Switching to convertible car seats

Once you switch your twins from the infant carriers to convertible car seats, how do you get them both inside?? It's pretty tough to carry both of mine at once. I can see making two trips at home (which I sometimes do anyway) and I guess at any other place I would just put them immediately in a cart or stroller, but I'm specifically worried about daycare dropoff. There are stairs, so no point in using a stroller, and I wouldn't want to leave one in the car while I took the other one in! What do you all do? They just had their 9 month checkup this morning and both are right at 20 lbs., so I think we have to stop using the infant carriers.

B.A.
DD 2-28-05
Identical boys C & J born 8-24-07 @ 38 weeks

 

For daycare, I used a Baby Bjorn and a single umbrella stroller (the cheapo kind: $12 at Target). But our daycare has a ramp up to the front door.

If you have stairs (is the daycare not handicapped-accessible?), I'd probably put one in the Bjorn and carry the other. Or if you're really coordinated, do the front carrier/back carrier move. (There's a woman named Kate in the 1-4 forum who has done this -- she used to have a picture in her avatar.)

Or, is there any way you could call someone when you're arriving at daycare and have them meet you outside?

 

Hmmm. That's a little tough. I would say you have to use a stroller to get them into daycare since they can't walk. You're likely to get someone to help you get up the stairs.

Can you call ahead and ask someone from the daycare to meet you at the car?

We have a tricky situation with a 1 car garage. I have to pull the car into the driveway, get out and get the twin on the passenger side, sit them on my lap, ride into the garage, and take her into the house. When mine were at your age, I wondered what in the world I was going to do in this situation. Just try it one day, and you'll immediately figure out what to do.

 

We have a ramp, but I found it too cumbersome to dig out a stroller every time. My boys are 21 & 22 lbs & I carry them both right now. I have a key-card access door to get through & then the door to their room (which someone always opens for me). I don't know how much longer I'll be able to carry them both, though! Our daycare isn't good about having someone come out & get one for me, which I hate, but we're switching in 2 weeks. Luckily, our new daycare said someone will come grab one while I bring in the other.....until they start walking anyway!

As for going to a store or what not, I just unload one into the stroller & then wheel it around to the other side to unload the other (and vice versa for getting back in).

At home, it's a bit more tricky now that they're mobile. I used to just unload one & plop them in the living room, but now I have to put the gate up at the top of the stairs, plop one in the living room & hope they don't get into too much by the time I'm back with the 2nd one!

My biggest problem seems to be loading them up to go inside/outside. I hate leaving 1 outside while I get the other in, so I struggle with carrying them both & dealing with doors. How crazy would it look to drive by someone's house & see a 10 mo old sitting on the front lawn alone? YIKES! I'm not sure what to do about that one once I can no longer carry them.....

Good luck....as someone previously mentioned, just try different things. Eventually you get used to it. I can grab a diaper bag & 2 boys AND get them dropped off at daycare pretty darn quickly. People even comment on it! LOL.

 

Mine don't go to day care but I've encountered a similar situation when I want to get them into Target or something but don't want to user the stroller. I just park the car, put one in a front-carrier (Bjorn-type), and hold the other one on my hip/side until we get into the store and I can place him in the basket (in your situation, until you get them into the day care and someone else can take them from you). It's a breeze. I really think this is going to be your best bet. good luck!

 

I always used a stroller few times I had to carry both kids, I used a Bjorn and then carried the other in my arms. A sling would probably work even better because you can get the kid in and out faster. I definitely don't suggest carrying both in your arms because it's so easy to drop one if she jumps back or twists quickly. There has been more than one twin mom who dropped a baby because she was carrying both at once.

 

OK silly question but since a lot of you suggest using the carriers to get babies in and out of daycare I'll ask :blush: I have two different front carriers and I can not for the life of me get a baby out of either of them without help. Someone has to hold the carrier while I pick up on the baby. This would be an ideal solution for in and out of daycare for me too if I could just get them out of the d@mn thing. Am I missing something?

 

QUOTE(Ali M @ May 28 2008, 04:01 PM) [snapback]798008[/snapback]
I always used a stroller few times I had to carry both kids, I used a Bjorn and then carried the other in my arms. A sling would probably work even better because you can get the kid in and out faster. I definitely don't suggest carrying both in your arms because it's so easy to drop one if she jumps back or twists quickly. There has been more than one twin mom who dropped a baby because she was carrying both at once.


That's what I do. I sling Makenna (18.2 lbs) on my right side and carry Nathan (21.12 lbs) on my left side since I'm left handed. I haven't figured out how to sling both of them by myself. Mine haven't hit that squirmy-wanting-to-get-down-when-picked-up-stage yet. When they start that, I'll use a single umbrella stroller for one and sling the other unless I can figure out how to sling both. I bought a Jeep dbl stroller for this very situation but it does not fit through 1 of the interiors leading into the baby room. <_<

G/L

 

QUOTE(elara @ May 29 2008, 01:19 PM) [snapback]799550[/snapback]
OK silly question but since a lot of you suggest using the carriers to get babies in and out of daycare I'll ask :blush: I have two different front carriers and I can not for the life of me get a baby out of either of them without help. Someone has to hold the carrier while I pick up on the baby. This would be an ideal solution for in and out of daycare for me too if I could just get them out of the d@mn thing. Am I missing something?


With mine I just unlatch it while holding onto them. I can unlatch it one handed. At first I would do it sitting down, but now I've gotten better at it and can do it standing. I think it would depend on the type of carrier.

 

Thanks for the replies! I had thought about using the sling, and it looks like that will be the best option. We also have a Bjorn, but I'm sure DH won't want to use that, and he does a lot of the drop off and pick up. Oh well, I guess that will be his problem. :spiteful:

The daycare is in the basement of a church, so I guess they are exempt from having to be handicapped accessible. I probably could call ahead and have someone meet me at the door, but we don't always arrive at the same time so I'd hate to do that every single day.

B.A.