I am a SAHM and wondering how you ladies with twins and more do it all!!! I have some help in the mornings from Monday thru Thursday and then my husband is able to work from home in the afternoons. I am spoiled!! I want to be able to take care of them both, one, so I know I can do it by myself and two, so that we can save some more money since we are paying for help. I am starting to get the hang of feeding them solids by myself, but what do you do if one has to have their bottle and the other needs to be put to bed or if both need their bottle and they are cranky? I have tried the boppy pillows and feed them both that way, DD is great and will drink it, but DS is a bit more fussy about eating and has been from the beginning and hardly finishes a bottle (this is probably another post at a later time). I have had a taste of being on my own this week since DH's work has been very busy and I am exhausted. Since this morning I have just fed them, played with them and put them down for a nap...nothing else...no housework...no dinner...I am pooped. How do you do it? Are there any miracle vitamins out there? :lazy:
You realize that you cant do it all from early on. I am a single mom of 3, my oldest is going to be 3 middle of Nov and the twins are 9 months. During their naps is when I do laundry and tidy up. They are all in bed by 7:30 at night so I do a lot of stuff at night. As far as meals go, myself and the crock pot have an EXCELLENT relationship :laughing: I am making a whole chicken with roast potatoes in there at the moment for dinner. As for as feeding, one of my boys isnt as demanding as his brother, so I give him his bottle and solids second. I jst kae sure he has toys around him to keep him occupied.
Coffee!!! Honestly, I don't find this age difficult at all, not like the first few months. Mine pretty much entertain each other all day. When one eats, the other eats, when one sleeps, the other sleeps. Now that my oldest is in school all day, I am actually a little bored and looking forward to going back to work in a few weeks. I am sure you guys will eventually find your groove.
I guess when you have to, you just do! Mine are quite a bit younger than yours, but I have been on my own with them since 2 weeks old. DH works 8-4:30 and we can't afford to hire help. Honestly, they end up crying quite a bit . I am only one person and if they are both cranky and need naps, one cries while I put the other down. I have to feed them together! It would be impossible if I didn't. I usually feed them in the bouncy seats or propped on a pillow or on the arm of a chair or the couch. When spoon feeding baby food, I use the same bowl and same spoon and just take turns giving them a bite. I try to do any housework during naps or after they go to bed at 7pm. It's absolutely exhausting, but you have to do what you have to do!
I've been on my own since they were born too - DH went back to work when they were 2wks old and we've never had help from family. Since June (the duo were 9mths old) I've been completely on my own for 26 days at at time with all 5 kids and as the other moms have said - you figure it out. You try something - if it doesn't work you try something else. I've always kept my duo on the same schedule - bum changes together (with the odd poop in the middle), feeding together, once on solids, both into chairs and fed the same thing at the same time. I use one bowl, one spoon and alternate mouthfuls. Bathtime is the same time, bedtime is the same time. At about 10mths of age we got the duo started with a 7pm bedtime, the big boys 7:30 and my eldest 8pm. After they're in bed I finish up tidying kitchen, sweeping etc. Laundry is folded during naptimes, the kids put it away when the babes are awake. Now that schools in they do it when they get home from school. I make lunches after all kids are in bed. Those are just a few things that I've found that make life easier. I agree with Slipper - my crockpot and I are best friends. It hardly ever gets put away as its used at least 3x a week. I make a menu ahead of time and do my best to stick to it - I grocery shop according to the menu instead of looking in the pantry for what we have. As I go back thru the other posts I realize these are lots of repeat ideas - sorry....
Anyone have Crockpot recipes they are willing to share?? My boys are 3 months and I only started doing it on my own. Keeping them on the same schedule is key... I occasionally have to wake one to feed them together as I tandem BF.
