OK I will admit. I think too much!

Anyway I have some questions about the practicalities of twins as I keep seeing situations that make me go 'What would I do'.

Just silly stuff such as
-At the supermarket how do you get 2 babies into the supermarket to get the trolley without taking in a pram and being stuck with that AND the trolley?

-Do you have to get the pram out 90 times a day to duck in to pick up tea, buy a stamp, grab an ice-cream or is it possible to juggle 2 babies on your hips like you'd do with one?

-Is it possible to have 1 in a sling/carrier and still carry the other one?

-If they are both screaming blue murder how do you choose who to settle first?

So basically what have you had to really think about practically that you wouldn't normally with only 1? What things do you find difficult?

Cat & Nath
Finally BFP on ICSI attempt#1.
<a href="http://www.babysfirstsite.com"><img src="http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/37227.birthdue.png" border="0"></a>

First things first, leave the babies at home if you can and get DH to do the grocery shopping or get him to stay at home and you do th shopping. It is much quicker and easier that way!

Yes, you will pull out the pram 90 times a day, you can't hold two babies and get your money out or sign for credit cards with both arms full. When they are small you could get away with one in a sling and one in a single pram though, never tried to carry one in a sling and hold onto one.

If they are both screaming blue murder you have to stop and think about a few things..why are they crying? If one is hurt and the other is hungry take the hurt one first, but if one is wet or just fussing a bit..take the hungry one! If they are both hungry one just has to cry unless you can double breastfeed (which I couldn't) or are bottle-feeding.
It can be tricky in so many situations. When my twins were about 3-4 months old I would pop them in their rockers and sit on a beanbag on the floor with milk bottles in both hands..if the phone rang or someone came to the door they would have to wait as there was no way I was unplugging the bottles from the twins!
Also forget about eating in food courts and cafes, you can rarely find a table that can fit a double pram with out taking up the aisle!!
I promise you now though for every negative thing that can frustrate you with twins...there are twice as many great things about them that singleton mums will never understand.
I do often find myself saying "if we only had one such and such would be much easier" but I would never swap them for anything!

Jo

-At the supermarket how do you get 2 babies into the supermarket to get the trolley without taking in a pram and being stuck with that AND the trolley?

I still dont do a 'big' shop with both boys..when they were little I was able to take the parm in and I had two large 'string' bags that I was able to fit lots in. I never used a trolley for both though...we didnt have twin trolleys at our local supermarket , and for me the logistics of getting a park-finding a trolley without leaving the boys in the car were impossible.

-Do you have to get the pram out 90 times a day to duck in to pick up tea, buy a stamp, grab an ice-cream or is it possible to juggle 2 babies on your hips like you'd do with one?

[I never 'ducked' into a shop! Much more difficult than just having one (I imagine anyway-only ever had the two!)

-Is it possible to have 1 in a sling/carrier and still carry the other one?

I personally never did this-they get heavy very quickly-I bought 2 slings-not sure how I thought I was going to use both of them!-I had a dodgy back so very rarely carried both at the same time-when they were little I had capsules that I used to carry together, but they can be very tricky to manage both without hurting your back-my experience anyway.

-If they are both screaming blue murder how do you choose who to settle first?
I used to take it in turns-orginally I started with whoever was the most upset..but it always was Joel who was the most upset..so it got to the stage where Cam was missing out so we started alternating.

You will find with lots of things as you go along, thru trial and error what works best for you.

Good luck

Caz Joel and Cam at 2 1/2years old-now 3 years old

Trial and error is the only way Cat! Everyone manages differently. This is what I did...

Grocery shopping
When they very little - leave 'em at home! My mum used to come over 1/2 a day a week and that's when I did the shopping. If you want/have to take them, find a shop with good parking and twin trolleys and try and go at a quiet time. Once they had good head control, I would carry them both in and bung them in the trolley. Its a bit of a juggling act, but it gets easier. Alternatively, I would do small shops and take the pram. It helps if you go to the same supermarket regularly and know the layout, where they keep the twin trolleys and which checkouts they fit through. Another bonus is that the staff get to know you and might help you out. The staff at my local Coles have been known to bring a trolley out to the carpark and open a checkout just for me!

Ducking into shops etc
Still can't do it, not possible! Luckily, we have some good shops in walking distance so if I have a hankering for an icecream or something, we walk there with the pram (and walk off the icecream on the way home!). If I need anything else, I call DH and get him to pick it up on the way home.

Slings
Can't really help you there, I never used one. We had one, but it was too fiddly for me. My DH used to carry one of our 2 around in it a bit when she was unsettled, but never both at the same time.

