Bathing Twins By Myself

So DH is back to his usual work schedule of traveling a couple times a month. Usually, he;s only gone a day or two, but sometimes he is gone for 3 or 4 days. The kids are moving around and getting dirty and really need to be bathed while he is gone. The problem is I have never bathed a baby by myself. Usually, I sit in the tub, while DH hands me one, I wash 'em with the shower spray, pass 'em back out and wait for the second one.

The kids don't sit up, but they wriggle and roll all over. All our sinks are really small and our bathroom sinks are pedestals with no counter, so I don't think a sink bath will work. And I have a bad back.

How am I going to do this by myself? AAAACCKKK!

 

Can you put one in a bouncy seat or exersaucer in the bathroom while you bathe one baby? Then have a boppy nearby to place a towel over and lay the clean baby on to dry off, clothed, etc. Then get the other baby and wash him/her while the first baby lays on the floor or boppy? I have only bathed our boys by myself once, and I just used a thick quilt to put on the bathroom floor and a boppy type pillow. They were around 7 months old at the time. It sucked, but then again bath time sucks even with DH's help, LOL. It just takes so much setup and preparation, and is made worse when one or both boys fuss while bathing.

When the boys were around 9 or 10 months old I started bathing in the tub together, rather than the assembly line method. I just used one of those yellow bath sponge mats and put in the middle of the tub. Then I laid baby #1 in tub with his head on the sponge with feet facing the faucet. Then I laid baby #2 in the tub with his head beside his brother's head with his feet going in the opposite direction towards the end of the tub. Another twin mom gave me that tip and it actually works well, but it helps that I have DH to hand a baby too when I'm doing cleaning them!

 

I would either assembly line them, put one in an exersaucer while you bath/wash one, and then rotate, or bath them at the same time. You can fold up a towel and lay them on it in the tub, or use one of the yellow bath sponge things. I would have the towels, diapers, lotion, and jammies all ready in the bathroom, run the water, bring them both in and strip them, put them in the tub together, wash them quickly, pull the plug, take one out and dry/diaper, then take the other out and dry/diaper. Lotion, then jammies.

It's hard, it's hectic, it's not ideal, but it doesn't have to be done every single day, so most of the time you'd have dh there to help you

 

I'm not sure how old your twins are, but when they were little I would just put the baby bathtub on the kitchen table and fill it with warm water. I'd do one, get them all dressed and then start all over with the second one. When they got a little bit bigger I put them in those tub seats that stick to the bathtub and would do them both at the same time. Less time consuming but still difficult because then you have two wet babies in the end. I would take both out and wrap them up and put their diapers on first and then that would buy me some time to get each one dressed. Bathtime is exhausting! There's no doubt about it. I have 4 children, 7, 5 and 15 month old twins. I bath them all on the same night and then take a couple nights off so it's not so crazy every day!
Shannon

 

We had this and it worked really well.

http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Deluxe-Baby-Bather/dp/B000G22Y88/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1264970330&sr=8-1

I only bathed them every 2-3 days, but this helped quite a bit before they could sit well on their own. I'd have one in a bouncy or exercauser while I did one and then do a quick switch while one layed in a towel in a boppy or something.

 

I use this, too, and it is great!

 

My girls are 10 months old and I have just gotten a system for bathing my girls. I get them both naked and then carry them both into the bathroom where the tub is ready, with soap, towels, toys, and a large/tall laundry basket sits by the tub.

I bathe them both at the same time, then I sit by the tub and get one out and dry her off. I then put her in the laundry basket in her towel and give her toys to play with while I get the other one out and dry her. Next, I put both of them in the laundry basket and carry them to their bedroom and lotion and diaper one while the other one sits in the basket, then I repeat with the next. Then I sit on the floor with them and put their pj's on them.

It is A LOT of work but it has worked well for me when I am home alone.

Good Luck! It can be done, and it seems like yours are still small enough you could use the exesaucer and still bathe in the baby bathtubs.

 

I used bath seats (safety first tub side bath seat...as long you have a traditional tub)for the boys before they could sit well enough on their own...put the seats in the tub with water. Get one out of the seat and wash, put back in the seat to pay, grab the other and wash, put back in seat to play...then everybody out. It was a convenient way for me to have them in the tub playing with me there but left my hands free to wash whomever was being washed.