DH deployed when the girls were 2 weeks old and I was on my own from them. My mom stopped by occasionally to help, but I was on my own for the most part. Now that he is home, I really find that I got more done when it was just me! I knew I had to do it and I did. You never know what you can do until you have to do it Also, here are my favorite crock pot recipes! I am also best friends with my crock pot especially since I just started back to school and now have a hungry DH to feed as well as my bottomless pits for children Sorry about the weird spacing! It came out weird from word Salsa Chicken Chicken Breast Salsa (or el pato, diced tom, cilantro, onion, green chilies- or whatever you have avail) Pinto or Black beans Zucchini 6 hours on low Italian Chicken (serve with cooked noodles) Chicken Breast Pasta sauce (or tomato sauce and oregano/basil ect) Diced tomatos Zucchini and/or broccoli 6 hours on low Bean Burritos Beans (soaked overnight) Cilantro Onions Diced tomato Chicken broth to cover 10+ hours on low BBQ Beef or Chicken Beef roast (or chicken breast) Onions BBQ sauce Low 8 hours Roast and potatoes Beef or Pork roast Onions Potatoes (sweet potatoes with pork is yummy!) Carrots or Bell Pepper or Broccoli or whatever veggies Low 8 hours BBQ Ribs Ribs Onions BBQ sauce 8 hours on low Chili Browned turkey (optional) Black, Pinto and/or Kidney beans (whatever you have) Diced onion Diced tomatoes Can of corn, jalapeño, diced bell pepper, and/or diced zucchini 3 tbs Chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp Meat Loaf 20 oz Turkey Egg 1cup oatmeal (or ritz crackers or bread crumbs) Diced onion Ketchup, worsterchire, garlic powder, Form into loaf Low 6 hrs Chile Verde (as tacos, burritos, or on a bed of beans) Roast Diced bell pepper, diced onion, green chilie, tomatillos Garlic, salt, cumin, sage oregano, cilantro, red pepper Applesauce Chicken Chicken Diced onion 1.5 c applesauce ¼ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp pepper Garlic or garlic powder ½ tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper 6 hours on low Sweet potatoes (or baked potatoes) Potatoes Cumin, chili powder and salt Wrap in tin foil Low for 7 hours Chipotle Chicken and sweet pot (serve over rice w/ sour cream) Chicken Peeled and cubes sweet potato Onion, garlic, green onion, bell pepper, chicken broth, Chicken broth Paprika, black pepper, chipotle pepper Low 7 hours Cream cheese chicken (served over noodles) 1 can cream of something soup ½ c chicken broth Chicken Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic Low for 6 hours Add cream cheese and turn to high until cream cheese is melted Chicken and spinach green Enchiladas (top with sour cream) Cooked and shredded meat Spinach, cilantro, jalepenos, shredded cheese, green enchilada sauce, green chile, sour cream corn or flower tortillas layer in crock pot low for 6 hours Red Enchiladas (top with sour cream) Cooked and shredded chicken or beef Red enchilada sauce Bell pepper, black beans, olives Corn tortillas Shredded cheese Layer, cook low for 6 hours Pesto Chicken and Sweet potatoes (layered dinner) Chicken in bottom Pour pesto sauce over chicken Put aluminum foil over chicken Put sweet potatoes on top of aluminum foil Low for 8 hours Fajitas Chicken or beef in strips Bell peppers, onion, water, fajita mix Low for 8 hours
We have help - but whenever i am alone with the boys - to feed bottles, i put them in their high chairs - at the low setting so I can sit in a chair, and I put the back part reclined. It's hard when they are fussy, so I'll usually feed them a little early, before they get fussy. Obviously, when you are doing it every day, it's not going to be perfect all the time. Like a pp said, they cry then, which is not terrible. I also try to get chores done while they are napping. I'll run around like a chicken without a head. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips, suggestions and the wonderful recipes! I guess the key is consistency and attitude. I think we are finally starting to develop some sort of a schedule, I hope. Before it was all messed up due to my son's reflux issues and he had to be feed a bit more often than DD. I am still waiting for them the play together a bit more, I think that will give me time to be in the kitchen while they play. I just hope they get along, because sometimes it doesn't seem so. Do you think girl/boy twins fight more than same sex twins? You are right, I need to keep the get it done attitude and not worry about what is not done. Laundry and chores will be never ending I guess. Time to go make friends with my crockpot.
Laundry and chores are never done even if you DON'T have twins! LOL Those are some great crockpot recipes - many of them are what i use - very simple - meat, veggies and a sauce of some sort - most times the juices and spices are enough. I want to try the applesauce chicken tho! Chili is a common one here too.
