Recently, I’ve had several questions that don’t warrant their own post, but that I still want to take the time to answer.
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Kathy H asks:
Because they are twins, will you be allowing them to sleep together (in the same bed) for at least a few months? I have heard this is good for twins.
At this point, we are not planning to have the girls sleep in the same crib. I have researched this a bit and while I do plan to try to keep the girls on the same schedule (waking one baby during the night if the other wakes to eat) I just feel strange about the idea of them sharing a crib — however, I reserve the right to change my mind. I’ve never parented twins and maybe they will sleep better together. However, my initial reaction is not to have them share.
We do plan to put them in their own room, in their own cribs, from the first night (we did the same with Bo). I am slightly worried about having them share a room but we do have an extra crib in the basement guest room that can be used if sharing a room does not work out.
I would be very interested to hear from other twin moms on how they have dealt with sleeping arrangements. Did your twins share a crib? Did they sleep in a room together or have their own rooms? What do you recommend sleep-wise for twins?
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Sarah asks:
I LOVE the wall paint color… do you mind sharing the brand/color? (From this post about the girls’ nursery).
Benjamin Moore – Eggshell Finish – Wildflowers (Thanks to my FIL for painting the girls’ room!)
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Meghan asks:
Did you get a sling yet?
I had a Hotsling
with Bo and I never really figured out how to use it. I ended up selling it on eBay. I did use the Baby Bjorn
and a Mei Tai
with Bo with some success. However, with twins, I’m unsure of how useful these will be. If one baby is fussy it would help with one — or if there are two adults here then we could both carry a baby…. I’m just unsure of how helpful this will be with two infants and a toddler.
with Bo and I never really figured out how to use it. I ended up selling it on eBay. I did use the Baby Bjorn and a Mei Tai with Bo with some success. However, with twins, I’m unsure of how useful these will be. If one baby is fussy it would help with one — or if there are two adults here then we could both carry a baby…. I’m just unsure of how helpful this will be with two infants and a toddler.A friend did find this twin carrier and sent me the link — but I’ve been unable to justify the purchase as I am unsure of how much I would use it since I didn’t use a carrier much with Bo and I’m not sure how my back would hold up to using it either. Especially if I start out with fairly large babies.
Opinions on slings/carriers? Are there any special carriers that would be particularly helpful as I try to balance three children under the age of two?
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Kristi asks:
Where did you get those plates? I’m looking for ones just like them and can’t seem to find them anywhere. (From the pictures this week of Bo’s breakfast)
The plate in that picture was from Wal-Mart. It has three dividers – a large one at the bottom and two at the top. We have three of them and they were $1 each – however, I can’t find them on their website. I also have several versions of this plate from Target that I’ve been happy with and they hold up well.
Friday’s Feature at Sticky Feet Part Deux is Ask Jamie. Feel free to email me or leave a comment with any question you would like for me to answer. Anything is fair game!
My twins initially started out in the same bed but after a few weeks we put them in their own cribs. They were getting too wiggly and one in particular would always become unswaddled and it blanket made me nervous. They slept much better in their own cribs! They got used to each other very quickly being in the same room and we never had much of an issue with waking each other up. That's all they've known so if one was crying, they other slept though. They are almost 4 now and refuse to sleep apart! It is so cute! If one wakes up early and leaves the room, when the other wakes up, he is so upset! They wo'nt fall alseep unless the other is in the room. You'll figure out what works best for you and your babies soon enough! I figure they'll separate when they're older and I'm not going to push it now! Good luck and congrats making it this far!
I don't know anything about twins as far as sleeping. My Beco Butterfly carrier was my favourite though. My dd always fell asleep in it, which was great when I needed my hands free for my other dd. I read a blog by a woman with two sets of twins! She rocks with babywearing. I'm sure if you search her blog you can find a pic of her wearing two at a time.
http://www.itstwinsanity.com/
We have a 2-story house and I couldn't use the stairs after my C-section, so for the first month the twins slept together in a Pack & Play bassinet downstairs, and then we moved one of their cribs into the dining room and they slept together in that crib until about age 2.5 months, when we moved both upstairs to their own cribs in the nursery. I called it the Great Twin Migration, LOL. They had no problems learning to sleep in separate cribs.
