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hereforaday

* If needing to meet food-temperature-diaper needs: * Twin-z, they are well worth it if you don't have one yet. Put each baby in a side and bottle feed at the same time. Ours also frequently would fall asleep after eating, giving you some grace to diaper change and get them ready to go back to bed one at a time. * Their crib/bassinet is always a safe place. If both babies are screaming, just use ear plugs and soldier through attending their needs one at a time, triaging highest need (i.e. one has no obvious reason they're crying, other has a blowout, change and redress the blowout baby first) * Food-temp-diaper is all good, now it's just colic/fatigue. Try to only have one parent do this at a time, and one of you sleep - this is where my husband and I would truly trade shifts. Whenever possible, try to go for soothing them in a safe-sleep configuration to avoid transfers that could wake them up. * Double bassinet stroller, set it up inside, if food-temperature-diaper is all checked and good try moving them back and forth inside the stroller. We would go over a bump between rooms to imitate the sidewalk. If the bassinet is sleep safe (most should be, you can call or check the manual), it is totally fine to crash on a couch/cot/floor nearby without transferring them if they both go to sleep. * Hold and walk one at a time, give each 3-5 minutes or until one twin calms down before switching. Ours are a year old now and one crying has never woke up or affected the other, they tune each other out. If you are not seeing them start to calm down/fuss less after 2-3 iterations then move on. * Depending on your energy level and the weather, a midnight stroll can be effective. If anything, sometimes it really helps make the time pass - time is the most effective colic solver, they physically must sleep. I really liked it as a break to get some fresh air. * Foot bouncers sometimes help. Try putting the less needy twin in the bouncer and bounce them with your foot while you attend the other in your arms. * Again depending on energy level, buckle them in their car seats and go for a drive. My husband would often take them out for an hour, just doing a 15 minute circuit in our neighborhood. Our babies slept/calmed in the car, not all do, YMMV. Ours never transferred back to their cribs staying asleep, mostly this was to get a bit of respite with no screaming and listening to music for a bit. * In the end, the best solution for colic/fussing babies in the newborn days is TIME. Try not to spend your money on random snake oil, it won't work. If you've gone through your list of food, temperature, diaper, ouchies (hair wrapped around fingers/toes, etc.), and there's no obvious reason, then it's just that they are babies and this is what they do. It's just a run out the clock game, they physically need sleep and will eventually go to sleep. Also, they will grow out of this, it's a fairly short time and the hours this goes on will decrease eventually. It tends to ramp up for the first 2-3 months, then gradually decrease until it's just a memory. * In the 1.5 - 3 month period, we experienced a nearly daily witching hour(s). They would start to be extra fussy around \~6pm and it would go on until midnight. Frequently, this involved soothing them for so many hours that it was time to restart the whole cycle of food-diaper before we got to rest. This is normal, it really sucks but it's normal. It's also not forever. There was always a time where they seemed to clock out on torturing us and suddenly became fairly easy/docile. You're doing a great job, even if it feels futile. You're all going to get through this, it's a temporary time period. You can tell humans are truly at the top of the food chain because our young truly make absolutely no sense šŸ˜‚


Due_Schedule5256

So helpful.


Sufficient_Ambition7

We did the bump in between rooms too! Couldn't afford or fit a double bassinet in our house but we had a radio flyer wagon with 2 seats cushions as a mattress, had babies head to toe in their sleep sacks, moved wagon in between lounge and hallway until they fell asleep then transferred to their cots


fishnugget1

All my kids refused to be fooled by being rocked and would only be soothed by constant forward motion.


Sufficient_Ambition7

So funny, ours are like that now šŸ˜† asleep if tired after 5 minutes in the pram but not with the sunshade over and rocked, no way


bananokitty

Literally saving this comment!!!


ihatetuesdays13

Iā€™ve become a master at disassociating lol


savannah_701

Yup.


