you know you're a twin mom if...

there have been threads like this before, but i haven't seen one in a while. i don't know how applicable these are to everyone else, but i've been thinking a lot about how having twins has changed my whole way of thinking. add your own!

you know you're a twin mom if...

the word “jumbo” on a pack of 36 diapers makes you laugh hysterically

when speaking of a friend’s pregnancy you compulsively say “babies” instead of “baby” out of habit

there are an equal number of children and adults in the house, but the adults are still somehow outnumbered

you use the word “one” way too often (“which one” “that one” “the other one”)

one baby messes his/her cute little outfit and you throw both babies’ clothes into the wash because, hey, they might as well fade equally

you seriously consider whether reminding yourself not to compare them means you’re ultimately thinking in comparative terms, and this becomes a mental conundrum

you find it difficult to shop for baby showers or help pregnant friends plan their registries because your brain works exclusively in double quantities

you’ve ever had to leave a restaurant because they only have 2 high chairs and a family with a singleton got there ahead of you

 

- your diaper bag is the size of Noah's Ark

- you see twins everywhere you go

- things that you only have one of, like a swing, seem lonely

- terms like 'big brother' or 'little sister' are controversial

- you feel like you should wear a T-shirt with answers to all those questions when you go out

- when you're at a gathering of singleton moms, there seem to be too many adults around

- you get annoyed at nursing gowns/bras/shirts that only allow access to one breast at a time

 

you can clean a super dooper poopy diaper with one wipe and use every square inch of it.

 

you're really proud that your babies weighed 6 lbs at birth

your nursing pillow is the size of a loveseat

you saved $3532453 on formula by breastfeeding

You use your legs just as efficiently as your arms to rock.

 

You have to find TWO babysitters to watch the kids (their to scared to do it alone)

The biggest highlight of the day is finding "buy one get one half off" sales

 

You say things like "Last night went great! I just got woken up four times."
You feel like you should have one of those alarms that go beep beep beep when you back up with your stroller.
Your friend says her singleton baby is fussing after making a peep. You look at her like, "that's fussing??"

 

You can only take the babies hiking (or swimming) if your DH or friend comes with you.

You laugh at the phrase "never wake a sleeping baby."

You know where all the handicap accessible doors are in town.

 

It takes 2 trips to get everyone loaded into the vehicle.

When you buy one onesie you automatically get a second one, don't want one baby to feel neglected.

Your shoulders sag from carrying an overloaded diaper bag.

Your shoulders and upper arms look like hulk hogan!

You can feed/diaper/dress both babies with one hand!

You say "excuse me, coming through" at least 5 times when you go out with the twin stroller.

When you hear a baby crying you automatically check to see if it's one of yours!

 

- You wish your chest was bigger because your kids want to lay on you.
- you can carry both children up and down the stairs
- you laugh when a mother of a singleton says she can't bear to have her child cry. Someone is always crying....

I am sure I could come up with more!

 

I'm so tired right now I can't think of anything. :wacko: But you guys are making me laugh, keep them coming!

 

My favorite one is:

When a mother of a singleton hands you her baby so she can get something done and you go to help because you are only holding one baby.

I can't remember who came up with that, but it is top notch.

 

guilty! :blush:

 

When talking to other Moms and pregnant women you say "they" as if there are two
i.e "when are they due?"

You think a baby wipes work just as good as a washing machine.

You begin to feel like super mom from all the people saying "I don't know how you do it."

A crying baby has almost no effect on you.

 

HA HA HA Ha!!!!

I am just starting out but I totally agree with wearing a shirt that has all the "info" on it...that way you don't have to repeat it every 5 minutes.

Needed a bigger car just to fit the stroller into it!

Thinking it was a good day if I got to eat 3 meals(even if I was standing while holding a baby).

Getting to brush my teeth before noon!

 

OMG, I just realized I haven't brushed my teeth yet lol!

 

When your kids always have food crumbs in their hair because you have to eat while feeding them due to lack of time.

When your legs look like they've been beaten with a bat from lugging heavy carseats around and having them bump into the back of your legs as you walk (mom thought I had a clotting disorder!)

When every trip into a different room requires either 2 trips back and forth, or a kid under each arm, football style.

When one diaper champ wears out after a month of service.

