Hi Everyone! I'm an avid reader of twinstuff and love all your advice, so maybe you can help me with this: we live on the second floor in an apartment building without an elevator. Our stroller is locked up in the entrance way and there are no apartments down on the first floor. We do, however, have about eight other apartments in the building, one of which is used as a doctor's office, so there is quite a bit of foot traffic in the building. Now, when my husband's home, each of us takes a baby, we all walk downstairs with our arms full (diaper bags, blankets, purse, whatever else we need) and leave. I haven't really managed to take the babies out by myself because I can't carry both of them at the same time anymore (when they were really little, I did that once or twice). I am uncomfortable to carry one down, leave the other upstairs, go back up and leave one unattended in the stroller. I really wrecked my brain on how to do this, but I can't come up with anything. So my question to you creative ladies: how would you do it? Thanks a bunch from a twin mom who feels a bit stuck... Rachel
I'm curious to see what others say! I am also a 2nd floor apt. My boys are now 5 months and I rarely leave the house because I think about how I have to get up and down the stairs with two babies! I honestly don't think there is another way for us if we're alone, sadly!
Could you use a carrier like a Baby Bjorn or a sling for one baby and carry the second? When mine were the age of yours I went to store and we went through the options of how to carry two babies. I put on a Moby Wrap first and then put one baby into a Becco carrier that I moved to my back and then I put the second baby into the Moby Wrap. It was actually very comfortable and they loved it. I just never ended up using this system because we live in the country and I have to drive everywhere. Send me a PM and I will send you a picture of how it looked. There is also a website with lots of pictures of mom wearing their twins and a forum that you can join. Here is the forum: www.thebabywearer.com
Can you wear one in a carrier, like a Baby Bjorn...and hold the other one? As they get older and have better body strength, you could have one in a hip-type carrier and hold the other one. Best of luck...sounds like a tricky one! -maria ds1 4.5 DS2 DS3 10 months
I would go down with your diaper bag (or keep one fully stocked in the car), set up the stroller and then go back up and grab the babies. I'd carry one on each hip down the stairs and plop them in the stroller. Then buckle each of them and off you go. I'd rather leave them somewhere safe (exersaucers, one in a pnp and one on the floor, etc) in the house while I packed up the car/stroller than leave either or both unattended in the stroller with all the people going by.
i'm on the top floor of a brownstone. my place is quiet so now i carry them down separately to the lobby (its safe to leave them for a few moments since there are only 5 apts in the building and everyone else works all day) but when they were new and it was too wintry and icy to jump the stroller down the 6 stairs of my stoop, i did this: 1. put babies in safe place 2. go down and set up stroller and gear on sidewalk, bike lock it to gate 3. go back up and put 1 baby in baby bjorn and carry the other. this way i have 1 hand free to operate doors and hold railings 4. insert babies in stroller, unlock bike lock, be on my way its a process but always soooooo worth it. we would go crazy if we didn't go out. we leave the house at least 1x a day. the one time i did this with no sling/bjorn was a disaster. its very hard to operate doors and to plop the first baby in the stroller with no extra hand. its also hard to scoop them both out of the stroller.
QUOTE(ktfan @ Jun 21 2009, 12:23 PM) [snapback]1362618[/snapback] I would go down with your diaper bag (or keep one fully stocked in the car), set up the stroller and then go back up and grab the babies. I'd carry one on each hip down the stairs and plop them in the stroller. Then buckle each of them and off you go. I'd rather leave them somewhere safe (exersaucers, one in a pnp and one on the floor, etc) in the house while I packed up the car/stroller than leave either or both unattended in the stroller with all the people going by. This is what I would do too. If you're not comfortable carrying both in your arms how about carrying them in car seats? Either you could carry one in each hand or, if they're too heavy, carry them down each flight of stairs one at a time (put one baby down at the top of the flight of stairs, carry other one down and leave at the bottom, go back for first one. That way you could always see both). You could then lock the cars seats in the same place you keep your stroller and use them to carry the babies back up when you get home.
I would use a carrier/sling thing for one as well, that's how I get my babies out to my truck when I'm by myself. If my 7 yr old is home he can carry one right now but once they get a bit heavier it'll be back to the hipcarrier for one!
Exactly what pp suggested is what I did when I lived on the 3rd floor when they were born. I would put them in their crib and have everything packed and ready to go. Run down with that stuff and set the stroller up (we did have apartments down there so I just tucked it under the stairs. Then I went up and put one in the bjorn and the other I carried so I had a free hand to lock the door and whatnot. I did use this technique for getting them in the car too! You can do it, once you do it a few times you will get the hang of it. Of course when they are too big for the bjorn or big to carry then I wouldn't know what to tell you but for now you know you can get out and about
Thanks everyone for the good advice! I actually went downstairs and out with them today, carrying one in my arms and one strapped to me. Worked like a charm!