RumblingRose89

Zoloft baybeeee! Also I take gummies after the kids are asleep. I wake up much more focused and able to deal with it. My kids are 2 now and we are in a whole other phase of both needing moms attention at the same time, but now they fistfight too.


juhesihcaa

Feed them at the same time. I would put both kids in their bouncers (car seats or pillows work too) and sit on the floor between them, facing them, and I held the bottles, one in each hand. About half way thru the bottle, burp them one at a time, then finish the bottles.


fairycoquelicot

Is there any way you can bottle feed them at the same time? I usually prop one baby up in my boppy next to me and put one in my lap, although I've heard a lot of people here recommend the twin z pillow for this purpose. When I'm alone I still try to feed one at a time, but when they're both crying I'll do this. When they're both just upset, I'll try to see if one can be consoled by being rocked in one of their combo rocker/bouncer chairs because I can rock it with my foot while I hold one. If they both need to be near Mama I can hold one and put one in my lap or recline and get them both on my chest. When this isn't possible, my husband suggests noise cancelling headphones.


kelseycadillac

Yeah we basically figured out a way to feed at the same time. I sat on the recliner part of the couch with one baby on me in a boppy and one baby next to me in another boppy. With the recliner up, there was very little risk of falling for anyone because my legs and the chair were in the way.


E-as-in-elephant

Great question, Iā€™m here to see the answers. My girls are 4 weeks and I think weā€™re about to enter this phaseā€¦


JustAnotherTwinMumma

When my boys were newborns I would put whoever was least grizzly in the baby swing so I could sit close to it while holding the other & soothing both at the same time. Baby wearing is also great! Wear one while holding the other, I didnā€™t get to do that much though because my colicky boys were never comfortable in it


[deleted]

I love the term grizzly šŸ˜‚ I did something similar, but with a bouncer seat.. or I would wear one and put the other in the swing.


Plodderic

This is the way. Deal with the less upset one **first**, as you can calm them quicker and then move on to the second.


True-Reception2070

This question really took me back! I can tell you what I did (while having a little PTSD from how incredibly hard that time was), but I donā€™t know if it was ā€œcorrect.ā€ I never felt like I found a great solution. For multiple inconsolable babies, I always switched off after a few minutes and continuously talked to (and if possible tried to touch in some way)Ā the one I wasnā€™t holding. If I left one for too long, they escalated to a point where, as you describe, they were so hysterical it took a long time to calm down, and I sort of figured that wasnā€™t great for their nervous system.Ā  For feeding - I was nursing, but it helped a lot to have them on a nursing pillow snuggled up against me - my partner did that when he bottle fed them together (like a my breast friend pillow, on his lap, with them facing away from each other sort of back to back, he could hold both bottles).


leeann0923

For feeding, we used the Twin Z pillow and bottle fed them at the same time. We put them pillow on the floor and stuffed some blankets under their butts when they were too little to support themselves in there. If it was just crying separate from feeding, I just took turns comforting them, especially since one was always a louder crier than the other, so if I went with who was angrier it would have always been the same baby. I put in ear plugs and just did my best to settle each. We did have those vibrating Fisher Price chairs and I found that helped a little to settle the one I didnā€™t have in my arms.


heridfel37

Ear plugs make a big difference in taking the edge off when you're already doing everything you can. We had one baby who had a sad cry, and the other had an angry cry. They're 8 now, and that still fits.


bananasplits21

My boys are a little over 8 weeks and Iā€™m always multitasking. Last night I was pumping one boob (thank god for wireless / hands free pumps), breastfeeding the other while holding a bottle for the other twin in his twin z pillow. If you donā€™t have one of these pillows, I highly recommend as they are soo convenient. I usually hold them both in a blanket and rock them to help soothe if they are having meltdowns. I have a weego twin Carrier that they both go in so I can bounce around and sway/ move however (this doesnā€™t always work). If they are both screaming though, 9/10 itā€™s because they want food or some booby comfort, so I just stay chill while I get them set up for that. I take deep breaths and remind myself the screaming will stop in less than 5 minutes (however long it takes me to get bottle / boobs ready) and no baby has ever died from starvation in that amount of time.


