Loading and Unloading Twins?

I am wondering how other moms get their twins in and out of the car.

Currently, I am hauling both infant carriers to the car, one in each hand, and acquiring back pains, all at the same time!

We will soon be changing out their car seats to stationary seats that STAY in the car, so how do other moms get them in?

Leave one in the house while strapping in the other? (I can't carry one on each hip yet, as they still need some head support...)

Please let me know!

 

this reminds me of thar riddle where you have to cross the river with different things,but certain things can't be left alone... ANYway, could you maybe take them both outside in their infant carseats, then transfer them into the car, then leave the infant carseats in the garage? sorry i'm not much help!

 

There really should be a FAQ on this.

For going in & out of the house, I carried one and then went back for the other. I had no problem leaving one alone in the car (parked in front of our house on our very quiet street) or the house for the 60 seconds it took to get the other.

For daycare, I carried both infant carriers. (I got a lot of shin bruises and big shoulder muscles.) When they were out of the infant carriers, I put one in a cheap umbrella stroller and carried the other, either in a Baby Bjorn or just on my hip.

This is just one of the reasons it was so much easier (for me, at least) when they learned to walk -- or at least could stand well enough that I could plunk one down on the sidewalk and know that she'd stay on her feet.

 

Yes, I can't wait for the same---to carry both boys out on my hips and get 'em in! Ahh...my dream...

Or for the day they'll both walk out, climb in their seats, and all I'll have to do is strap them in!

Thanks for the replies!

 

QUOTE(Twin Lakes @ May 30 2008, 05:56 PM) [snapback]802054[/snapback]
Yes, I can't wait for the same---to carry both boys out on my hips and get 'em in! Ahh...my dream...

Or for the day they'll both walk out, climb in their seats, and all I'll have to do is strap them in!

Thanks for the replies!


When leaving the house when dh isn't home, I put one in the exersaucer while I bring the other to the car. For daycare, I use a sling for one and carry the other. When they get too big to carry. I'll use a carrier/sling and a single umbrella stroller. I'm fearful of when they start walking. I just know they're going to go opposite directions.

G/L. You'll figure out what works for you.

 

i take them one at a time but we have an attached garage so that makes it very easy.

 

I have a cheap double stroller I use to get from the house to the car

 

I take one at a time in the carriers still - the go in on different sides so whichever way I parked the closest side to the front door I put in first while the other one already strapped in is just inside the doorway to the side - I have an autostart so I start the car while I still have the keys so there's air running. Going places depending on what I'm doing I put them in the SBS or some stores I put one in the cart and carry one in the sling.

 

We have convertable car seats. What I did at first was keep a bouncy seat next to the door and put one of them in it while I took the other out. Then that got dangerous while the got moblie b/c they were trying to get out while I was outside. Now I use the high chairs which works really well for us. I put them both in the chairs and put shoes on. That helps b/c then they can't get their shoes off before we even get out the door. Then I leave one in while I take the other out, and don't have to worry b/c I know the one in the house is safe and not getting into trouble.

 

When it was just the twins and they couldn't walk and they were out of their infant carriers I would just take one at a time and lock the car when I was back at the house. Now that the twins can walk, I have them walk with me out to the car while I carry Zack in his carrier and the load one at a time.

You just do what you have to to make things work. You'll find a way that works best for you.

 

When they were still in carriers, I carried them both at the same time. I waited until about 8 months to switch them over to convertibles, and by that time it was no problem to carry them each on one hip. I always carried(still do!) them both if needed, to get from A to B!

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ May 31 2008, 08:27 AM) [snapback]802809[/snapback]
When they were still in carriers, I carried them both at the same time. I waited until about 8 months to switch them over to convertibles, and by that time it was no problem to carry them each on one hip. I always carried(still do!) them both if needed, to get from A to B!

Same here.

I guess I am wondering why you would be switching babies with poor head support to the more upright carriers. We didn't switch them until they were almost 10 months.

 

We have an attached garage and our play room is right inside the garage door. So I take one, and leave the other in the play room, then I come and get the other one. I know other moms that keep a pack n play by the door so they have a safe place for the second baby while putting them in the car.

When I get them OUT of the car, into the house, I tend to open the garage door and then grab both babies, one on each hip. But they are getting pretty grown up now, I couldn't have done this when they were younger as they didn't hold on well. Although, they sure are heavy these days!

Much harder of a dilemma for me is when I park somewhere that is crowded with cars on both sides of me. I can't fit the stroller between the cars and I sure as heck don't like the idea of unloading one baby and putting them in the stroller at the back or front of the car alone while I get the other one. I work really hard at getting a space on the end or far away from others, but sometimes that isn't possible. Scary stuff.

 

thats what i do when i'm loading them into the car from the house. Alizabeth is still on the apnea monitor so i leave her in the house so i can still hear the monitor go off, then i take Alivia out and then go back for Alizabeth

 

Ugh! This was one of the toughest things IMO. Carrying both the infant carriers with 15+ pound babies, OH MY BACK! Not to mention I lived in a third floor apt! I did carry them both at the same time when they were in the infant carriers. (And I got some sweet arm and shoulder muscles! Yay for summertime so I can show them off! )

I just switched to the convertible car seats last week and now I put one in the bumbo right by the door and put the other in the car then go back for the one inside.

Good luck!!!

 

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I just switched to the convertible car seats last week and now I put one in the bumbo right by the door and put the other in the car then go back for the one inside.

Great idea!!!

 

I would wait until they can hold their heads up themselves if you can. Once that happens you can carry both and then put them in a seat buckle the one in and then do the other. Here in FL I cannot leave them in the car so I have to carry them both out. They are also mobile so I would be afraid if they were climbing out of something even though strapped in..and again we have a heat issue here.

Outnumbered uses her stroller to take them back and forth and even though it can be a pain to do, it makes it easier then carrying them and you can also put your bags on the stroller so you only have to make one trip.

 

We Just Don't Leave the House....

 

QUOTE(aussiegirl @ May 31 2008, 11:52 PM) [snapback]803627[/snapback]
We Just Don't Leave the House....


Ha...I actually laughed outloud!

I am not switching to upright car seats until the boys can hold their heads up...I was just wondering if there was an easier way to get them in/out while leaving the infant carrier car seats attached in the car at all times and just taking the boys in/out instead of the whole apparatus...

Thanks for the feedback...I guess buff arms just comes along with being a Mom-of-Twins!

 

put both in infant car seats. bring out each baby in their car seat to be snapd into place in car.

 

I found it was easier to have them in the carriers. I would just set one on the ground next to me while I attached the one carrier, then walk to the other side of the car and attach the other. Mine were so tiny that they were walking when they reached the weight to switch to the other kind of seat.

I had a back pack carrier that made my life so much easier. It would stand up on its own, then you put the baby in it, then get it up onto your back (takes a little practice). With one baby on your back your hands are free to do so much more. It was one of the most useful things I had when mine were little. The second useful thing was when we bought a minivan. Oh my goodness what a difference a little more space makes!