feed and burp each infant for thirty minutes, putting the sleeping baby
back to bed for the remaining 2½ hours of the cycle. Do this even if the
baby was sucking ineffectively and only received a fraction of the usual
feeding amount or when a significant amount of the feeding is spit back
up. I recommend that you don’t refeed after a baby spits up if the thirty-
minute limit is up. If the baby spits up ten minutes or so into the feeding,
try refeeding until the time is up.
One important aspect of feeding newborn and premature infants is a
good assessment of their hydration. Each baby should have between six
and eight wet diapers each day. If you are breast-feeding, this will be one
clue to help you determine that they are properly latched on and
consuming adequate quantities of milk. But with a multiple birth,
especially three or more babies, keeping track of who has had a wet
diaper and who hasn’t can become a challenge. Especially in the first
sleep-deprived postpartum weeks, you can lose track of even obvious
things. So write it all down. Keep your “Healthy Baby Growth” charts
near the changing table and keep them updated. Consider color coding
them, assigning a different color to each child. This will make it easier to
keep track of each child’s progress.
As your babies mature, feedings will become easier and you will
probably be able to feed each baby in under thirty minutes. Adhere
closely to the feeding time/waketime/naptime order for each baby. When
one wakes at night to eat, wake them all and feed them. However, when
one wakes up early from a nap, resist the temptation to reward the baby
with a feeding. Instead, check for a dirty diaper, calm the baby, and lead
the child into comforting himself or herself and going back to sleep.
Let’s Talk About Sleep
Sleeping for multiples is crucial to your peace of mind and to their
happiness. With newborns—especially two or more small, premature
babies—the temptation is to focus on how much they eat, how often they
eat, and whether or not they are gaining weight consistently. My husband
and I have applied the Babywise principles from birth on with our triplets,