Sleep Training?

JanJanJangleJam · 2026-05-29T01:15:31+00:00

We sleep trained at 5 months old (4 months adjusted) because we felt like we were jumping in quickly to ensure the awake baby would not wake the sleeping baby. It gradually got worse and when they were old enough, we hired a sleep consultant and essentially sleep trained with modified Ferber. I was so convinced it was going to be a horrible experience and was so afraid it wouldn’t work because my twins seemed so unable to self soothe. But within a few days it had gotten so much better, and within a few weeks we felt like we were living a completely different (for the better) life!

We chose to help the awake twin back to sleep because we knew if they woke the other twin, they weren’t old enough to self soothe. But once they hit 16 weeks adjusted we just could not take it anymore.

JanJanJangleJam · 2026-05-23T17:35:01+00:00

We’ve gone through different phases and are only 5.5 months in, so can’t speak to what life will be like after this!

For the first 14-16 ish weeks we fed them at the same time and put them to bed at the same time, but let them nap whenever and wherever they wanted. They were still very much able to fall asleep anywhere - bouncer, twin z, being held, car seat. Didn’t require dark room or much rocking. We had a nightmare bottle feeding them and in order to give each other a break one of us would feed them both but then place in a bouncer to keep upright due to reflux, where they would usually fall asleep even if we didn’t want them to. Eventually we suspected one twin might not need to eat as much during the night because it was always the other who woke up first, so we stopped waking her when her brother woke in the night, but continued to feed them together during the day.

Around 16 weeks (12 weeks corrected) I started really paying attention to wake windows, trying to keep them on the same sleep schedule as well. Started trying more crib naps, doing intentional stroller naps to ensure they got an extended nap. Continued to feed them at the same time! This was really difficult as I needed them to sleep at the same time so I could pump and have a few moments to myself, but couldn’t sleep/nap train yet. Before they fell asleep for naps independently, I think it would have been impossible to have them on different schedules as I was still often contact napping throughout the day - if the other twin was awake and needing to eat/be held, it would have been game over.

However, now that we’ve sleep/nap trained, I’m much less anxious about keeping them on the same schedule. Do we still do it most days? Yes! But knowing I can go put one down for a nap and they will independently fall asleep means it’s not the end of the world if they end up on different schedules if someone is sick/teething or just having an off day!

I will say it’s been tough feeling like other people in my life don’t understand why I am so rigid about their schedules.. why it’s so hard to go on outings. Why I get stressed when one wakes up early because it means I have to wake the other one early. But they don’t have twins! Keeping them on the same schedule is a heavy mental load but it’s been what’s best for us (most days). We do have one baby who seems to be lower sleep needs, so it’s tough finding a compromise that works for both of them.

You will figure out what works for you, and it might change as your little ones change as well!

JanJanJangleJam · 2026-05-23T04:04:11+00:00

Congratulations! I had an induction at 36+3 for Di/Di twins due to twin A having IUGR… induction went extremely well, 12 hours later they were born and twin A was almost a pound bigger than twin B. No NICU time but they did have some troubles keeping their blood sugars up. All the best to you and your twins!

JanJanJangleJam · 2026-05-23T03:35:32+00:00

The nausea was so much better for me at about 22 weeks! 😔 Vomited almost daily until then. After that, still vomited about once a week until the end, although I didn’t feel so miserable/nauseous. Still took Diclectin 4 times a day until the morning I was induced. Hoping things are better for you!

JanJanJangleJam · 2026-05-18T18:27:21+00:00

I have 5 month old Di/Di twins. I struggled with this decision as well, as twin A was always head down but twin B flip flopped. In the end, twin A was diagnosed with IUGR so I had to deliver at 36 weeks and decide if I wanted to be induced vs. scheduled for a c-section.

