What to do when they are both fussy

Well, I can't believe it but the time is near when I will be going back to work(next Wednesday).
I am devastated but a little more at ease since my mother is moving in this weekend and will be caring for the babies during the days.
Since the babiaes were born, she has visited as much as she can(she lives 14 miles away right now).
But this week she is here and I am trying to help her get into the groove of handling two babies at once.
The babies will be 12 weeks when I go back to work.
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My mom asked what I do when they both cry at the same time. They used to sleep so much that this was rare but now that they are awake more often, they seem to fuss at the same time more often.
I told her that I just try different things. Try the swing, try floortime, if they continue to fuss, flip them over from front to back and back to front, etc.
I swear I don't have a magic answer, but would like ANY suggestions.
Also she wants to know any suggestions on feeding them at the same time once they begin to get mobile.
I have been using the boppy's since early on on a futon in my guest room, but her point is that they will be moving soon and may fall off.
Suggestions PLEASE.

 

As for when they fuss, I sing. It stops them every time... I'll sit them on the couch with me between them, or on the floor or bouncy seats with me in the middle in front of them and sing and be silly, and it always distracts them adn makes them stop fussing.

As for the double feedings. I definitely found as they got a little older, we rarely had to do that. I usually do one at a time. When I do have to do it, I still stick them seated in their boppies facing me adn me sitting in between them and feed them taht way. Maybe when they are much more mobile, i'll do it on the floor instead. Also you could try pacifeeders or podee's. I haven't had a lot of luck with them, but some people swear by them...

 

You could put them in their car seats for double feedings. It's kind of hit and miss with getting them to settle when they are fussy. You just have to find out what they need or want. ardon:

 

At that age, we swaddled and did the swing. Typically they were fussy when they were tired, so that would do the trick. We had the small travel swings. So if I had to, I would hold one and sit on the floor next to the other baby in the swing.

As for feeding them at the same time, we used the boppy pillows for the longest time. But, my MIL (who watches the kids every other Wed.), preferred to feed them their bottles in their high chairs. We set up their two high chairs way before we started solids. She sat in a regular chair in between them, and fed them that way.

Attached is a photo from her first time feeding them alone (right before I took off)...I cropped it all funny since she would be embarrassed if I posted a photo of her online!

 

When I first saw the title I had the urge to say "Cry with them" LOL...at around 3 months they were getting more interested in the mobile so I utilized it more...and it worked wonders...as Kate said, mine usually fussed when they were tired at that age so I did anything that would induce sleep. As for feeding, I used bottle proppers- I think they were by Milk Maid...I would prop one and hold the other and rotate each feeding on who got held.

 

When my girls were younger and they would fuss I held them and sang. They loved it, but it was always the same song. As far as the feeding I always did them at the same time. i put them on the couch in a boppy facing me and poped the bottles in their mouth. I found this to work the best for me. Good luck HTH

 

If they were both crying, I'd try their swings first. If that didn't work, I'd sit with one on each knee and bounce them, they usually liked that. I also sang to them and walked around our kitchen island with them. For feeding at the same time, I put them in their (Bouncy Seats that looked like little rocking chairs, which helped them to sit more upright than some bouncy's, I'd sit on the floor in between them or on the couch in front of them.

 

QUOTE
When I first saw the title I had the urge to say "Cry with them" LOL


There were MANY days when I did that!! LOL

I agree, just try everything... that is what I had to do. There favorite thing at that age was to sit in their bouncy chairs, and just look around... I had to entertain them of course, so I sang and danced... hey it worked!

 

QUOTE(cwinslow7 @ Jun 5 2007, 01:31 AM) [snapback]279593[/snapback]
When I first saw the title I had the urge to say "Cry with them" LOL...



LOL I used to do this a lot too. but usually only when 1-3 of the other children were all crying at the same time too! I figured if I have 3-5 crying kids why not join in? but that got old fast. usually when mine are crying at the same time I make sure they're both dry and fed, and burped. then if that doesn't work I sing, and rock them, or try the swing, or bouncy seat. usually the thing that works the best is for me to hold them standing up and bouncing them. too bad I don't have the energy to do it all the time. she'll figure it out.

as for the 2 bottles at the same thime when they're more mobile, my plan is to just do bottles on the floor when that happens. my boys don't move much durring feedings though.

 

When they're both fussy? well, yeah, she can cry with them too like the others said! LOL!
I tried different things like singing, showing them new toys, read them a short book, making silly faces or put them in a bouncy chair.
As for feedings, I always feed them at the same time.. if they're getting mobile, try the boppys on the floor facing you,
with you in the middle, holding the bottles for them..

 

My best trick is to turn up the music really loud and dance around with one in my arms, the other staring at us from a bouncy chair. I take turns with them. I works like a charm. They really like ABBA and Scissor Sisters!

 

I will keep these tips in mind when my twins get here!! Kiesha

 

As others have suggested, I too turn up the music and sing to them (badly I might add!). I dance with one while the other watches (looking embarrassed to be part of the family!) and then switch off. Usually it stuns them into silence.. its hard to tell if they actually like it!

So far my girls are partial to the beatles (old school beatles.. I wanna hold your hand, etc), ABBA, the Cure, and Zeppelin for dancing. And Sarah McLaughlin, Madonna, and Cat Stevens for when we take it down a notch for feeding and chilling out.

I also use the boppies when I have to feed them at the same time. Usually I try to start by giving them both the bottles at the same time and then when I stop to burp, I give one a paci and feed the other and then switch. Hope this helps, Leighann

 

I'd also just like to add that all of that dancing is good for the figure. One of my babies has been really colicky so I've danced up to four hours a day some days! Needless to say I didn't have much trouble taking off my pregnancy pounds! So there's an added bonus.