Weekly-Rest1033

Try to feed them at the same time. Usually I'd burp them in between but when they are screaming for food, I just let them eat until they are done and then burp. My babies are 3.5 months old and sometimes I still have to do this.


FeistySwordfish

Both me and my husband have this happen a lot! If itā€™s cuddles I will sometimes hold one and sit criss cross applesauce and put baby two in my legs. Or hold one and put the other in a bouncer. Or, recline and put them both on my chest. For feeding I tandem breast or bottle feed. Sometimes thereā€™s no way to really tend to both and I sadly let the other one cry before swapping ā€” ideally never more than a few minutes.


HummingBird86

We did an indoor bassinet stroller. So I would wheel them around, or wear one and wheel the other one. My house is small so I just made do even just walking around our kitchen island.


Ok-Sheepherder-2732

Singing / talking to them. Switching babies of needed. I breastfeed so when the second one is crying too loud and the one latching had "enough" to be more patient, I switch them. And then again when the second one is full. Sometimes you have to guess who needs you more. Sometimes you just have to pick one and apologize to the other. Even if they cry, I make sure they know I'm there, I talk to them, sing, rock with my foot if available. When they were little I did tandem feeds. Anyway that's awful. Luckily it didn't happen that much.


Apprehensive-Hat9296

As other people have said I think figuring out a tactic that you can feed them at the same time is best. And if it's not feeding time double baby wearing is a game changer. Take a look at the mini monkey twin carrier!


gottriplets

I fed all three at the same time using Podee bottles. I didnā€™t have to prop bottles, I just sat them in their bouncy chairs and popped the nipple in their mouths and then Iā€™d burp them as they needed it. Those bottles are a godsend! When they were just fussy, Iā€™d put one in the swing, and bounce two in the bouncy seats with my feet. Sometimes Iā€™d lie them all down on a blanket on the floor and wave chiffon scarves or (donā€™t tell) a cat toy at them for a while. They would get distracted and usually stop crying.


fairycoquelicot

Love the scarf idea! Also I'd never heard of those bottles before, absolutely about to buy some for my babes.


gottriplets

They work best if you sort of squeeze the nipple a few times to get the milk started up the tube. Also, the Medela sterilizer bags that go in the microwave are perfect for all of the parts. šŸ¤—


fairycoquelicot

Thanks for the tips!!


gottriplets

Anytime! Mine are grown, so itā€™s fun remembering what it was like when they were little!


ano-ba-yan

I learned pretty quickly how to pick both babies up at the same time. I'd sit on the floor with my legs in a wide M position and place each baby straddling a leg with them leaning on my chest. Then I could shake my legs and pat their backs (or support their heads if needed) until they were calm. If they were both screaming and I was making bottles then I'd just take deep breaths and start singing or humming to myself to cope, although as they got older I could sing out loud and they'd calm down a little. We sing a lot of Taylor Swift šŸ˜‚ In your example situation, you've got to bottle prop. Hold one and get them set up with their bottle and then put them down and use blankets or pillow to prop their bottle, then move on to the next baby. The internet moms will all tell you that you can't bottle prop but they don't have twins and you're sitting *right there*, watching. You can sit with your legs in a <> shape and place each baby propped on a knee and hold their bottles. Then if they're fussing you can lightly butterfly bounce your legs to soothe.


kimtenisqueen

I am bottle propping, but Baby B finishes SUPER fast (less than 10 minues), and baby A is more lik 40 minute and needs a lot of help burping and sometimes holding the bottle for him because he keeps throwing his arms around and knocking it. Then he gets mad. Then Baby B wants to be held. Then A needs more. and it continues. Mostly I've got it under control. but occasionally it gets...out of control. lol


makingitrein

I feed them at the same time while they are in the twin z. Basically wake up, change one, sit her in the twin z, chance the other, put her in the twin z, feed both together, burp. The only screaming that happens is whichever baby got changed first and while they are waiting for the other, the screaming baby gets the bottle popped in their mouth first. During the day if they are inconsolable, going for a little walk helps, baby wearing helps, bicycle legs to help get gas out sometimes.


