What to do when both babies want to be held?

I dont know how to manage both babies wanting to be held at the same time. I try and hold them both but I am finding it impossible to sooth them both while doing this. It is like neither one can get comfy when I am holding them both, I end up just holding one for a few minutes and then setting that one down (which starts crying) and picking up the other one and this just isnt working.
So what can I do when there is no one else to hold one while I hold the other? They are still not holding their heads great so one arm for each isnt cutting it!
Thanks!

 

I don't know how squirmy your babies are, but that was what I miss the most when I was on maternity leave. I would sit in our recliner with both laying on my chest and watch t.v. It was so relaxing, but then again both babies were at ease.

with yours, if you are sitting on the couch maybe hold one while the other is laying on the cushion next to you. so you are still with them, just not holding them. They may just like the comfort of your presents.

I don't know how squirmy your babies are, but that was what I miss the most when I was on maternity leave. I would sit in our recliner with both laying on my chest and watch t.v. It was so relaxing, but then again both babies were at ease.

with yours, if you are sitting on the couch maybe hold one while the other is laying on the cushion next to you. so you are still with them, just not holding them. They may just like the comfort of your presents.

 

I wind up holding mine at the same time ALL the time.

What I usually do is sit cross-legged or reclined with my knees up. Then one baby goes on my shoulder, and the other one lays on my legs.

Sometimes I put both up on my shoulders and wrap my arms all the way around the - so my left arm is on the back/head of the boy on the right shoulder.

It is hard though, when they're both needing the attention! And espeically as they get bigger and heavier!

 

I know how you frustrated you feel. The thing that seems to work the best for me is to sit cross legged in a chair and put one girl on my legs and hold the other. I try to put the one who less fussy on my lap and hold the one that needs more attention. However, I usually end up having to switch who I'm holding. I try to keep a bouncer or boppy close so that when one falls asleep I can put her down close to me. HTH! Good luck!

 

Put one in a sling and hold the other one is what I have done. I have also put them both in the stroller and wheeled them around the house.

 

what i did was i sat in a recliner. i held both of them too. i would prop them up with pillows under my arms so my arms didn't get tired. maybe you can try a boppy pillow also and put them both down on it. then you can have your hands free also. or just lay them down on the bed in front of you and soothe them that way. i did that also i would read to them sing to them play with their feet. talk to them about everything and anything. also i would raise my hand and wiggle my fingers in front of their face and wiggle them in different patterns. now i notice when they get tired they do that to themselves :laughing:

 

Do you have a sling. My DD with colic loved this. She was close to me and coud curl up in a ball and I had my hands free to hold, rock, pat, bounce in seat my DS. ALso you could try putting on some soothing music in the back ground that also helped mine. Also try holding them with their stomach on your arm with the had around their leg with their head by your elbow, that also helped and when they were little you can do it one handed so you have one free. I usually held one and then would have the other in teh bouncy, swing, activity mat and use the free hand to comfort, touch, bounce the other twin. About 3 to 3 1/2 mo they got alot happier. So hopefully soon. Also If I layed them both on a blanket on the floor side by side and sat at theri feet and talked, sang, read, showed toys that helped as I was right there for both. Good luck

 

We found that usually one would be happy enough in the bouncy seat (being bounced with my foot rather vigorously) while I held the other one (who wasn't happy enough with the bouncy seat). I never really mastered holding both at the same time. But when I had to, I put one in the wrap and would hold the other.

Cary

 

This is not going to do you a bit of good right now but the good news is.. This part will pass. Mine had this problem at the age where yours are EXACTLY and it suc*ed!!! It was awful! There is no solution!!! There really isn't.. Just to get thru it!! You got some good suggestions and I was soooo afraid that "that" was going to last FOREVER but at 14 weeks.. VOILA! They've been fine w/o being held pretty much AT ALL!! I never "have" to hold them EVER. It's great! But I do empathize cuz I went thru that too.. UGH!

 

I usually put one in the baby bjorn and one in my arms...when they were very little, I did a great deal of the soothe, switch, soothe switch...also swings...sometimes you can only do so much and have accept that someone is going to cry! At the beginning there was always someone crying (either the babies or my son).

 

Another thing you can try is laying them on your bed and snuggling in close to them. When my boys were new and floppy that worked many times.

 

Maybe I am a bad mommy, but in those cases I prefer not to hold either one. I have 3 kids, I can't hold them all the time, I haven't and I won't ... and they'll get used to that pretty quickly. I have plenty of time to hold and cuddle my babies and do crazy stuff, but it won't always be when they want or need it. It's all about taking turns. They were big from the start. I was and am not going to kill my back or go through dangerous episodes to hold them both. Sometimes it's just the way it is ... I am only human.

 

QUOTE(Lesley Anne @ Mar 26 2008, 11:41 AM) [snapback]688102[/snapback]
I dont know how to manage both babies wanting to be held at the same time. I try and hold them both but I am finding it impossible to sooth them both while doing this. It is like neither one can get comfy when I am holding them both, I end up just holding one for a few minutes and then setting that one down (which starts crying) and picking up the other one and this just isnt working.
So what can I do when there is no one else to hold one while I hold the other? They are still not holding their heads great so one arm for each isnt cutting it!
Thanks!


I cannot manage to soothe both at the same time while holding them. Sometimes I will hold one and lay the other next to me on the couch or bed so that I can have a free hand to go back and forth between the two wrangling pacis. Usually though I get one calm and put him or her in the swing, which works wonders for us. Then I can calm the other. Truly, the swing is a gift from God for us. We have two of the Fisher Price Papasan cradle swings. That or their bouncy seats are my only suggestion. I sometimes put them in their seats and sit in front of them bouncing them. We're just starting to get them used to their Baby Bjorns so that we can wear one and hold one but it's hard to soothe them both that way. I'm right there with you.