Settling 2 cranky bubs
Use two rockers, the pram, 2 cots or bassinettes on wheels - anything you can jiggle about really. I often used to carry/rock them both at the same time, but then they were pretty small. Sometimes you just have to let 1 cry

Keep 'em coming!

Nicolie
DDs Paige & Hannah (23/09/03)

Hi

Sorry for any repeats of the other answers:

-At the supermarket how do you get 2 babies into the supermarket to get the trolley without taking in a pram and being stuck with that AND the trolley?

I agree with other posts - if at all possible don't take the babies supermarket shopping, or best of all, shop online or get DH to do it. My girls sat in a supermarket trolley for the first time at 20 months - best of all they now think it's a treat! Sometimes if I was out for a walk I'd pop into the supermarket with them in the buggy and just get what I could hold in the basket. Otherwise DH does a big shop once a week when they girls are in bed and picks up anything else we need on the way home from work.

-Do you have to get the pram out 90 times a day to duck in to pick up tea, buy a stamp, grab an ice-cream or is it possible to juggle 2 babies on your hips like you'd do with one?

Afraid so! It will make you very organised. The days of running into shops are over. I used to get very jealous of mothers with one babies, popping into shops with one baby on their hip while I struggled with the buggy. However the upside is that my girls have only ever been to shops and cafes in their buggy so they didn't ever try to get out and would sit beautifully while those singletons who were used to being out of the buggy on those "quick" trips struggled to get out.


-Is it possible to have 1 in a sling/carrier and still carry the other one?

I never tried - hated the sling. After carrying them for 37 weeks I couldn't face more carrying!

-If they are both screaming blue murder how do you choose who to settle first?

That's a tough one - usually I just cried as well.

So basically what have you had to really think about practically that you wouldn't normally with only 1? What things do you find difficult?

I found most things difficult at the beginning - the hardest part was getting in and out of the house (we have 20 steps to street level) - and feeding in public was hard. I found BF impossible out and about as I tandem fed and no way was I doing that in public. And once we were exclusively bottle feeding I found it hard to find a comfortable position if they both needed feeding at once. At home I used their bouncers and sat in between them.

There are lots of things to think about but you will find a way.


Maree

Eleanor 1/8/03
Harriet 1/8/03

Hello Catnat , just a quick reply from me !! Mother of 8 , including 15 week old twin girls !! Ok shopping wonderful solution Shopfast !!! That way you do not have to leave home !!! ( hopefully delivery is available in your area if not theres Woolworths )
You do have to pull the pram out many times a day !!! ( specially if you have school kids to take to & from school ).
Who to comfort first , this can be tricky !!! One suggestion is Dummies !!! I was against using dummies , but my husband started to use them on the twins & i protested !!! But now there a great help i can settle one & stick the dummy in the others mouth & this normally helps settle for long enough , so i can fix the other baby . Always putting dummies in milton though !!!
The situations that have been hard for me are , needles it was hard as everyone wanted to be comforted at the same time & i took my sister with me to help , but they only wanted mum !!! bourght tears to my eyes !!!
The latest stage here is only wanting to sit with mum !! Katie & Beth are going through the stage where someone new holds them , they just drop there bottom lip & scream . Somedays they will not only sit with my 16 year old daughter !! only Mum will do , mind you both are teething !!! Makes it hard when both are unsettled & your husband is at work !!!
You will manage fine, its just something that comes naturally !!!! You wait & see . I do know how you feel as i was in the same mind as you only 15 weeks ago !!!! Must run now 2 babies to bath !!! Keep well & rest up Michelle ( sorry was not a quick reply after all lol !!!)

hi everyone,
just a quicky on slings
I'm only 21 weeks preg, been doing lots of research on net and have come across double slings on usa sites still havent found them in aus yet but i gess they are out there.

Our guys haven't even landed yet (20 weeks), but we're already using Coles Online and wouldn't dream of going back to the huge weekly shop. The delivery fee is $5- worth it for convenience, petrol, avoiding queues etc. We still need to get small amounts of groceries during the week, but that's not a huge problem. Great topic!

Hi,
I know how you are feeling. I have 6 month old twin boys and a 5 year old son. When I was pregnant there were a million things going through my mind about how would I do this or that.
A tip you might find useful -
If you can -drive your car right up to the front door when you are loading or unloading the twins. I would have them both ready in the loungeroom. That way you can put one in (not strapped) and quickly put the other one in and then strap them both in at the same time. That way they arent out of your sight. I do this when Im at the shops as well, load them both in without strapping them in and then strap together. That way your not turning your back on one of your babies.
Everything else somebody else has already covered. I know its scary but you do adjust and find ways of doing things.