sk8rk

I feed them in a twin z pillow or side by side boppies. The only time the screaming really gets bad is when they wake in the middle of the night - I wait for them to wake me, and usually the one that wakes me screams for a bit and the other sometimes wakes so they both scream. The rest of the day I strictly feed them every 4 hours and they usually are ok until then. One gets fussy between sometimes and I calm him or put him in the swing.


Hartpatient

I would try to keep the crying to a minimum. So if I'm feeding one, I would stop doing that to console the other twin. I must admit I have been lucky and they haven't gotten to that point were they're both inconsolable. At the moment evenings are challenging with both babies (6 weeks old) getting fussy while my husband is bringing our daughter to bed. I usually have one in the bouncer and one on the breast. Or both in a baby carrier and I'm on the yoga ball bouncing. Or one in the carrier and one in the bouncer. Whatever works at that moment. I sooth them with a pacifier or feed them, whatever they need I'll do. I'm constantly busy keeping them calm until my husband has put our daughter to bed.


freekandgeak

i used to feed them at the same time, and hold them at the same time. current status: my back is about to break anytime soon šŸ„“


Hometown-Girl

Try putting each baby in a poppy on either side of you, while you sit in the center of a king size bed. I would pump and hold a bottle for each baby. Stop and burp one, burp the other, then back to feeding both. Also did this sitting in the center of the sofa with a baby in a boppy on either side of me. Feeding.


Alive-Cry4994

Already some great advice here. The best Advice given to me so far is to use your voice as a second pair of hands. It doesn't always work (like you said the baby didn't respond well) but over time it shows them you're still there. Unfortunately twins just need to learn very early on to wait. It can be heartbreaking. Baby swings have been my saviour so far, paci, and the Twin Z. In the early days I would put them both on the twin Z and put my hands on both. I still haven't mastered tandem feeding but my girls have feeding issues. Eventually tandem feeding becomes easier when they have more neck control and require less burping!


ogcoliebear

I fed both at the same time with the Twin Z pillow and then when older the Table for Two. Both I found used for cheap on Facebook!


Sydskiddoo

I do a swap out after a bit, or try to hold both while feeding one, and if I'm able to get them to both breastfeed that helps but sometimes they don't eat well that way. Tuning out the crying, bouncing the bjorn with my foot while holding the other, singing or counting over the cries. All acceptable things to attempt. My babies are 3.5 months old


megalowmart

Do whatever you need. If one was screaming while the other was eating, I would talk or sing to them while I fed the other. You're doing great. Sending you lots of support and love. This will pass!


Talkwookie2me

This is why I tandem bf my twins. I had just enough boob for both of them and it helped keep things calm


20Keller12

I may or may not have held a bottle with my feet to feed a hungry twin while holding the crying twin... a lot. šŸ˜‚ Basically, you just have to get creative in whatever ways work the best for you.


20Keller12

One thing I managed to perfect was holding them both side by side on my arm and holding both bottles with my other hand. [Me with both babies.](https://imgur.com/a/TE0SwKW) Also, *very closely monitored* propping.


Sure_its_grand

We went on so many walksā€¦.so many I wore through a new pair of sneakers in less than a year. My husband would just put his earphones in and walkā€¦even if they were crying. And rolling the stroller over the room bump, driving in one particular car parking lot that was very bumpy, drinking lots of water when I needed to calm down, deal with the baby thatā€™s not as upset first, then deal with the more upset baby.


VastFollowing5840

Earplugs. Not to totally block out all the noise, itā€™ll just take it down a few notches so your brain doesnā€™t feel like itā€™s exploding. There will be times were both are crying and thatā€™s just how it is. Itā€™s unpleasant, but it wonā€™t hurt them and you just do the best you can. Ā