Advice about multiples

trisholio · February 2013

I am a nanny and I am currently looking for a new family. I have experience with newborns, but never newborn twins. I am going to be interviewing with a new family soon with twin boys and I wanted some advice.

What is the easiest way to care for twins? Feeding ideas? Rocking two babies to sleep at the same time? Ect

All, any of your advice would be helpful. You may also contact me at pmgates@yahoo.com

Thank you all in advance!!!!

Reilly626 · February 2013

I think we all could explain it but until you live it you have no real idea.

myheromyworld89 · February 2013

As hard as I've tried to take care of both babies at the same time, I personally have found it easier to feed them one at a time. Rocking them at the same time as newborns, I had a hard time doing too because picking up a floppy newborn while already holding a floppy newborn is nearly impossible. Everyone manages to figure out ways to be efficient with their time and I'm sure the parents will be able to give you a few ideas of what they do, but until you really get in there and get into a routine the only advice I can offer is to start off just taking care of one at a time otherwise it gets overwhelming fast.

Ruthie04 · February 2013

As far as tandem bottle feeding, I would try to watch videos on You.Tube. There were a couple of videos I found to be especially helpful in offering certain tips to make things easier. I imagine the parents have developed their own way, so it is probably best to ask them what works best for their babies. With rocking, I often sat on the floor and held one while bouncing one in the bouncy chair or rock n play. Every once in a while, I'd have to rock both at the same time, but it gets tricky to put them back down without waking one or both. Also, they may not need your help with getting to sleep. We have been able to put our boys down awake since six weeks. So, I rarely need to rock them to sleep anymore.

Like PPs said, there's no way to really know until you have to do it. But, I think it is wonderful you are doing your best to be prepared for your interview. Caring for twins is definitely challenging and it's great to get all the advice you can get! GL!

macchiatto · February 2013

There are a million ways of feeding twins. You have to see what works for you and with the twins in question. For us, since our boys were sloooow eaters, feeding them one at a time would have sucked (especially if one gets hungry while you're feeding the other, so you leave one screaming while you interrupt his feed to get his brother and end up feeding them at the same tie anyway ). We would tandem feed them using two Boppys or two bouncy seats.

The book Juggling Twins is a fairly quick read and has some good suggestions, and ditto the youtube videos.

caden · February 2013

I ditto that there are many ways to do things and that you have to find what works best for these boys. Hopefully the parents will tell you. My boys had terrible reflux and feeding them was a huge PITA. I started out feeding them tandem (on boppies) and that worked for the 2-3 months where their feedings took FOREVER. Once they got much faster I did them one at a time. I had to work at feeding them so doing them both together was awful for us. I knew at that point about when they'd wake up b/c they were good at predictable routines. Plus I napped them in the same room as me so I could see them twitching awake. I'd get one up right away and start feeding him while the other woke up naturally and hope that by the time Baby 1 was finished 2 was just getting up. As I fed baby 2 I put baby 1 in a bouncy seat so he'd be upright.

I never rocked my kids to sleep, except in that very beginning stage when they didn't know night from day. Or if they were cranky of course. Otherwise they went down drowsy but awake. Naps were usually in their swings so that if they woke up midway through a nap I could turn it on and have a decent shot of them going back to sleep (if they did fall back asleep I'd turn the swing off so they didn't get too used to the motion). I did that til about 6-7 months and then they had to nap in their cribs.

PurrCrasher · February 2013

I find that routines are everything in my household. I imagine that the parents have established routines in regards to feeding, rocking etc and if I were looking for a nanny I would prefer one that was flexible and willing to learn our routines. I would let the parents guide you on how best to do those things.

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