Twin Hacks

I just successfully completed my first two weeks at home alone with Jack and Bobby.  When Brian walked out the door for work that first day (after being home with us for an incredible month!)  I sad that we'd no longer all get to hang out together, but also terrified of being left alone with the boys all day long.  Logistically I just couldn't fathom being able to handle it.  What would I do when both boys were crying?  How about when they wake up at the same time to be fed?  And when they were both inconsolable?  Not being able to soothe your crying baby is hard.  Not being able to soothe both your crying babies is heartbreaking.

The first day was awesome.  After my initial crying attack (hello postpartum hormones!) I thought, "I can totally do this!", and then I did.  We had a few hiccups and there certainly was a lot of crying (the boys this time, not me!) but we got through it.  I even managed to cook dinner AND to give them both baths before Brian got home.  Go me!  The next day was good as well and I used my Moby wrap for the first time.  It ruled.  But I was tired and I missed Brian.

On the third day (it's hard for me to not say "he rose again" after that phrase) I had a meltdown.  The boys wouldn't stop waking up together for feedings and Bobby spit up several times after having a really good run the week before.  Instead of having 30 minutes between feeding cycles, I had no minutes.  None.  I'd feed one, feed the other and start all over again.  It was hell.  I started wondering how the heck I was going to get through this alone, and how my boys would grow up without a capable Mama to care for them.

Anyone who knows me well though, knows that one thing I'm really good at is bouncing back.  I'm super good at rallying myself and giving myself a good "buck up little camper" speech.  And then I just push forward and make the best of things and eventually overcome.  So I pushed on.  I told myself that babies cry, and that they do have a capable Mama but I just have to figure things out.  And I reminded myself that while I'm physically alone during the day, I'm never really alone; I have an amazingly supportive partner in Brian and that is more than a lot of people have.

And then I started figuring things out.

Enter what I call, "Twin Hacks".  These aren't new, and I suppose they aren't always going to be specific to twins, but they help me handle our twins and I'm a twin Mom, therefore, I'm calling them Twin Hacks.  If you have any other ideas which you think might help, please feel free to leave your positive comments1

Twin Hack #1: The Moby wrap

I received several conflicting opinions from family and friends about this wrap, but decided to register for one based on the opinion of a fellow MoM (Mom of Multiples) who wore her twinfants in a Moby when they were newborns.  I'm so glad I listened to her, because it is amazing.  And truthfully, it's not even that difficult to wrap.

So far I've only worn one baby at a time.  I hope to try to put them both in there today with Brian's help to see how it goes.  But wearing one baby (pictured above is Jack) while feeding the other has proved to be invaluable.  Keeping the fussy swaddled baby close to my body usually buys me about 20-30 minutes-which is just enough time to feed the other fussy baby. 

Twin Hack #2: Rolled up blankets

Yes, rolled up blankets.  This hack only works for Jack.  Because of Bobby's GI issues, we still have to be more careful with him when he's eating.  This means it's harder for me to put him down mid-feed to soothe his brother if he's crying.  Jack amazingly started "holding" his bottle a couple of weeks ago, but a full bottle is too heavy for him.   I tried reaching over to feed Jack while feeding Bobby, but I just couldn't do it without laying Bobby down.  So I took a few swaddle blankets, rolled them, and propped the bottle on top to see if Jack could drink.  And it worked!  It was just the right angle too, to ensure he didn't cough and spit up.  Hooray!

Twin Hack #3: Channel 100

It's no secret that we don't have a lot of room on the boat, and that we're "baby-gear-lite".  We do, however, have a small travel white noise maker which we use in the nursery.  But it's in the nursery.  Which, you know, isn't too far away from where I sit with the babies all day, but...it's not RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, which is when I needed it.  I thought back to advice about vacuum noise and hair dryers being used to soothe babies, and I thought, "Hmmm...I wonder if TV snow would work."

It does. 

In fact, it works like magic.  And when I have the TV on during the day, I always have this channel on "flashback" so I can just hit the button and switch to snow immediately if I need to.  The boys almost instantly calm down and I'm able to change a diaper or warm a bottle without them getting overly worked up.  It's especially helpful during the very early morning feedings when I don't want to wake Brian (who would have just ended his night shift) or the other twin (so I can have a few moments alone with the other).

Secret: It doesn't have to be channel 100.  The other channels you don't get work just fine too. :)