Hello Twin Mommies, I am expecting twins in April, 2 boys. Right now my biggest apprehension is trying to figure out how you handle 2 babies?? Everyone keeps telling me that, "Oh, you'll figure it out" but that response just gets me irritated....I know I will figure it out....I am a MAJOR planner so if I have a game plan in my mind before something happens I deal better when the situation does arrise....now I know that you can't plan for everything but in my little pea brain it helps me.... So my questions are.... Can/Do you pick both of them up at the same time? Is it common to breastfeed both at the same time? If they are both crying do you attend to one first and then the other? I just need a little reassurance from some pro's out there so I can have my little plan in my head....at least it will help me sleep better in the meantime Thanks in advance, Ali
I haven't read all the replies, yet, so forgive me if I'm redundant. Congrats on your twins and :welcome: to TS!
You'll do fine, and you mostly figure it out as you go. As for picking up both at once, yes you can. I still do andf my guys are a yr old. You can totally breastfed 2 at a time. As for crying, I did the triage thing. Whoever needed me more got me first. Good luck!
Wow! I too am appreciative to those of you who've given feedback. This is very helpful. I've had two babies, but since it was many years ago and they were singleton births, I've had so many crazy thoughts. This is such common sense responses and very reassuring. This twin mommy newbie appreciates the time you took to respond - I also appreciate "dialilo" for posting the questions!
Agree with great advice so far. Tandem feeding - yes, more difficult in the beginning due to lack of head control and learning to latch but very doable. I did it in the hospital at day 2 since they were both hungry. EZ2 nurse pillow is great. Actually the only time I could get online was while tandem feeding (laptop on a stool). When you are by yourself you learn how to gently roll one baby off the pillow onto the couch, get up and place the other baby down for a nap and then get the one on the couch and place them down. Picking them up, yes you will figure it out. Baby carriers are helpful as well. Here is one that is versatile. You can actually where 1 baby on the front and 1 on the back. http://www.piggysack.com/default.html In the early days I was mostly sitting on the couch, 1 baby laying on my legs (head near my knees and body on my thighs) and holding the other. I would sway my legs to rock that baby and then could tend to the one I was holding. Use your planning to have everything ready and organized and get ready for a wonderfully wild ride!!
I had to respond because I could have written your original post 2.5 years ago! Believe it or not, you will amaze yourself at what all you can accomplish when you become a twin mommy! I had the same fears as you, but it is so true what they say- it just falls right in to place! Also, I relied heavily on twinstuff! The moms (and dads!) here are true experts! One thing I wish I could have changed while I was pregnant was to enjoy my pregnancy more and not worry so much about the future. Good luck to you, you will be great!
This is SO true!! I loved being pregnant. My hubby was so anxious to meet the twins. I told him that they are very manageable inside and would be a lot more work outside... that they could take their time!
1: carrying at the same time isn't bad. If I had it to do over I would have definetly used a sling 2:I never was able to because we had nipple issue. I did pump for 2 months. 3: Jessy had lots of health issues so jazzy usually only cried when she thought jessy was being ignored
Wow!! You ladies are amazing!!! Great tips!! I appreciate all of your responses. I am enjoying my pregnancy and my husband and I are so so excited!! All of your advise is so helpful and I already feel so much better about handling my two little babies when they get here. It just helps to get some practical ideas in your head about how to do these things. Stay tuned....I'm sure I'll have some more newbie questions in the future Thanks again!!
We will be here. THIS is why I am on TS- I needed this site like a lifeline when I was pregnant & in the First Year.
carrying both is absolutely do-able - either one in the crook of each arm or one on each shoulder...even up and down stairs!! make sure you have at least one each of a bouncy, PnP and swing - they will wind up liking ONE of them and you can place one in the apparatus of choice while tending to the other one... I didn't breastfeed - but I did bottlefeed 2 at a time - I'd sit on the couch with my legs out and prop each one on each thigh and feed from above - something to keep in mind if you ever wind up using bottles in the beginning and you're alone... most of all just remember that they are only this little once and even if things aren't perfect - they won't remember - they will know that you love them though!
I used bouncy seats a lot in the beginning. That allowed me to tend to one, and bounce the other with my foot so I wouldn't have to let one cry (even though letting them cry isn't bad). I am still able to pick them up and hold them at the same time and they are 30 lbs Also, I hated tandem nursing until they were around 3 months. I tried it a lot in the beginning, but it was too stressful for me. I found that I never enjoyed the nursing experience until I nursed them one at a time and bounced the other. Or when I had help, my mom or granny would hold the other while I nursed. I did tandem nurse when I had to and managed (like when they were 4 weeks and we were on a 2 hour airplane ride). At 3 months, they figured out how to latch and stay on so I could tandem nurse easily. I know it's frustrating, but you really will figure it out! I couldn't even imagine just having one. It's not like you have one baby, then 4 weeks later they drop in another. You can do it!
Didn't read other comments but as this is round 2 for us here is my advice. 1-After the first month I always carried them at the same time. I would lay them side by side and just scoop my arms under both and hold on. When they were older I would face them away and put my arm across their chest and grab a hold of thier legs. 2- I bf both for a year. It took 3-4 weeks and then I always tendem nursed using the EZ2 nurse pillow that I love. 3-Depending on the reason for crying depended on what I did. DS used a binky and that helped with the crying a lot. DD was colicy so not much helped. Mine loved the boucers but hated the swing so rarely used that. I often put DD in the ring sling to hold then if DS needed somethign I could pick him up or do seomthing else to help him. 4-Keep them on the same schedule even of you have to wake a sleeping baby. It works so much better 5-I am a huge fan of Baby Wise and would highly recommend it. I won't get on my soap box but if you want to talk, just message me. If you want some specific advice. I would love to answer it
Planning is super important. But being flexible is probably even more important for a twin mom, IMO. I had these great plans of tandem feeding my girls, having them on an easy schedule, etc. I had 3 children already, which helped with a lot of the first time mom jitters. But I had also talked to a lot of twin moms and gotten great advice. Then my girls were born and they were totally different. One was super healthy and a great eater. The other wasn't. She was 2 1/2 lbs smaller, didn't eat well (took her a month to get back up to birthweight), had reflux and it turns out that she's legally blind. They didn't do anything the same and getting them on the same schedule was impossible. So we learned to adapt. The best advice I got may sound silly, but another twin mom said that when her twins would cry and need her at the same time, she would calmly tell them (yes even as small babies), "There are 2 babies and only 1 mommy and in this house we share." My girlies obviously didn't understand, but it helped me stay calm. I breastfed my girls until after 2 1/2 yrs old. But Sabrina was supplemented the entire first year (and she's still on Pediasure at 5 yo). I hated tandem feeding and only did it when they were both starving hungry, usually at 6:30 in the morning. But I learned to plan for it and anticipate when one would need to eat, and sometimes feed one a little early, so I could get her fed before the other one was super hungry. And it's completely doable to carry them both, but as PPs have said, it's a lot easier when they have some head control. But even before then, you can gently put one up on one shoulder then carefully lift the other onto the other shoulder.