When playing, you wear yourself out trying to make sure they get equal attention!

 

Love it!

You can pick up two babies at the same time without a thought.

Your feet become very vital in soothing, picking up toys, etc.

Not everything fits in one diaper bag so you've converted over to a much larger "tote" bag.

You're comfortable babysitting your SIL baby while taking care of your twins ~ what's one more!

 

You make a personal pact that once the babies are grown and out of the house, you will NEVER bother a mother of multiples with endless questions, and looks of sympathy.

You have about zero sympathy when your friend that has one baby complains about how tired she is.

You hear a crying baby and have to ask, "which one is that"?

You realize that the last shower you took was at the beginning of the week, and it's Friday. (which reminds me, I'm going to go shower.)

Great Post, Thanks.

 

Just thought of another one:

You forget that the term "singleton" is not at all common, and apparently is midly offensive to pregnant mothers of "singletons".

 

When you see a couple out with just one baby you think how boring

 

:good: :laughing:

 

When you have to choose between a shower, a hot meal, and an hour of sleep..... (you only get one)

 

LOL, these are great! I love the one about helping the singleton mom because you're "only" holding one baby!
I never thought of "singleton" as potentially offensive though; most people I've talked to seem to think it's cute! I have to explain that even doctors use that term.

Here are a few more:
* When you make formula in 72-oz batches!
* When your babies get most of their feedings in Boppys or bouncy seats!
* When you hold off on starting solids because your baby's twin isn't quite ready yet!
* When you have to do baby laundry at least every two days because you "only" have 50 bibs and that's how fast you go through them! (Especially if your twins both have reflux!)

 

These are wonderful and I can relate to every one of them! One that I thought of was when you're out with one baby (this very seldom happens) and someone asks how old he/she is and you respond with THEY are 7 months. Then you have to quickly explain he/she has a twin and you really aren't nuts.

You can easily get two babies to get near enough to you to pop them up on your lap and then go to a standing position so you can walk around holding both of them on your hips. My DH thinks it's amazing when I do this. LOL I find it a necessity sometimes.

You look at a woman who's pregnant with one and due any day and think shoot I looked like that at 6 months - what is she complaining about!?

Too tired to think of anymore but keep 'em coming these are great!

 

When you spend your free time on Twinstuff when you could be doing something more productive :rotflmbo:

 

:Clap:

 

- When your friend who has one baby always tends to one of your babies whenever he fusses in the slightest, and you didn't even notice he was fussing. That's just typical background noise.

- When you are out by yourself you expect people to start smiling and asking you questions.

Edited because I forgot how to speak English momentarily.

 

When packing your diaper bag becomes a complicated math problem, how many diapers, bibs will I need...

You ask yourself how do people fit carseats in a sedan, then you remember most people only have to figure out how to fit one in

You wonder why they have a reclining feature on your car seat as you can't think of when you will be able to use this option again,

When your van once seemed big and you've reconfigured the carseats several times and realized it doesn't have as much room as you originially thought

When you considered seperating your items into two diaper bags, clothes and toiletries

When deciding which stroller would be best for which situation is a constant debate in your mind

You laugh when you see the mother of a singleton next to you in a parking lot easily fold up her stroller and lift it into her car as you feel like you are standing on a suitecase to get yours to close as you are folding up your stroller and saying to yourself please give me the strength and please let me not pull a muscle as you lift your stroller so gracefully in your trunk

When you have actually tried numerous times to figure out the best way to fit your stroller in the trunk in one shot

Gave up on not scratching the bumper as you walk your stroller into the trunk

Laugh when a mother of a singleton asks for someone to hold open the door while she stollers her stroller through the door when you have figured out how to get your bus through two double doors with no help and without having the door hit you on the way through

When sleeping arrangements stop you from going over someones house during nap time

When figuring out their nap schedule is the first thing you do when they wake up in the morning. add two hours, sleep for an hour add two.....

Get excited when you can make it out and back for an errand during their naps without either baby falling asleep in the car which would totally messed up your perfect schedule for the day

When you pat yourself on the back when you get both babies to fall asleep at the same time for each nap throughout the day and feel like you are on top of the world and pray that it will happen the following day

When having a dozen passifiers in the house doesn't seem like enough and your crawling under the crib looking for more because you can't find two clean ones

When you want to scream if you have to explain to one more person how important it is to keep them on the same schedule and how it is a big deal to mess with the master plan that have just perfected

When you have reconfigure the layout of your house soley based on their sleeping arragements

When you have picked up HSHHC several times in one day

 

:laughing: these are great.

