I have asked so many NICU docs and nurses about setting up a schedule and I've had no luck. I have two at home. One can go 4 hours in between feedings, the other about 3.5 hours. The baby in the NICU coming home tomorrow goes about 3 hours. How can I feed them all and still get some rest. Do I just wait for the first one to get hungry and then feed the others after?? I would like a plan so that I can tell my helpers when to come over. What did you do?
Jeannette

If one can only go 3 hours, I would start with a 3 hour schedule for everyone. If you don't have them all eating on the same schedule it is going to be impossible for you. You will never get any sleep. Don't wait for them to get hungry. Feed them at 3 hours. If they are asleep, wake them up. Whoever said never wake a sleeping baby never had triplets. Learn to prop bottles so you can feed them all at the same time when you are alone. That takes practice and your babies might not be ready for it when they first come home.

You can let them go longer at night. At first you will need to stick to the 3 hour schedule, but soon you can just let them sleep as long as they want and then feed everyone when the first one wakes up. When they are ready to stretch out their feeding schedule at night they will let you know by sleeping longer.

We started on the 3 hours schedule but moved to a 4 hour schedule a few weeks later. 4 hours is SO much better but isn't going to work if all the babies can't do it.

Lori

http://yesidohavemyhandsfull.blogspot.com/

Once we were cleared to let them sleep as long as they wanted, we fed every 3 hours during the day and then fed all 3 at night when the first woke up. I found when we fed them every 3 hours during the day, they slept longer stretches at night.

BGG born at 34 weeks on 8/12/08

Like the PP said, feed them all. Is the baby coming home tomorrow on a 3 hour schedule because that's how frequently he wants to eat, or that is the schedule the NICU put him on? The NICU initially had my girls on a 3 hour schedule, then spaced it out to 4 hours the week before they were discharged "to make it easier on you." So if it's the NICU making him eat every 3 hours, you can try and see if he can stretch to 3 1/2 when he gets home. I fed every 3 hours when I was trying to get them to sleep through the night, and you feel like all you ever do is feed, and I Only had two.

And they'll let you know when they're ready to sleep longer at night, when you get the ok from your doctor. You'll notice that you have to work harder to wake them up, that they fall asleep when eating, etc. Then you can just let them go.

Amy

Julia, ^Caitlin^ (stillborn due to encephalocele complications) & Gabrielle
30.2 weeks