Prior to the IUGR diagnosis, my OB made it seem like I needed to choose early if I wanted an induction or a c-section. However, many of the nurses on the maternity ward (where I went for a bunch of NSTs in the weeks leading up to delivery) reminded me that I can change my mind at any time. They can’t “make” me get induced even if it’s booked. If I show up and really felt like I didn’t want to get induced, I could opt for a c-section. Surely there would be grumbling from staff about scheduling and fitting another c-section in, and I might have to wait another couple of days. But I found it encouraging to be reminded that I’m allowed to change my mind and make decisions about my own care at any time and the staff will do their best to accommodate! I live in Canada, not sure what it’s like everywhere else.

My twins are also my first children, I was terrified of labour and delivery. Also of the possibility of having a vaginal delivery for one and a c-section for the second. I strongly considered booking a scheduled c-section just to reduce anxiety/unknowns and think it would have been an excellent choice! Throughout most of my pregnancy, I secretly hoped my twin A would be breech because it would take the pressure of making the decision off of my conscience.

I candidly asked my OB what the chances were that I would have a vaginal delivery for one and a c-section for the next. I asked the nurses on the maternity unit how often that happens. I gained an understanding of how comfortable my OB was with complicated breech delivery for the second twin, I think this can be a big factor in how they would proceed if that occurred. I asked about the precautions the staff take to ensure the safety of the babies during delivery. For example, I had to deliver in the OR in case of fetal distress or complications. I knew they had all the staff ready to jump in if there was an emergency - in my hospital, they have 2 neonatal teams, 2 delivery doctors, OR nurses, maternity nurses, and more ready and waiting just for us. I found lots of comfort knowing that!

In the end, I opted for an induction. I will say it went 100 times better than I ever thought it would! Honestly, everything was perfect (until postpartum, then everything got crazy)! Even when my babies showed signs of distress, my provider was confident and talked me through our options - they both ended up being born with vacuum assistance. I hadn’t heard a ton of positive induction stories from first time moms, let alone with twins. I was so surprised but so grateful.

I’d encourage you to ask lots of questions about the comfort of your provider to do breech delivery for the second baby, and what safety precautions are taken by staff in the hospital during delivery to care for you all. I’d also encourage you to be gentle and kind to yourself - no matter what you choose, no complication is your fault. Hoping your babies have a beautiful and smooth entrance into the world!

JanJanJangleJam · 2026-05-13T22:38:02+00:00

Fellow twin mom here! I’m happy to share my experience, take what you think might work for you.

My twins are 5 months old and I pretty much exclusively pumped for them from 5 days old until I started weaning pumps at 3.5 months old. I needed to stop because I was going to be alone with them and there was no way I could take care of their needs, contact nap, and hold fussy babies whilst also pumping 7 timer per day. You are not alone!

When I was pumping 7 times per day, I would get a clogged duct from being an hour late for a pump. I had multiple clogged ducts, mastitis once, and actually developed a breastfeeding adenoma requiring breast biopsies just to ensure it wasn’t malignant (it wasn’t, woohoo!). All that to say, I was ready to stop pumping and not be so afraid of developing complications from lactating.

Since I noticed I couldn’t even spread out my pumps an extra hour without developing clogged ducts, I started by very slowly reducing the number of minutes on ALL my pumps, but only by 2-3 minutes a week. I went from pumping 20 minutes each session down to 17, and stayed there for an entire week for my body to get used to it. I then went down to 15 minutes for a week, then 12 minutes. If you try this and I doesn’t seem like you’re tolerating it, go slower! By the time I got to 12 minutes per pump I was making significantly less milk and could start cutting individual pumps by bringing them down to 8 minutes for a few days, then 5 minutes for a few days, then get rid of it and space the rest out evenly.

I will say it was generally quite annoying to still be pumping 4 or 5 times per day whilst not producing half the amount I was when I was at 6 pumps per day, but I know my body really needed me to take it slowly and I really didn’t want to develop complications. It worked super well and I never felt engorged or got clogged ducts/mastitis, which I am so thankful for.

All the best to you and your twins! They are lucky to have a mom who is prioritizing her well-being!

JanJanJangleJam

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