Author: Naomi Burgess
I didn’t start baby wearing my oldest until she was a few months old. So when I fell pregnant the second time I was looking forward to being able to wear a newborn. I had visions of wearing my little baby while dropping my oldest off at preschool and avoiding the hassle of getting the pram in and out of the car every time I went anywhere. Then at my 12 week scan I discovered I was having twins…
Suddenly the whole idea of baby wearing was up in the air.
Could I wear two babies at the same time? Was twin baby wearing even possible? I had so many questions but many got pushed aside as I dealt with more urgent twin related decisions and research. I quickly checked that my beloved sling I had with my oldest could handle newborn twins and left the rest to deal with later.
When my twins arrived I soon learned at sometimes you really do need 3 hands and bumbled around trying to get my twins in my sling. It worked for emergencies but wasn’t a practical option.
Finding a carrier I could wear my twins in at the same time was hard
A desperate late night Google search unearthed a twin carrier that looked the part but on arrival wasn’t ideal and a massive struggle to get the babies into. They didn’t like it and with twin newborns I didn’t really have the time to constantly fiddle with it to try and get it right.
Over the next few months I cobbled together various combinations using the collection of carriers I already had. My husband would often come home from work to find me with both babies strapped to me. One in a sling, the other in a baby bjorn.
Some days it would just be one and I’d be holding the other one awkwardly. It wasn’t ideal but it stopped the crying and gave me at least one free hand to care for my oldest.
Then I discovered the world of Facebook baby wearing groups.
The tandem wearing groups taught me so much. I discovered a whole new world of carriers beyond the standard few available in baby stores. I learned new ways to wear my twins, both singly and in tandem. And best of all, I gained enough confidence to try wearing a baby on my back. Which suddenly made it so much easier to wear two and still be able to do things. With knowledge I gained from there I was able to get a few new carriers that made wearing my twins so much easier. As they got bigger, even more options opened up to me and soon it became my preferred way to transport them around out of the house as well as a way to comfort them at home while still leaving me with free hands to get stuff done.
My favourite was the Twingo
When they were 13 months old the Twingo Carrier was finally released and it was a life saver. Designed by a twin mum who had also struggled with baby wearing it was just what I needed. Finally I had a tandem carrier than wasn’t only easy to use but comfortable to wear for long periods. Day trips no longer meant lugging the double pram around as I could happily wear them for hours as we explored zoos, museums, etc. My oldest started school soon after I bought it and every day I’d use the Twingo to wear the twins for drop off and pick up. I become known as the crazy mum who wears her twins but on the rare occasions I let them walk, people would understand why I wore them!
When my twins started day care the Twingo made getting through the car park, security gates and locked doors with twins so much easier. I used it so often it became quicker for me to get them into it than to get out the pram and buckle them into it. My twins are almost 4 and we still use the Twingo on occasion and I regularly wear them one at a time, especially my cuddly boy twin.
The practicalities of twin baby wearing
Many singleton parents will go on about the more emotional side of baby wearing. They’ll talk about the bonding, the comfort and the joy of being able to have your baby snuggled on your chest but as a twin mum I’m more about the practical aspects which comes down to the fact it helps you get stuff done.
It means you can get around with 2 babies without a massive double pram, or cuddle both at once during witching hour while still making sure your other kids get fed or travel places your pram won’t fit through the door (like my GP’s office. I discovered that one the hard way!).
It means you can keep both babies close and happy while still helping your other kids down the slide at the playground and it means you don’t have people sticking their faces into the pram at the shops to have a sticky beak at your twins.
Reflections of a baby wearing twin mum
However our baby wearing days are almost at an end, but it has been an incredibly useful skill. I honestly don’t know how I would have survived twins without it.
With a singleton, baby wearing is handy but with twins it’s a must.
Whenever I’m asked what is an essential thing to buy when having twins I always say some type of carrier. If they then make the mistake of asking what kind I’ll tell them to get a Twingo before waffling on for ages about other options for various stages and what works and what doesn’t.
Having used so many different styles, brands and types of carriers, there are very few things I haven’t tried in my twin baby wearing journey. And I’ve loved (nearly) every minute of it.
If I’m ever having a down day and am really struggling with life with twins, I’ll pop them both on and go out. Guaranteed I’ll have someone stop me to tell me how amazing I am for wearing them both and getting called supermum is often just that little boost you need on days like that. I highly recommend baby wearing your twins even if it is just so you too can get lots of compliments and feel like a supermum too!
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