Mel

[color=Teal]1) I have never done a big grocery shop with the boys. It's just too hard. I do my big shop via the internet (either Woolworths.com or Coles.com etc), or any other interim shops I wait until DH can look after the boys.

2) I always write lists of things that I need, and I try to be as organised as possible so that I don't have to "pop" out all the time to buy things. It's just too hard lugging the boys in and out of the car, plus the pram etc etc. The trick is to try to be super organised!

3) I personally could not have had one baby in a sling and carried the other one. Just too difficult IMHO.

4) Just settle the one who's screaming the loudest and then move on to the next one! ;p

For me there was a time of adjustment when I first brought the boys home from hospital, but the most important piece of advice is try to be as organised as possible because it will make your life sooooo much easier! Write lists, keep a diary and plan plan plan ahead!

Vanessa

Ooo, another tip on organisation - always keep the baby bag packed and by the front door, that way if you just need to get out because you're going stir crazy, you are ready to go.

Nicolie
DDs Paige & Hannah (23/09/03)

Catnat,

You know up in my post I was saying about the gorgeous things that singleton mums will never understand?

Here's one of those moments that only we as twin mums truly truly can appreciate...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Zebet...nandhugpage.jpg

I know some of what we have said will seem quite daunting to you but the twins will grow so fast and it will get easier to get out and about. I miss my babies so much but love that we seem to be getting to a stage where going to the park and letting them run, going to bed, feeding themselves is all becoming much easier.
There is sacrifice involved, and at times I have felt very jealous of mums with one baby ducking in to shops, or taking their babies to swimming or Kindergym (all the ones around here say you must have one adult per child so I am out numbered!) but you do get used to it and every milestone you get to celebrate twice!

Jo

Cat ~ Never silly questions and think away now while you have some time to do it LOL, good questions to help you to prepare for the arrival's.
DH & I shop together on his day off and he proudly pushes the pram and I am allocated the trolley. We zip around and get what we need and if I need anything during the week I walk to the shops and get it.

I can confidently juggle 2 babies in the comfort of my own home but not in the post office with like the others said car keys, bills, wallet etc - way too hard. So yes I too get the stroller out of the boot (if I drive there) for each outing.
I try to avoid using the car and just pop Hayden and Brooklen in the jogger pram and walk to the shops to post letters, pay bills, have lunch etc, it is much easier for me and we live very close to all the major ammenities.

Didnt try the sling thing either - so cant be of any help there. The pram getting into shops, mothers rooms etc is hard enough. If Hayden or Brooklen is upset I can carry one and still push the pram.

I also agree with the above posts in which to deal with first the one that sounds more serious. *LOL*

Most of our friends and family know our little routine so they wont call or visit during that time, unless they come over to help (?)...But I do also find it tricky when you have just started to feed them and the door bell rings. A good rule is babies come first spectators second.
Being prepared is a good one! We have been to Perth a few times with Hayden and Brooklen and let me tell you there is not much room in the boot for much shopping to bring back - 6 hours drive Dh thinks thats a good thing LOL

Other than this epic novel I have managed to type with Hayden on my knee - they do grow too quick and I do sit and think where has the time gone????
Good questions Cat ~ I dont know how but it just seems to click......



[center]~Hayden Phillip & Brooklen Lily 21/03/05~
*Bubba's In Da Hood's*[center]

RE: the sling... We have the Kapoochi slings and DH and I had one each. I did attempt to hold a baby while I had one in the pouch, but it was a very bad idea. I couldn't get a good hold of her so didn't pick her up. You'd end up having to hold the 2nd baby at arms length (like a stinky nappy) and for me it just wasn't safe. Good luck!

Ana.

Thanks girls for the tips.

I probably should have mentioned that living here Coles etc. haven't quite got up to internet shopping (actually they probably still haven't learnt about the internet ;p) so this isn't an option. I am considering going to put in a request actually for the supermarket to purchase a double trolley as I have never seen one there.

Heaps to think about so thankyou.

One more thing, what do you do if you are out and about and your pram doesn't fit through the doorway? Has this happened to you much? Many of the shops here are older buildings with swing doors and I think they could prove to be an absolute nightmare....... particularly my scrapbooking shop Oh well, I won't have time to scrap anyway. (Why, oh why are the hard to manoevre shops only 9-5 Mon-Fri)

Cat & Nath
Finally BFP on ICSI attempt#1.
<a href="http://www.babysfirstsite.com"><img src="http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/37227.birthdue.png" border="0"></a>

Hi there

When our girls were little, DH would come shopping with me & he pushed the girls while I pushed the trolley. We got stopped heaps though. Once they got bigger, it was much harder to keep them in a trolley, so now I go at night by myself & DH has the girls.

