How can you use a sling with twins?

[Ponoma]

What is a parent to do with twins and
want to waer them both at the same time?! I saw one creative father use a sling in a side position and
a baby bjorn at the same time. Anyway
to make their baby earing experience better?

[Piglet68]

You can do it, at least with the Maya Wrap you can. When they are little, they will both fit in one sling, and when older you can double sling them.

Go to www.mayawrap.com and view the video clips section. They have a video clip showing how to sling twins.

I would imagine this takes alot of strength and you would have to build up your babywearing time even more gently than with one baby, but I'm sure the rewards would be wonderful!

[Gagesmom]

As mentioned above, double sling them! One on each side...they love it (and you grow strong as they grow fatter! Ha ha!).

[seanjoshmom]

experience

talk about neck and back pain. I recommend starting one at a time, then building up to two. Now carrying two 18 month olds in my arms is a peice of cake. (well, for a short while at least. . .):

[charmarty]

I found out about slings a little late(boy could I have used 2 when my babes were babies!i used 2 snugglies crisssrossed for the first year-ouch my pooor back!)
When they turned a yoer,we got a computer,and found MDC,and I found out about slings.Did some reaserch and decided to make the maya wraps for us.I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!The girls do too.It is soo much easier to carry them for a long time holding both at the same time.....

[mom2threenurslings]

I don't have twins, but cared for my sister's baby and mine and double slung them. (They're 18 days apart).

I also double sling my 2 yrs old and my 12 week old and have found that double slinging works better for me using a Maya Wrap and a New Native. I found using two Mayas too bulky w/ the rings. Wearing a New Native (one piece, no rings) inder the Maya (in the opposite direction) works great!

Amanda
Mom to 2 angels and 3 nurslings: Alexander (3.5) , Zachary (2 yrs) , and Haley (12 wks)

[laralou]

I am double slinging in one of my pictures. Click the link in my sig line.

[Theo's Mama]

You can interlock two Bjorns by putting on the backs first and then the fronts, intertwined. They fit snugly and seem to like it, but don't know how long the back can take it.

[laralou]

I must say, 22 lbs of babe is tiresome, so I only do this for grocery shopping and emergency mothering now!

[1Plus2]

Theo's Mama

How exactly do you entertwine the two Bjorns? My sister and I tried to make it work the other day and couldn't figure it out. Help!

:

[Theo's Mama]

Ok, here is my best try. Wish I could just show you! Left and right is on the person putting it on. . .

Take off both fronts from the back straps. Put both backs on, one on top of the other. Make them as big as you can. Pull one set of straps all the way to the left. Pull the other two all the way to the right.

You'll have

Reach your hand through the front corner of the straps of the left set, down where the white plastic thing is attached, from right to left, and pull the right white plastic tab thingy through, so the straps are cris crossed in the front of you.

Take a deep breath and tell the girls you will soon be ready for them.

Attach the front to the left side. attach the far left front to its own set of straps. Attach the thingy into the rings and the snap on the far left. Left side is now half attached. Put in girl A and finish attaching her bjorn to its own straps, but don't snap the right snap. Tug her to the left.

Attach the front of the right bjorn to its back with the white thingys. Put her left T bar through her loop, but you'll do it over top of the first set of straps.

Have I lost you yet? I'm doing this as I type, and it is really hard to describe, but I'm hoping you get the picture. . .Add girl B to the picture, and finish hooking and snapping everyone in. At this point, I usually have two or three people stopping to watch me in the grocery store parking lot and my son screaming to get out of the car too, but I have to dance and jiggle a bit to get them settled.

Good luck. I see you are a new member. How old are your girls? Mine are four months now. I have shopped a lot with them like this facing me. I'm not sure how it will work facing outward, but I like shopping with faces in, since people want to touch them too much for my liking. This is not easy on the back, but sometimes it is all that will keep them happy while I shop or chase my son around the park. I think you have another one too, but don't remember how old. This way I can put my son in the front of the shopping cart. Isn't life fun?

Don't bend down to pick something up!!! Let someone else unload your groceries in the car!!!

[1Plus2]

Theo's Mama :)

Thank you so much for your very detailed description! I think I figured out what my problem is. I have a Bjorn I bought when my first dd was a baby and one that was bought for me just recently. They changed the design of them slightly so the way they attach isn't the same. I wonder if maybe I could borrow one from a friend who has a newer version and see if I can make it work with my newer one.

My girls are also almost 4-months! They were born on December 16th at 38 weeks and 3 days. Lillie weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 21 1/2" long and Faith weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19 3/4" long. We recently found out through DNA testing that they are identical. My oldest dd, Haven, is 2-1/2 years. She was bf'd until she weaned at 25-months which was also mid-way through my pregnancy. We co-sleep with all of our girls.

When I do the grocery store I usually put one baby in the Bjorn while the other sits in her carseat carrier in the front seat of the cart. Haven either walks (if it's a short trip) or rides in the main part of the cart. I can't buy a lot this way but the girls don't give me too much time to shop anyway. LOL! I do have two OTSBH's and have been trying them out at home with carrying both girls. It's so hard to get them just right to make everyone happy.

[Twinsmama]

Hmmmmm

Wow, laralou I am impressed! How old are the girls in that picture? Three months? Mine are almost three months now and I am looking for ways to hold them both when they are freaking out at the same time and possibly get a little more freedom without the guilt that comes with holding only one. I have a New Native sling and one Snugli carrier--anybody have any suggestions for double slinging? Maybe get a Maya Wrap? Also, I don't have a big frame. Before I spend more $$ on this I wonder if I can really hold two! I weigh somewhere around 125-30 now and the twins are over 10lbs each. True, I carried backpacks in college that were heavier, but that was on my back...hmmm.

[Theo's Mama]

Hi Twinsmama,

I can still kind of do the double bjorn for short times, but I have a big frame and a strong back and it still kills me. Mine are 4 months and weigh 11 5 and 13 4 right now. I'd recommend not getting something new for the front, because I doubt you can carry them together for long, but I'm thinking when I can do one on the front and one on the back it might work for a while.

One thing I will add is that although their weights continue to increase, the fact that their backs and necks will be much stronger in another month makes holding them both much easier. Easier to put one on each hip or hold them both in your lap sitting up.

And, joy, we got to do a new breastfeeding position for the first time together in bed today, me on my back, both kind of kneeling in my armpits, draped over my boobs, nursing away and gazing at each other and me and smiling and laughing. What a way to start my morning!

[laralou]

Re: Hmmmmm

Originally posted by Twinsmama
Wow, laralou I am impressed! How old are the girls in that picture? Three months? Mine are almost three months now and I am looking for ways to hold them both when they are freaking out at the same time and possibly get a little more freedom without the guilt that comes with holding only one.

They were 2 1/2 months old in the double slinging pic. I still do it, but not as often because they are sooooooooooo heavy (almost 5 months!). I do want to warn you that it is hard getting them in there when they are both upset. Usually it only works for one, and I have to pull the other out and hold her.

Something that does work when they are both freaking out is to put both on the nursing pillow and give them pacies or to lie down on the bed next to both of them (me, #1, #2) and give them pacies. That usually calms them both down unless there is something else specific wrong (hunger, wet diaper, etc.). Once I get them calm, I can get them in the slings no problem.

They are used to me at Walmart (where I grocery shop) wearing both. I get comments from the customers, but the staff knows what I am doing. They even help me unload/reload the cart.