Inconsolable, but still asleep

[CalaRei]

My "bad sleeping" son is getting worse, I think. The first stretch of the night is generally awesome - we usually get them to bed around 8:30ish. Late, I know, but it's the absolute earliest I can physically get them fed, bathed, nursed and in bed after DH comes home at 6. After 8:30, generally he'll wake up about 3 hours later, which I figure is probably about right for him to eat. But he's not really awake - he'll latch and suckle, but not truly eat. He settles and goes sleepy-limp, but transferring him down just makes him scream again. Last night I actually had to turn on all of the bright lights, change his clothes, and then have DH snuggle him totally awake before he would actually nurse, and then I could lay him back down. I think he just wants to nurse all night, and won't take a paci for an answer. Side-lie nursing is killing me slowly, I swear.

The bolded bit above is what's driving me crazy. The awake/notawake state is maddening. Sometimes he'll just cry and thrash in my arms while he's like this, and if I don't actually take the steps to wake him up and then "start over" he'll go on like this for hours, quite literally.

Does anyone have any ideas? After about 1pm, I still bring them both to bed and end up getting up to move to the other side of the bed when the other baby wants to nurse. (Twin2 is a "good sleeper" - gets up a few times to eat, but settles again after that easily, even if totally awake. But it's easier to deal with Twin1 if they're both with me.) Hubby starts the night in bed, but leaves after they move in. DH has never had success getting Twin1 to re-settle. He tries for a while, but it always ends in bringing him downstairs with us, which I think is a pretty bad habit. As the night goes on, his wakings get to be more and more frequent until I almost literally can't stop nursing after like 5am. Theyre up for good at 7.

Ok, rant over. Please help?

[crunchy_mommy]

When you nurse side-lying, do you prop yourself up with pillows? I can't stand nursing sometimes when I don't have a pillow behind my back to kind of lean on. My DS sounds a lot like your Twin1, he wants to be latched on constantly, although it's gotten a lot better in the past few months (he's now 15mos)... and he is also fussy in his sleep and wants to nurse but not actually eat... I think the thing that helped me the most was NOT trying to transfer him (to co-sleeper/bassinet/etc.) but just keeping him right beside me, plus making myself more comfortable while side-lying. I can't imagine how tough it must be with twins though! I give you a lot of credit!!!!