Carrying 2 at a time

[AnnJayTwins]

I'm frustrated at not being able to front-carry both babies. So I'm considering getting a backpack and trying to carry one on the back and one on the front.

Has anyone done this? Will the weight get to be too much (I have backpacked and carried a full pack on my back before - up mountains - PRE-PG!!). Is it even possible to fit both carriers on a 5'4" person with a small frame?

Do you have any other ideas that will allow me to carry both? BTW, I have in mind carrying both for walks around the neighborhood, to the mall, store, and even getting back out on trail eventually.:

I'll take all suggestions.
TIA!

[vanauken]

I've really enjoyed using a double mei-tei carry. You need two mei-teis (also called ABC's, or Asian Baby Carriers), and you wear one on front and one on back. Put the one on back first (just follow the normal instructions for a mei-tei back carry). Then tie the waistband for the front meitai, pick up the baby and position her, and then comes the tricky part . . . you'll need to thread the straps of the front mei-tei through the straps of the back mei-tei, making sure that the straps are UNDER the baby in back, so that it doesn't catch her arms or legs or anything. The straps should be against your body; that's the important part.

Then bring them around front as usual for a front mei-tei carry and knot it off - et voila! - two babies on one mom!

This carry takes a few times to get comfortable with, I've found, but I can now do it on my own - though I often peek in a car window or something, to make sure everyone looks comfy! The downside is that after about 1/2 hour it gets a bit uncomfy, but you can shift the straps about a bit to get yourself a bit more time out of it.

Good luck!

[kjoy2]

I wear both babies often! It's how I go shopping, too! My girls can't sit up yet, so there's no option to have one in the cart and one on me... instead, both are on me. Wearing both babies is wonderful b/c it keeps them content and elicits all sorts of stares from strangers

I often do a Beco on the back (butterfly version, so it's easy to swing a younger baby onto your back, backpack style) and then an Ergo on the front.

Sometimes I'll do a knit-wrap style carrier (think Mobywrap) on the front with a soft-structured Beco or Ergo on my back.

I like these carrier combinations; they are relatively comfortable for longer periods of time.

I haven't tried other combinations (mei tais, etc.), but that's because I am using the carriers that I own, and b/c they work fine I haven't needed to try others. I hope you find something that works for you!

[Kendra_]

Originally Posted by kjoy2

I often do a Beco on the back (butterfly version, so it's easy to swing a younger baby onto your back, backpack style) and then an Ergo on the front.

I had not thought of trying out a Beco for the back.. I'm off to find a Beco to borrow to try this out!

[vanauken]

Oh, and since the girls were about 5 lbs., and even now, when they're about 18 lbs., I can front-carry both in a ring-sling. It's just hard to do anything BUT walk with that carry.

[UberMama]

Until my boys were 15ish lbs each, I wore them in a sling (or slingS) on my front. After that, one went on the back and one on the front. This was six years ago, so I had a ring sling for the front and on my back was a Snugli (very old school version, I love it and miss it!!!).

I am 5'8" but my torso is very short (I have VERY long legs). But I never found it that cumbersome to do a front/back carry, no. It took getting used to, of course. Just like when you go from carrying that huge belly full of babies to delivering and just having the flab and no huge belly, lol.

[mamaeliz]

AnnJay, I know your twins are a bit older than mine, but I'm carrying on the front with two pouches crisscrossed. As the pp said, the weight is still a LOT less than my prego belly was. When people ask how I can carry that much weight, I say, "well, if I were to add my 4 year old to this carry, it would be almost as much as what I weighed when I was pregnant".
PM me if you want a link to a pic, but I think learning (being comfortable) with the front/back carry will be best for what you want to do. I'm a bit shy about the back carry myself, as it's usually for small amounts of time. I'm thinking I'm going to get a hand held mirror to help me feel comfy with the back carry.

[AnnJayTwins]

Oh yeah I forgot to add that my twins are 8 months old now and weigh around 15-16 lbs or so.

I'm reluctant to wear both in front b/c of their interaction. Usually they laugh and giggle with each other sweetly, but they will also pull hair and ears and bother each other, too. It's enough to moderate them during nursing sessions. Also, when I was using a pocket sling my back felt twisted out of shape - and I don't normally have back troubles. I am impressed though that so many of you have managed to carry two.

I started looking at backpack carriers - like the trail types. I'm a hiker (well, pre-pg I was anyway) and I would like my little ones to experience hiking and the outdoors. I wonder if I could combine a backpack carrier with a sling in front for my 45-60 min walks around the neighborhood. Anyone else try this?

[vanauken]

I haven't figured out a double carry with a trail backpack carrier, but we do own two of them - one Kelty and one REI. We used them a TON with my oldest two. I'd suggest, for hiking, that you get two of those - and someone to carry the other baby.

You can even get sunshades/rainhoods for them for those long hikes, and they usually have little zip-on backpacks you can put trailmix and water and diapers in.

Man, I love those things. We're planning on putting the twins in the next summer for hikes, when the older kids are old enough to walk themselves for short distances.

[jchawkes]

Originally Posted by vanauken

I've really enjoyed using a double mei-tei carry. You need two mei-teis (also called ABC's, or Asian Baby Carriers), and you wear one on front and one on back. Put the one on back first (just follow the normal instructions for a mei-tei back carry). Then tie the waistband for the front meitai, pick up the baby and position her, and then comes the tricky part . . . you'll need to thread the straps of the front mei-tei through the straps of the back mei-tei, making sure that the straps are UNDER the baby in back, so that it doesn't catch her arms or legs or anything. The straps should be against your body; that's the important part.

