The Ultimate Question: How to Schedule Two Babies

I think the greatest worry to a parent of twins is how to get and keep them on the same schedule. I have had a few days where the day or night schedules were totally off. Let's just say that that it was not a pretty sight. The one rule that has always held true for me is that you can not stall a hungry baby to wait for the other twin to want to eat. If one babe is hungry, then the other one must eat too. If the second baby is asleep you wake him/her up. Even if the second baby just takes a nibble that is OK. Over time they learn the routine and become synchronized.

Cruel you say?? No! Here is the hidden benefit no one mentions. Your babes get so used to being roused from sleep, that it doesn't bother them. This means that taking them from the car, waking them up to transport them home from a friends house late at night, etc. is a piece of cake. I think too, that by dictating a schedule for them, they also learn to follow all (ok, most...) of your requests and cues.

I once feared that I was preventing them from learning to sleep through the night. What if one baby was ready for it? What if they were each ready to get up just once, but at different times? So, I tried just feeding them individually at night (around 8 months) to see what would happen. Hell on earth. Enough said.

The last piece of advice, stick to it! From day one, or any time they get off schedule, stick to your guns. It may take a few days or a few weeks, but it will be worth it. For your sanity’s sake and that of your family – don’t give up. Synchronized twins = One Happy Rested Mama!