The pram thing is a TOTAL pain! Although if you are buying a brand new pram, most now fit through standard doorways (ours doesn't). There are some places that you never go in b/c your pram simply won't fit. My pram doesn't fit through the post office door, so we don't go there, I get DH to drop in for me.

Another shop that irritates me like nothing else is CRAZY CLARKE'S. They always have so much junk at the doorway that I can NEVER get into the store, so I don't go there either.

Hope I've helped

Belinda

Cat - we should start a whole new post on 'where doesn't your pram fit?' *LMAO*Our Valco Twin Runabout fits most places, wheelchair isle's in Woolworths, target, Coles, K-mart. No go for Rockmans, Sussans, Katies, Thingz, Red Dot, or thy local Physio! Dh is happy that the above clothes stores make the racks too close together to manouver in and out of! There is a retail code about the width of doors and I was under the impression that a wheelchair had to be able to fit in/out comfortably but dont quote me. d*ck Smiths here has 2 doors and they always open the other one for people with the double prams! How nice of them.....

Cat-we actually ended up buying a cheap stroller specifically to get thru the door situation! (basically the Drs. surgery!)..we only used it for the first few months but it was a godsend. Our pram was an older style jogger and didnt fit thru standard doors..we would leave it in the car port inside our car (in the boot).....so it was always ready to go when we needed to go out


Caz Joel and Cam at 2 1/2years old-now 3 years old

Would you believe that the only door we have never been able to get through with our double pram is the Baby Changing room at Baby Target of all places!!!
Oh and DD1's classroom door last year.
Christmas shopping was a nightmare with stuff in the aisles, I was honestly walking through the shop (Kmart) swearing my head off with frustration as all the shops did it and it was making my life miserable that day!


Jo

I've found the Mountain Buggy Urban Double fits through all standard doorways - but the aisles in shops are another matter, especially when they put displays on the floor. At our local supermarket (which has lots of double trollies for babies and toddlers) I asked them not to put the plant displays on the ground in the aisle which is the only way to get to the ramp into the shop. I was having to lift the back wheels of the buggy over the plants. Well, they didn't take any notice of my polite requests so the next time I just bowled on through, scattering plants left, right and centre leaving a trail of destruction. They don't put plants in the aisles any more!!!

Maree

Eleanor 1/8/03
Harriet 1/8/03

Hi - i have an experience with my pram not fitting through a doorway. I was at the supercentre in moore park in sydney (going to Ikea) by myself with boys and the baby room there has a normal door, whereas my jogger pram is huge. The boys were hungry and grumpy, so i had to feed and change them in a cafe! Was not happy!! Also another thing i did after that was buy a umbrella stroller that fully folds back, so now when i go shopping i take it so that it fits through normal doorways! You will find that shopping in places like Target, Kmart etc is a nightmare as they always have things in the aisle and i am constantly moving things to get through and sometimes like in the book isles i dont even attempt as there is no way i could fit. It makes me so cranky that i have gone and complained a few times when i have wanted something and to get it i would have to leave the boys unattended and i am not going to do that!

Rach

[img]http://www.tickercentral.com/view/3wjo/2[/img]
[img]http://www.tickercentral.com/view/3wjo/1[/img]

My DH is in a wheelchair only slightly narrower than a Valco Twin Runabout (friends have one and it fits thru our front door). Yes you would be amazed how many shops don't have room for him to drive in, turn around and get out again. I have seen him try to negotiate the ladies lingerie dept at our local DJs and end up with bras and frilly knickers snagged on wheelchair parts LOL!

Stuff in aisles is a real PITA. Plus our local corner store changed owners last year and the new owner moved the baby supplies right down the back in an aisle that I can't even get my single stroller into let alone a twin one .

Edited to add that at times I have had to choose between our DD and her quadriplegic father to give assistance. Sometimes I have had to put down a crying baby on the floor and run elsewhere in the house due to major problem for DH. As the other ladies have said, you just have to judge which dependent is more in need and also realise that babies who get their needs met most of the time will cope with an occasional wait. IMO they get a bit used to it.

Steph
DD Alex (March 04)


This message was edited by s_m on Tuesday, 2 August 2005 @ 11:02 PM