
5.00pm - Dinner + water
sometimes they have a quick nap as they are buggered
7 - 7.30pm - bath (if energetic enough), bottle, bed

Their meals seem to be going really well but their naps may not always go this way and often I have one up and one down which is usually a lot harder day.

Anyway interested to know what routine you are in!

Thanks again

PS (seeing you're twins were the same amount prem, can I ask if yours are rolling or crawling yet?)

Kris xo

Dylan - 01/03/07
Blake - 01/03/07

[julie26]

Kris

Twins routine as follows:

7am Wake bottle

8.30 Breakfast

9am sleep (both about 1/2 hour)

11am Bottle

11.30 nap again about 1/2 hour

12.30 Lunch

1- 1.30 Sleep (about 1 hour)

3pm Bottle

4.30 Bath Time

5.15 Dinner

6.30 bottle - Then straight to bed after bottle. By the time they muck around they are normally asleep by 6.45-7pm.

Mine tend to sleep at the same time, but that has only happened in the last say 2 months, before that it was 1 up 1 down, it is much better when they sleep at the same time.

At the moment the corrected age is 8 1/2 mths.

The boys do roll very well actually and they both commando crawl (basically drag their bodies behind)
they shake their heads, they can't sit unassisted yet or crawl on all fours, they can point and they can pick up a rice bubble starting using one finger so the physio tell me they are doing what they should. Again all this has only been in probably the last 2 mths so I wouldn't panic yet, mine like yours are big boys, both around 10.5kg's, so the physio thinks that would also be not making it easy (poor little fatties)

One of my boys has plagiocephaly so i have seen alot of doctors specialists etc and they all say that you shouldn't worry too much as they will do it when they are ready, just always encourage.

I am not sure where Sth Morang is but your local hospital should have a child physio that you should be able to get an appointment with ( you will probably need a referal from your GP since it is not at the request of the hospital) but if you could get to see one you will be so much happier, I am, I mean how are we supposed to know all this stuff.

In relation to food, Theo eats perfectly, Kobe is still on puree, anything with even a little lump and he vomits. I saw a speech/nutrition specialist and again they said not to panic just keep trying little by little, so it was a miracle when today he ate a little mashed bananna without even gagging.

Anyway I have raved enough, I hope you enjoyed my yackity yack.

Jules

[diva det]

Kris
just saw you are in South Morang- just up the road from me- when you are up to you should join our twin club and come to play group or the under 1's coffee mornings- the girls there are fantastic and kept me sane- plenty of prems there as well
also if you are worried about milestones- the Northern Hospital in Epping has O/T you can self- refer to and use their expertise! Ask you MCHN about the program, otherwise ring the northern and find out. If you are still having trouble let me know as one of my friends with prem twins does the program and i can get the details off her.
HTH
odette

[KShannon]

Hey Jules,

Thanks so much for sharing you're routine with me. It's sounds like my boys are on the right track anyway. I still see the pedeatrician at the hospital because they were so prem, so next time I see her I'll ask about the child physio. Thats funny that yours are big bubbas too. My MCH nurse also said to me the 'plumper' babies can take longer to roll because they have more weight to shift!!

You're twins sound like they are doing so good!

Thanks again for you're advice.

Kris xo

Dylan - 01/03/07
Blake - 01/03/07

[KShannon]

Hey Odette,

Are you talking about the Diamond Valley Multiple Birth Association? I am actually with them and went to their play group this morning and went to the last coffee group. Would be funny if we were both at the same place!?

Kris xo


Dylan - 01/03/07
Blake - 01/03/07

[diva det]

yep that is the one
my twins are too old for playgroup there now - but i went to it from when my bubbas were born until last year
the girls there are great arn't they! they kept me sane in the first few years and i reckon i have made some life long friends out of them!

i will have to catch up with you at the next mum's out.
i think some of the girls that i know still go there such as jodie, melinda, and marisa- really nice girls- but don't tell them i said so - lolol
odette

[KShannon]

I did meet a Jodie yesterday and she was lovely. Haven't really met the others as I was so busy with the twins yesterday, turns out they are not well so I'm off to the docs today just to be safe. But yeah the association is really good. I joined when I was pregnant but never really went to any of their events until last month. I have already met two other mothers from the coffee morning who live fairly close and we are going to try and go to play group at least once a fortnight together and stay in touch for each other whenever we need to, which is great. Lisa from the association is fantastic too, she calls regularly to see how we are doing and they even checked up on me when I was hospitalised before they were born. Definately life savers!!

Hope to see you soon, are you going to the xmas thingy?

Kris