You just do! One day at a time really. -Forget about housework. Dishes. Dinner. Laundry. Sweeping. Vacuuming. It's all in the past! :laughing: As long as my duo slept consistently at the same time, I was able to tidy up. If people came over at some point during the day, I used that time to clean up as well. I also had a gate I could put them behind(SuperYard) to do dishes or whatever quickly. -I made sure to feed them at the same time. I fed them at the same time, they napped at the same time(always went down at the same time, rarely woke at the same time). If one required more "help" to bottle feed, I would prop a blanket/pillow under them and feed them that way. It worked well. By nine months though, they may have been holding their own bottle-I can't remember. -If you can cook dinner the night before(stuffed shells are great!), I find that helps. Or now ahead of time what to make. If I plan(RARE), I can get dinner prepared while they are napping. Meatlof is something good as well, or fried chicken-get the mixture together(GREAT recipe in the TS Cooking Forum: Fried Chicken. -And honestly-you don't know how you'll do it-because you really haven't. And trust me-once you do-you will be amazed at what you CAN do. And WILL do. You won't have a choice so you will do whatever needs to be done, and will amaze yourself in the process. Doesn't mean you won't be dog gone tired come 8pm, but you'll survive! Just enjoy those babies! Don't worry about the housework. They will never remember what the house looks like, but they will remember the laughs-n-giggles, and all the playtime they had with mommy/daddy. It's tough trying to balance it all out. Good luck! Once you are on your own, you'll get into a groove and you'll make it. We've all been there and lived to talk about it! :laughing:
I agree with all the pps. You can do it. It feels crazy at first, but then you just realize you are doing it! I've mostly been by myself, and I can say that if you are willing to kind of just roll with it, you will find a routine or flow that works for you. There are a lot of great tips already, here are a few things that helped me. ~ When you really need to get some kitchen work done put them in their high chairs and pull the high chairs near whereever you are working and give them a bunch of spoons and bowls or any other safe kitchen utensil they don't normally get to play with. Sing, dance, and talk a lot while you work and they play. This would keep mine busy and I could do at least a few dishes. We don't have a dishwasher, so this little trick was a lifesaver. ~ At this age they can start feeding themselves a lot of finger foods. We started letting them feed themselves around 7 months. This helps a lot. You can eat while they eat. Granted, there is a big mess on the floor to clean up later. That's part of how our dogs earn their keep. :laughing: ~ Have a layered toy system. What I mean is, keep the toys they really love hidden until you really need them to play for a while and THEN bring out the good stuff. This can buy you a few minutes here and there. ~ We had a game called "Things in a Bowl." I don't know what it is, but they loved anything involving a little bowl and things inside it. I brought out the "Things in a Bowl" game when I needed to do some laundry, etc. When the bowl was emptied, I would run back and fill it back up and go back to laundry. And I agree with all the pps about bathing at the same time, feeding at the same time, etc. :youcandoit:
I did all the housecleaning during their naps. I had two infant-to-toddler rockers that I absolutely could not have lived without and I would put them both in those and sit in between them and then feed. When it was just me sometimes they just had to fuss. I only have one set of hands, and as much as I hated it, if I couldn't get to one right away I didn't let it bother me. Crockpot meals are a lifesaver. And I always had all of my bottles washed and dried the night before so everything was ready in the morning. Once we switched to formula, then I prepared all of my bottles the night before so everything was ready to go the next day. Believe or not, I was a much better housekeeper when they were infants than now. I was just so organized because I had to be, but once they got up and going where they didn't need me so much I have let my organization go.
I found that as long as I have a strict schedule in place we can manage. My girls nap at the same time and eat at the same time which allows me to shower, do dishes,laundry and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. That is how I keep my sanity. I am lucky that my one daughter has been holding her bottle on her own for quite awhile now, so she goes in the pillow with it and I sit on the floor beside her feeding the other one. I wouldn't get anything done if they didn't nap at the same time. So this it key in my opinion.
Well, I did it today....all by myself...although it was only for half a day...we made it!!! :Clap: :thanks: There was a little crying....okay maybe a lot, but it was only one time while I was heating up their bottles and some while going down for a nap, but all in all not bad. I guess like you said you won't know until you do it cause you haven't done it before. I just wish their naps were the same time...never fails for one to wake up way before the other. I am trying my hardest to keep them on the same schedule since that seems to be the key and when they are it really helps. Also, just a random question, how much upright time is good after having solids? My DS is a refluxer so with milk he always has plenty of it and I just want to make sure I am giving both of them enough time before I put them down for a nap. For some reason they just have to go down after it eat, it may only be for 15 mins sometimes, otherwise they get cranky.
We used to hold them up 30 minutes after eating. A couple of months ago we cut down to 15 minutes. So we do 15 minutes after solids and 15 minutes after the bottle. That seems to work for us. It's hard to keep them up much longer than that now because they want to get down and crawl and everything.