I tried the Moby Wrap individually with each baby but it was too long and unwieldy to readjust for a different baby, and I gave it up after a few weeks. I would probably get the Moby D if I were try it again.
Not to burst your bubble but I think it will be a lot easier on you to have the babies in the same room. especially if you plan on tandem bottle feeding or tandem nursing – both very possible and a huge time saver! I know some people did eventually have to separate their twins because they disrupted each other but, in my twin mom's group, this is rarely the case.
Good luck and congrats on getting to full term!!
I love my ergo carrier. I don't know how you would work it with twins, but it is awesome. well worth the money.
Our twins have slept in different cribs in their room since we brought them home from the hospital. We have a baby monitor in our room to alert us of thier sounds. They share a room, and usually do not have a problem with one waking the other. One can be screaming bloody murder and the other one is still zonked. Sometimes one will stir when the other one is making noise. The NICU advised us not to put them in the same crib for suffacation reasons… so we didn't. Now they are too active enough at night, they would wake each other up, I'm afraid (5months old). I've heard that some twins seem to have this connection and do better with each other nearby, but mine don't seem to yet. They are just now starting to really acknowledge each other is there!
I did not use a sling, but did have a front carrier when they got a little bigger. I still use it for Walmart when I need the cart part for groceries. With Bo, I'm not sure how it will work in your situation!
No assvice on twins, but I have 3 boys who are 3 and under, so maybe this will help?
I didn't babywear my first two, but have worn my youngest since he was born (3 weeks ago, LOL, so no long-term advice here). He doesn't much like his bouncy seat, and haven't set up our swing yet, so "slinging" it is.
Purchased an adjustable fleece pouch from Kangaroo Korner (www.kangaroocorner.com)
LOVE LOVE LOVE it! #3 falls asleep in it, and I have my hands free for the two bigger boys, dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc.
I also love the closeness it provides me to him (plus it keeps him "safe" from the other 2!), and doesn't strain my back/muscles too much. Though he's only around 10-11 lbs now….
enjoy your blog & good luck with your growing family! you will do great, better than you imagine, with 3 under 2 ~ you can do it!!
my advice for many small children is to go with the flow, and let things slide…it will save your sanity. Another thing that helps me is this blog:
http://www.mycharmingkids.net (or she might be at http://www.mckmama.com now, not sure)
Enjoy ALL of your babies!
Beth
My boys slept together in the arms reach co-sleeper for the first six weeks.
I moved them into their own room sharing a crib at six weeks. They are still sharing at 2+ months, but they should have been put in separate cribs at 2 months. They wake each other up kicking and scooting around. Neither baby is disturbed by the other making noise.
When L and N napped during the day in the first 3 months, they slept side-by-side in the Pack-n-play in our living room, and they slept nights in their own bassinets in our bedroom. Once they turned 4 months (I think) we moved them to their cribs in their own room. Our NICU doctors actually advised against letting them share a crib, due to SIDS.
As for carriers, I carried both twins individually in our Bjorn. I cannot imagine that twin carrier being comfortable for you, especially considering your twins will likely be very close in weight to full-term singletons.
Thanks for answering my questions about the plates. I will look in Wal-Mart.
Three more days!
My twin nephews were in the same crib for awhile, due to lack of space in the bedroom for another crib.
ICLW
pinions on slings/carriers? Are there any special carriers that would be particularly helpful as I try to balance three children under the age of two?
In the very, very early days of my twins' lives, I sometimes would put one twin in the stroller and carry one twin in the New Native sling I had leftover from my first daughter (I don't necessarily recommend the New Native…it's just what I happened to have.) I strongly considered getting a Moby Wrap, since it can be used with twins, but a friend of mine had twin boys a few months before me, and she said that after just a few weeks they just seemed too heavy for it and didn't seem to like being squished in there together.
