Two Easy-Going babies...

A friend of mine just had a baby, and she's having a rough time of things. She and her husband aren't getting any sleep, etc. Their baby is not quite two weeks old, born full term. The issues they are having are all very normal fussy-baby issues. When I spoke to her yesterday, she was really in the trenches. I tried to give her as much encouragement as possible (and am sending her my copy of Happiest Baby on the Block), and just told her that what she was experiencing was normal and that it gets better, and mom and dad will eventually sleep again.

After we hung up the phone, I said a little prayer of thanksgiving, because my boys have never been like that. Even my refluxy baby is so easy going, and slept pretty well at night, ever since the beginning. I'm a total evangelist for Happiest Baby on the Block, because I've used the techniques since the boys were tiny, so I don't know whether to attribute their easy natures to HBOTB or to just being easy-going babes, but I am so thankful.

Then I started wondering--is the sheer volume of two babies at once automatically more difficult? I am thinking not. I think my two boys are probably easier to deal with on any given day than one fussy, colicky baby.

I know some of you have been down both roads--what say you?

By the way, we've had our share of challenges too--they just don't seem to be to the extremes that we hear about from others. And I know we are very lucky!!!!

 

i am the same way. DDs are very laid back and easy going, and my oldest was the same way. My best friend has a little boy the same age as the twins, and he is a crabby little guy!! i babysit him every once in awhile and he is hard work!! i think all three of my girls take less work than that one little boy!! I was definitely blessed!!

 

I agree. My friend has an extremely fussy daughter and there were times my boys would be sleeping at a get together and her DD would be screaming so loudly she would have to leave. I felt so bad for her and wished there was something I could do. Even now with the boys teething, they are more easy going than she was then. As she's grown, she has gotten a little better, but I still think it is easier to have two "easy" babies than one fussy one.

 

I can say for me, 2 "happy" babies are easier than one "fussy" baby. I love my oldest but as an infant he was HARD.

 

I think a singleton that is really fussy, etc. is worse than 2 easy going babies. I shouldn't say "worse" maybe just harder to manage. My twins were EASY babies...slept great, ate great, no problems! My nephew was another story. I felt so sorry for my SIL and brother. He had bad reflux, colic for a few months, HATED sleeping, etc. He was WAY more of a handful than my twins were!

 

I have no idea because i had 1 happy baby and then 2 fussy/cranky babies.. The twins cried for the first 3 months of life and they still cry a lot... at 7 months

 

I wouldnn't know as my dd #1 was a cake walk
DS#1 colicy for 6 months, VERY hard
dd#2 & DS#2-dd easy and ds VERY hard so ... with at lest just one you could arrange your schedule around the one and rest and gt breaks around their schedule. With 2, when the hard one finally calmed down, there was another one that needed to be taken care of, even though she was calm.

 

I totally agree with you, but not from experience. I only have my girls, but my BIL and SIL have a singleton that is 3 weeks older than my girls and I totally, without a doubt, think that having their baby is way harder than having my two! It's because my two are so easy-going and just happy and quiet and yes, I think it would be harder to have 1 baby that is very demanding and high maintenance and had a lot of fussiness issues.

I'd be interested to hear from someone who actually had very easy twins and a more high maintenance singleton though on this question. Me and one of my friends have discussed it a few times.

 

I agree. We were really blessed too with pretty easy-going babies (no colic etc). They are pretty good sleepers too (especially for their age). Our neighbors have a baby a week older than our twins that keeps them up all the time crying and is really fussy. I think they are having a harder time than we are even though we have two.

 

My now almost three year old was much more challenging than my two girls. He fussed, cried, and didn't sleep his whole first year thanks to his acid reflux. He was even on medicine and special formula. But he's a happy boy now! My girls are content most all the time, nap and sleep well. Maybe I just am more comfortable being a "mother" the second time around, but I do think my girls are easier. My family and I say it all the time.

My girls are almost 6 months, not sure where they went on my signature...

 

No firsthand experience -- all three of mine have been blessedly easygoing -- but I'm betting two easy ones are way less stressful than one challenging one!

I have a mom's group friend whose first son was colicky all day and night. When we first met her (in a Motherlore class at North Fulton hospital -- might be far for you, but it's wonderful for meeting other new moms at the same stage as you) -- he screamed and screamed, and she bounced him up and down on an exercise ball during the whole class.

I was exhausted just watching her....and then she had a second baby who was even more colicky.

Egad. I couldn't imagine....I think even triplets would be easier than that, LOL.

 

Oh yes... and I DO speak from experience . I would much rather deal with BOTH of my girls on a good day than just one of them on a "fussy" day! Candace was colicky and high maintenance for the first three months, so I've been on both sides of the coin!