When your idea of "free time" involves making a batch of formula, washing the bottles and nipples, throwing the babies clothes in the washer, and if you are lucky, putting your feet up for 5 mins before the babies wake from their nap!

When the only time you can load your dish washer/wash your dishes, change the laundry/fold clothes, or pick up the toys in the living room is after the babies are in bed for the night.

 

Love these!
- when you think it is totally acceptable to only take a shower every other day or alternate between shaving your legs and shampooing your hair on different days of the week because you only have 3 minutes for a shower

- you go into a rage if someone rings the doorbell or makes a lot of noise mowing their lawn during sacred nap times DESPITE the "sleeping babies" note taped to your doorbell.

- You find yourself feeding babyfood or snacks to three or more toddlers at the park because the other kids see what's going on and come over to investigate while the singleton mom looks at you and thinks, it's ok, she's got it covered. This happens to me during craft time at the library too - like I am not busy enough with my own children already?

- You roll your eyes (behind their back, of course) when a singleton mom insists that her child won't nap or sleep and that she is sooo tired. (You are skeptical that any child cannot be trained to follow a rough routine of naps and bedtime.)

- You would pay the equivalent of their weight in gold because they entertained or rocked to sleep one or both twins during the early months: (pick one: swing, exersaucer, fisher price learn and laugh play house).

- You feel bad about, but still buy two of the exact same toy in the exact same color because the expense is worth them not fighting each other to the death over it.

- People ask you if you "lift" because you have such nice biceps from carrying twins and toddlers around for 2 1/2 years.

- you love being a part of the twin-moms-of-the-world club and spend more time on TS than on facebook.

 

... you've forgotten what hot food tastes like.

... you go to Costco just so you can use your double-baby cart seat in their oversized carts.

... you shop for food based largely on whether it can be eaten with one hand or not.

... a random stranger approaches you and you're surprised and oddly miffed when they don't mention the twins.

... you wish that things like burp clothes and receiving blankets were sold in bulk.

... your water and electric bill made a huge jump because you're now doing laundry and dishes multiple times a day.

 

.........you have to add at least 15 minutes to any outing to compensate for the number of times you will be stopped by strangers asking, "are they twins?, how old are they?, how much do they weigh?, which one is older?, how do you do it?, how do you get any sleep?, are they identical? how are you out of the house so early in the morning with two clean babies?, are they real? (yes, I have had at least three different people ask that- one lady thought I was carrying around dolls. Huh? Why would someone do that?),etc."

Sarah
Mom to Brady and Eli
2 months actual age
1 week 3 days adjusted age

 

you can feed one baby, with your chin holding the bottle steady, eat a sandwich with one hand and change a diaper with the other.

you recognise each baby's individual cry in a room filled with talking people.

at a family reunion when relatives you don't know come and pick up your babies to show them off to other people you feel relieved at finally being able to go get some food.

 

you can´t get to places with your double pram as the doors aren´t wide enough.

your friends, who have singletons or are pg with singletons, compare how much weight they gained. That always makes me laugh!

you can comfort two crying babies at the same time!

 

update: this happened 3 times yesterday. it took us 4 stops just to find somewhere where we could eat lunch!

ouch. that hits close to home!

a couple more:

a friend is pregnant and you offer a portion of your outgrown baby clothes pile as hand-me-downs. you have to remind yourself multiple times during sorting that you only need enough for ONE baby. ONE baby! put half of the pile back!

your pregnant friend mentions a great deal on a graco travel system at coscto and you think, "where was that deal when i was pregnant??" then belatedly you realize she is, of course, talking about a single carrier and stroller.

when you explain your confusion to your friend about the travel system it takes 3 rounds of explanation for her to understand that stores don't just stock the double-versions, and the double version only comes with one infant carrier. her astonished reply is, "i didn't even know you could buy the infant carrier separately." and you, on the other hand, can't imagine being able to conveniently buy everything you need in one purchase without going online.