We attempted having our twins sleep in the same pack n play in our room next to our bed since I was breastfeeding. Unfortunately, our twins DO wake each other up when sleeping, so that didn't last long, but I hear it does work for some.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me. I was in your boat this time last year (my oldest daughter was 2 when my twin daughters were born last September). It's been a totally awesome year for our family…you're going to love it!
I plan to keep my twins in the same crib for a few months, but we'll see how that goes.
As for slings/carriers, I've heard very good things about the Ergo. One plus is that it also works for bigger kids — a friend still uses it with her 3 year old very successfully — so Bo might fit into it sometimes if he's into that.
I think my husband would be fine with a double carrier, but my back definitely cannot take it, so we'll end up either wearing one at a time or each taking one if needed.
I currently have 5 slings/carriers, almost all hand-me-downs except for one that I bought used from CL (only used 1x because that baby didn't like it), and I will receive a couple more soon, so I'll just see what works for each baby and for our bodies since it varies SO widely.
My sister had twins and they were so tiny they shared a bassinet. However you have made it further than she did so I think your babies will be bigger
My twins were in individual bassinets in my room for the first 3.5 months. Then, we moved them into separate cribs in their own room. They never slept in the same bassinet/crib together, but in retrospect, I wish I had tried that in the early weeks/months. My boys are nearly 2 and continue to share a room in separate cribs. Nighttime sleep is rarely affected if one of the boys is crying, however, one does often wake the other in the morning and sometimes at naptime. But, we plan to keep them together as long as it works.
All my best to you as you prepare for your girls' arrival. At least you are not new to mommyhood and know what to expect–you'll ONLY have to deal with the fact that you have TWO babies at the same time! The first weeks/months are a bit harrowing, but enjoy them as much as possible–in the blink of an eye, they'll be toddlers, as you know too well with Bo.
D
Our vision of how we wanted our children to act toward one another as a family unit directed our choices on sleeping together. We have a singleton that is just 15 months older and we never wanted her to feel like a third wheel to the twins "twindom". So, we have always treated everyone as an individual. Now, with them being 4 and the twins 3, we are constantly getting comments about how close all three of them are.
The only time the twins were together was when they were first home. We had both cribs in our room for ease of night feedings … they moved to their own rooms at about 3-4 months.
Have a great birthday on Monday … I'm looking forward to lots of pictures…
My twins slept in the same cot for the first 3 months, then moved into separate cots in the same room, they are now 4 months old.
I didn't have any problems with them sleeping together, as they are both swaddled and I think it actually helped initially with getting them on the same schedule. I also didn't have any problems when I put them into their separate cots either. If one crys when I am putting them to bed, it doesn't disturb the other – the are completely used to it and often fall fast asleep to the sound of their twin crying and fussing.
I use a sling, BabaSling – not so much to settle but when we are out and about. That way, if DS who is 2 wants to hop into the twin pram, he can. Or if we are going somewhere where the twin pram take up too much space, I take the single, sling one baby and DH holds DS hand. This has happened on quite a few occasions.
I also found with my girls, that they generally took turns to fuss/cry/need attention – rarely do they both start up. Means a lot of tag teaming, but is also easier than having them both going at once. So a sling to help settle/soothe might be worth while.
I forgot to mention exactly how we positioned the twins in the crib or bassinet for those first 6 weeks: lengthwise, with their feet, not heads, touching. We didn't let them sleep with their faces next to each other. We swaddled them for the first couple of months and they never bothered each other, but when they started being more active in their sleep, we moved them to separate cribs.
Trying to play catch up, been a rough week around here.
I did want to comment on the sleeping arrangements. We had the the twins in the same bassinett part of the pack and play for about 1 month. I had a c-section so getting up and walking around the house was not exactly comfortable for quite some time.
Once they moved to their rooms, they shared and still do. They have and had their own cribs since we moved them there at a month of age. Ours worked out a schedule and got used to each other's cries. Even now, they can sleep through the other's hooting and hollering (E likes to sleep much longer in the morning and naps) than K.