MOMS with identical twins/trips - hospital ?

thetwinkies&Vivi · June 2012

How did your hospital help distinguish who was who (besides bracelets)?

How did you ensure the baby you knew as A was actually given A's name?

What methods did you use to keep them identified at home?

Am I over thinking this?!

Mrs. Alice · June 2012

It was easy for mine since they were in separate isolettes in the NICU (kind of hard to get them mixed there!). The same would be true if they were rooming in or int he regular nursery since each would have his/her own bed and crib card. My boys did however co-bed in the NICU the last few weeks. They had on their bracelets and all other hospital ID "LASTNAME, BABY BOY AAAAA/BBBBB". When I filled out their birth certificate info before I was discharged the hospital staff asked which name was A and which was B. In my state the birth certificate says "first" and "second". I didn't have any trouble identifying them at home because they were a) already 10 weeks old so we knew who was who, b) Miles was much bigger and they had subtle differences in appearance

Hunter22 · June 2012

Short answer, yes, you are but we all did. I actually brought nail polish to the hospital to put on one of their toes! I had a csection and in the or there were two different teams - one gor each girl. The warmers each had paperwork right next to them an each warmer was labeled "A" and "B". When baby A came out they immediately brought her over to the warmer, she got a bracelet and anklet right away identifying her and her little hat had "A" on it, same with baby b. There was a half pound weight difference between them and they were pretty small (5pounds) so it was obvious right away who was who. That happens a lot. Honestly I don't mix them up but my husband once in awhile does when he only gives them a quick look. Now at 11 months they look more alike than ever because they are the same weight and one who had less hair now has a full head like er sister. Their facial expressions are completely different and to me, they look nothing alike. I actually take pictures thinking no one would even think they are identical (they tell me I am crazy lol!). Good luck and congratulations!!

mpstochlinski8 · June 2012

our twins were very different in size 8lbs and 5lb 5oz so they thought at birth they misjudged during my pregnancy and said they weren't ID however as they get older they are looking more and more alike and also catching up in size. Before their birth we had a plan to put nail polish on one of their toes so we'd know who was who but we never had to go that route. good luck

mars724 · June 2012

I really worried about this too, but right away I found a tiny birthmark on baby B and I never have mixed them up. Plus the 6 oz weight difference between my girls was very noticeable bc they are so small.

mars724 · June 2012

mars724:
I really worried about this too, but right away I found a tiny birthmark on baby B and I never have mixed them up. Plus the 6 oz weight difference between my girls was very noticeable bc they are so small.

They were 5lb14oz and 6lb4oz

angelfire02 · June 2012

We also had separate teams for our babies when they first came out. In the hospital we relied on the bracelets but when we got home we painted the toenails of baby A. Without doing that we really would have no idea which baby is which! Because they're boys I used blue nail polish.

benz2010 · June 2012

They were given bracelets immediately and had id on their umbilical cord stump thingy. I had hats made with their names to make it easy for visitors and us while there and plus it was cute. Our daycare lady made them bracelets with their names on them and wed haven't taken them off. It's their bling...but I've never looked at them to see who is who. Immediately after birth baby A, Aria, had a small red stork bit on her eyelid and still does so that is one way we distinguish who is who. Aria also has a little more jagged ears and Arilyn's are more smooth. So I'd say she out the ears for differences first

We also have 2 different carseats and they have their designated seats. Also if an outfit has more green in it, Arilyn gets that one to match her green pacifier. It helps others tell who is who. It really isn't as scary and you think it would be!

pea-kay · June 2012

In the hospital, if they got mixed up, eh, no biggie. (two of mine were like 6 grams apart so it's definitely possible, but highly improbable.)But at home, we kept their hospital anklets on and kept them in birth order. Sometimes we put their initials on their feet with a nontoxic marker.

bethCT · June 2012

lol DH has mixed up our b/g twins a few times. Spencer is one lb bigger, but if Sidney is in blue, he gets confused

MuseumMaven · June 2012

Our guys actually didn't look that much alike when they were born. Baby A was almost a pound larger than baby B, and B had a somewhat squished head from being wedged up next to my pelvis. We had no trouble telling them apart in the beginning.

As for names, the hospital was not interested in their names at all - they were registered as Baby Boy A and Baby Boy B. We actually had to update their hospital records later. Since the hospital kept them labeled as A and B, it was easy to assign names.

ninjabridemom · June 2012

It was Baby Boy I and Baby Boy II. And I was A and II was B (they interchanged).

Marcus (A) has a notch in his ear so it was a bit of a cheat. But they had bracelets on their ankles right from birth (they wiped them down and put them on). They were marked as such on their birth certificates and the thing from the hospital (Baby Boy I, II).

You're overthinking it. I have their images burned in my brain of when they were born and I can tell them apart (only get confused once in a while in pictures if I wasn't there and across the room if I'm only glancing). I was worried, too, though.

Kristi1971 · June 2012

In the NICU, they had separate beds. If I were facing their beds, Kathryn was on the left. They had all sorts of identifiers - cards, anklets. One time I was able to kangaroo care with them both at the same time, and they kept Kathryn on the left.

Once we got home, I continued to keep Kathryn on the left. I also dressed kathryn in more pink, and Margaret was purple. I had some nail polish, but I never used it. I just felt like I knew who they were.

There was one whole week before a Pediatrician appointment where I was sort of freaking out a little because I thought I might have them mixed up. At the ped's office, they did all the measurements and that showed me I didn't get them mixed up. Kathryn's head was always a half cm larger, and she has always been 1 inch longer.

When taking pictures, I still keep Kathryn on the left. Now Kathryn has developed a strawberry on one arm, and Margaret is getting one on her knee. So....there is that, too.

It's interesting,because you also learn who is who by behaviors. Their cries were different. I can always tell who is crying. No one else can, but I can - must be the "mom thing".

I don't worry anymore, but I did a LOT, so I don't think you are over thinking anything.

Puppins · June 2012

I dont think our boys are identical, but they are VERY hard to tell apart. The hospital put little signs above each isolette with a cute picture and their name in big letters.

My baby A in my belly was not Baby A when he popped out, but as soon as they come out they slap a bracelet on them, and baby has his own nurse in the OR so they dont get mixed up.

We didnt officially name our kids until the next day, but honestly in the hospital they dont really care about names, they are Baby A Baby B and Baby C unless you are there a while. The nurses finally got our kids names by the last week.

At home, we are dressing them different, I am starting to see subtle differences, and they already have different personalities, I can tell their cries apart. I did put dots on their heels in marker for a few days, but they rub off quick!

HokieLaw · June 2012

In the hospital they had multiple bracelets that had their time of birth and "A" and "B" on them. When we got them home and removed the bracelets, I painted their toes!

Jen0204 · June 2012

I freaked out about this before they were born, but we were able to tell them apart from day 1. Occasionally now we do mix them up if I'm looking at them in the mirror in the car or something like that, but if we're looking directly at them we can tell who is who. Our families still mess it up a good amount of time. I did paint their toenails and still do it because it looks freakin adorable (I paint them all, which is kind of messy now). Once they start putting their feet in their mouths I'll stop.

As time has gone on we've also noticed physical marks on them. DD1 has a red mark on her neck that the doctor said will go away by the time she's 2-3. DD2 has a very light birthmark on her back. DD2 has longer hair and a little bit more of it, though the hair is a slight difference that only we notice. DD1 has a rounder face, but she's 6-16 ounces heavier depending on the week so the roundness is more noticeable when the difference between the two is larger. Their personalities are already starting to come out so that helps too.

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