Then bring them around front as usual for a front mei-tei carry and knot it off - et voila! - two babies on one mom!

This carry takes a few times to get comfortable with, I've found, but I can now do it on my own - though I often peek in a car window or something, to make sure everyone looks comfy! The downside is that after about 1/2 hour it gets a bit uncomfy, but you can shift the straps about a bit to get yourself a bit more time out of it.

Good luck!

I'm a total lurker on this MOM board, although I have 6 month old twins. I have been attempting to figure this out, but am curious about why you put the one on the back first. I am sure it's an easy answer I'm overlooking, but why not put the one on the front first, so you don't have to thread the straps under?

Thanks!

[cdahlgrd]

I would sling one on the back of my hip (almost on my back, but not quite), then carry the other child or sling him if it was for very long.

It was just toooooo hard on my back trying to front carry them past about 10 lbs each. (when they were little I put them both in the same sling).

[2+twins]

I'm 5'3" with a small frame and used to carry my twins front & back using MT's (although had I had my Beco back then I would have used that - I really love that thing!). I *always* put the front baby on first - I didn't even know it was possible to put the baby on back on first! Anyway, here's a link to a gallery full of different twin carrying setups. Hope it helps.

Oh - and for future hikes it *might* be beneficial to have a hiking backpack simply for the storage but you might be fine with a SSC like the Beco or Ergo. That's what my dh & I have used for all our day hikes with our twins (we'll each wear one).

[vanauken]

Originally Posted by jchawkes

I'm a total lurker on this MOM board, although I have 6 month old twins. I have been attempting to figure this out, but am curious about why you put the one on the back first. I am sure it's an easy answer I'm overlooking, but why not put the one on the front first, so you don't have to thread the straps under?

Thanks!

Well, you'd have to thread the straps either way, but I do the back first, because it is - for me - trickier to adjust the twin in back, because she's harder to reach. So since a back carry is trickier for me to get right, I do it first, so I can fiddle with it before I've got them both on. Because once they're both on, it's harder to make any adjustment you want to make.

[2+twins]

Originally Posted by vanauken

Well, you'd have to thread the straps either way, but I do the back first, because it is - for me - trickier to adjust the twin in back, because she's harder to reach. So since a back carry is trickier for me to get right, I do it first, so I can fiddle with it before I've got them both on. Because once they're both on, it's harder to make any adjustment you want to make.

But you don't have to thread the straps either way! If you put the front baby on first, you simply put the straps for the back carry over your shoulders, back down to your waist, and wrap around. Here's what I mean.

[jchawkes]

Originally Posted by 2+twins

But you don't have to thread the straps either way! If you put the front baby on first, you simply put the straps for the back carry over your shoulders, back down to your waist, and wrap around. Here's what I mean.

This is what I had been envisioning in my head, but hadn't set out to try it yet. That's why I didn't understand about the back baby first. But, I totally get that it's easier to do the more difficult carry first, too. I just need to spend a good afternoon messing around with it!

Thanks for the explanations!

[herdingkittens]

I could not WAIT to get them one on front and one on back! Life got so much easier when we got to that point! Try it out. It took some playing around to find what I liked, and everybody is different, but here's what combos we do regularly when carrying two:

-sling front/framed backpack (when they will be getting in and out frequently, i.e. popping into a store or library for a quick visit)
-Mei Tai front/f.backpack (for getting them to sleep)
-Moby front (baby facing out)/f. backpack or meitai on back (did this when they were a little smaller for grocery shopping)

Reading others postings, I am going to use my mei tai more often for back carries when I have both! Thanks for the inspiration! :

[vanauken]

Originally Posted by 2+twins

But you don't have to thread the straps either way! If you put the front baby on first, you simply put the straps for the back carry over your shoulders, back down to your waist, and wrap around. Here's what I mean.

Oh! you tie it differently than I do. I like them crossed in front for a back carry and in back for a front carry, so I do have to thread them through either way. You way does look nice and easy though! Just not a way that feels secure for me. It looks in the picture like yours have padded straps; do they? That might make the difference . . .

[2+twins]

Originally Posted by vanauken

Oh! you tie it differently than I do. I like them crossed in front for a back carry and in back for a front carry, so I do have to thread them through either way. You way does look nice and easy though! Just not a way that feels secure for me. It looks in the picture like yours have padded straps; do they? That might make the difference . . .

Yes, they're padded - those are BabyHawk MT's, although I swear by my Beco now that I have it for a back carry.

[fyrebloom]

There is a pic in my siggy with front back wraps. My fav is double meitais or a wrap front, meitai/ssc on back. I don't do it alot anymore because my back can't take it but it's still doable. My twins are 15 months and almost 20lbs each.

[4Marmalade]

I just tried a double carry the other day that worked out alright. I had one facing inwards on the front in a wrap and the other in a mei tei on my back. The initial weight was weird but the longer I wore them the better it felt. They both fell asleep although baby ds on the back fussed for a bit. They haven't been worn much there though so maybe they just need to get used to it. I would love to have another mei tei or maybe an ergo. Maybe an early Christmas present to myself?