Best solution for wearing a toddler and a newborn?

[springbride]

 

Just curious if any of you have some good stories/suggestions for wearing 2 kids.  DD will be 2 a few weeks after DS is born.  A friend of mine just had a baby and DD gets very jealous when she comes over or when I have held her; so I am gearing up for some sibling rivalry at first...

I have a peanut shell that I used with DD, I also have a moby, a storch and an oh snap.  I also have a homemade MT, but it's not very comfortable for long periods of time with DD (27 lbs).  So I know that there has to be some sort of good solution.  I've been thinking about investing some of our tax return into a maya or other ring sling.  I can't wrap my mind around the oh snap over a moby (which was my main at home newborn carrier for DD), or two wraps at the same time...

Any ideas?  Thank you!

[asraidevin]

I would think you'd have to do your daughter on the back and son on the front. I don't know if you could do of

 the same carier at the same time.

[clovergirl]

The Oh Snap on your back with the Moby on your front may work better then you think.  That was my preferred solution when my DS was born and DD2 was 2.5yrs old (well, sub a 4th Gen Beco for the Oh Snap, but same idea).  Since I could leave the Moby on and take DS in/put as needed it was pretty easy.  The Beco was easy on/off as well for the times DD2 wanted to be carried too; just snap on the waist, pop DD2 on my back, then do the shoulders and clip the chest/sternum strap above the baby's head. 

I did occasionally do a ring sling on the front and the Beco on my back.  This didn't work as well... I can't really put my finger on why, but it just wasn't as comfy.  Maybe because the ring just added another thing on my chest (in addition to the chest/sternum clip from the Beco)? 

At any rate, I think it will probably be a trial and error thing for you.  Try out a few different combos and see what works best.  Remember though to give your body a rest after birth... try not to carry both at the same time unless you absolutely need to until after your bleeding has ended and you are feeling back to "normal".

Good luck mama.

[ecomamatoto]

My DDs are 21 months apart. I did the moby on the front for DD2 and 4th Gen Beco on the back for DD1. It was a lifesaver at the "witching hour" before Dad came home. Although I spent much one-on-one time with DD1 while wearing DD2, DD1 still felt jealous of all the babywearing, I think, and needed that extra closeness. I only needed to do it a few times during the 3-month transition period. Congratulations!

[Fertigamus]

I've been thinking about this too, my son will be about 22 months when my new one arrives in Apr/May. I found this: http://magiccityslingers.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/front-torso-cross-carry/ I've already got a moby, so I thought I'd put the new bb on the front in a torso carry and use either my Mei Tei or a gauze wrap in a rucksack, to put my toddler on my back. Obviously, I'd put bb on first, the only thing is I'm not sure about head/neck support, so I might have to keep at least one strap up until bb gets more head control. I just think it would be good not to be carrying ALL the weight on the shoulders. Good luck!

[Fertigamus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2EzFihNBaw So the torso carry can be done with a newborn

[bcgamermom]

The easiest way I found was to tie my stretchy wrap on first then put my older DD up on my back in a ssc (beco or boba in my case) once I had her up on my back I put dd2 into the stretchy wrap. Once dd2 got bigger I switched to a ssc combo with the beco butterfly on my front and boba on my back that way I could put on the beco and do up the cheat clip behind my neck without baby in it, throw dd1 on my back and then put dd2 in the beco. I like doing it this way so I don't have to lean over with a wee baby strapped to my chest while getting dd1 on my back.  

[Chryseis]

 I think your Moby and Oh Snap would probably work pretty well. Just pre-tie the Moby,then put the toddler on your back, then the baby. I always used a ring sling and a SSC (either a Kanga or my Kinderpack). I would put the RS on, put the toddler on my back, then the baby in front. It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, and I definitely wouldn't want to do it for a long time, but having the option of doing it is great. It has definitely made my life easier in a few situations,

[mckittre]

Two wraps works well also - you could do the storch and moby.  I carry my son in a storch on my back (in Ruck tied in front), and put the newborn on my front in an FCC or similar.  Newborn goes on first.  I have two woven wraps, but a moby would work fine for the newborn.  I don't mind putting the little one in, then leaning over for the toddler (she stays asleep while I do it), but with a stretchy wrap I might put her in afterwards, since it might not hold her as nicely.  The shoulders can be spread out on both as desired, and the knots can be at different levels (I tie the knot for the toddler below the newborn), so it works fine.  I can get both on by myself and walk for miles that way, so it works well!  (kids are 23 months and 2 weeks in this picture)