Believe me, you can do it!! I have been home taking care of the babies since they were born (they are 1 year old TOMORROW!!!) and while we had regular help from our parents in the first couple months, I have basically been taking care of them by myself during the day (and I did night feedings by myself so my DH could stay awake at work). I was freaked out the first time I was alone with them and worried about how I'd do it all but somehow you just manage. Keeping calm and patient is key (but easier said than done). Having a good routine is also necessary. I try not to wash bottles/dishes more than 2-3 times a day and I have set times for doing that. For instance, I wash up the breakfast and lunch dishes and the first four bottles of the day after we've all had lunch and before their afternoon nap. I put the girls in their playpen and they are usually content in there until their nap. Then I will often take a nap too (because I am usually exhausted by this point). During their morning nap I workout for about an hour and then shower. Then I might put in a load or two of laundry while their bottles are heating up. I might even get some vacuuming in after they've had their afternoon bottle. I just try to fit in tidying up in little spurts throughout the day. "Adult" dinner gets made sometime after they've had their dinner at 5pm - I find that planning what we're having at the beginning of the day makes it easier (some people even plan out their meals for the whole week but I can never get around to that). I also try to do the dishes from dinner and the last four bottles of the day every night before I go to bed because I HATE waking up to a dirty kitchen. I am not that anal but that bugs me. The girls have their last bottle at 7:30pm and then bed at 8pm. Oh and as others said do try and get them on the same schedule (again, easier said that done). Just feed them at the same time and try to put them down for naps at the same time. We still use bouncy seats to feed them though they have to be supervised because they can now wiggle out on their own. We also occasionally give them their bottles in their high chair with the chair seat slightly reclined. Once you get them on a consistent and similar schedule you will find you have a lot more time on your hands! I also just wanted to add that I only started working out daily about a month and a half ago and it has made a HUGE difference in terms of my energy levels. Especially as the girls are so much more mobile now (and getting heavier!) I need more energy just to keep up with them! I have a lot of baby weight left to lose but I am feeling so much better about myself. It is also a great stress reliever and helps me sleep better. So just something to keep in mind. Good luck!! :grouphug:
WTG on a good start!! Starting small like you are is the best way considering you are used to help! BABY STEPs! LOL I fyou take on too much independence at once those tears will take over and you'll lose the confidence you are gaining already! I still have days where the tears come - naptime seems to always be the time - seems like by that point we ALL need a break from each other! WTG and good luck!
First of all... :youcandoit: and you're doing a great job, so pat yourself on the back! It's normal to feel overwhelmed in the beginning even with help. One thing that really helps me (I have 20 month old b/g twins and a 7 month old DD) is to stay a step ahead. For example, I clean up a few times a day (nothing major, just picking up toys, doing a load of laundry, etc.) so DH and I don't have a whole house to clean after everyone goes to bed. We wash bottles/sippies at night before bed so we're not fumbling around in the morning trying to make coffee, wash bottles, nurse, pour milk for the big babies, etc. I feed the dog when I'm in the laundry room even if he's not begging for food yet, b/c he inevitably will as soon as I sit down to breastfeed. You get the idea - I'm constantly moving, but I sleep great at night and it helps keep me from being too stressed if I stay ahead of the curve. It took me a long time to find my rhythm as a sahm, but even now I still have days where all 3 are screaming at me, the house looks like a tornado came through and all I can do is go into survival mode and know tomorrow will be better. Don't be too hard on yourself, it DEFINITELY gets easier as they get older.
:youcandoit: What gets me through is routine, routine, routine. It's easier for me and easier for the boys to know what to expect. Early on I got them on the same schedule for eating and sleeping. As far as naps go, I put them both down at the same time, and let them both wake up together (ie when one wakes up I wait a few minutes for the other one to wake up) then they should be ready to go down for the next nap together. It is frustrating when they get off the same schedule. It is so much harder when there is no break...one wakes up when the other goes down...makes for a long day. For eating, I feed them at the same time everyday (8, 12, 4 and 8)and I put them both in bouncy chairs and bunch a blanket on their bellies to help them hold their bottles, and they are getting better at it everyday. Now that they have the hang of eating "on their own" (I still have to re-prop the bottles occasionally) I can usually do some light housework ie toss a load in the laundry, sweep, or do something else quickly. I feed them their bottles at the same time, and twice a day they get solids at the same time also. I put them in their highchairs and feed them at the same time, alternating who gets bites. I also rinse the bottles and other dishes and leave them in the sink until I have a lull in the day to load the dishwasher. But as a pp mentioned, I run the dishwasher before bed everynight so the next day I always start with a clean slate I also have a crap ton of toys, excersaucers, jumpers, etc (nearly everyone who comes to the house says it looks like a daycare...to which I respond "nope just two busy boys") I do a lot of the day-to-day things while they are busy and then just try to relax while they are sleeping. I even wait to shower until they are awake (I put them in a bouncer and walker...they get a change of scenery and I get a shower without having to worry about whether they are waking up) You can do it! Just take it one day at a time, and establish your own routines. Give it some time and you'll get more and more confident. Good luck and of course check back in for support!
