Your Guide To Tandem Baby-Wearing | Baby Carriers For Twins

The idea of getting twins is double the joy and excitement, but double the jitters too. New parents may be overwhelmed with the idea of taking 2 babies of the same age out. While you may feel that, it isn’t too practical to travel or steer around the city with two munchkins, baby carriers may be a godsend. Not only will they help you to travel around but also benefit greatly when you need to run the errands. Baby carriers for twins are the best way to bond with both the twins and be ready to cater to them as soon as they need.

You may opt for twin specific baby carriers or use two carriers in conjunction to carry both the babies together. The twin-specific carriers, however, are expensive. You can club two carriers and get that perfect carry for your children without straining your body, pocket or social life.

Contrary to the popular opinion, two babies mean twice the ways of carrying them and twice the snuggles and love.

Here we explain how baby carriers can help you minus the jitters from the idea of carrying your twins around.

Focus on one first:

Doing this step by step will make it easier and stress-free for you. Start like you would if you had a single baby. Opt for a good fit for one baby using a soft structured carrier or a wrap. For the time being, carry the other baby in a stroller or have someone else help you with carrying. This is only to get you accustomed to babywearing and carrying the essentials.

Add in the second, once you are comfortable:

Once you are comfortable with carrying one baby add in the other one. The first step is to be confident that it is possible. Newborns need to be touched frequently to keep them assured of an adult’s presence and also to regulate the rhythm of the body. You can carry one on front and other over the back using 2 wraps or 2 soft structured carriers or use a combination of carriers such as a wrap and a ring sling or a soft structured carrier and a wrap. While there is a significant learning curve to master the two-baby carry, it will give you an awesome feeling of accomplishment once you have it.

Here are some styles that you can try:

• Wear both babies on the front with a single wrap: This is ideal for newborns and gives them the feeling of being together as they were in the womb.
• One on each hip: This a very popular and versatile carry style that you can achieve with 2 wraps.
• With 2 ring slings: Although this one works only for smaller children; it is a very cosy setup that all of you will enjoy.
• One on the back and one on the front: This can be accomplished with any combination of carriers that you like.

There are a lot of videos available on different tandem babywearing styles. You can also get creative and think of different styles using combinations of styles that you know for wearing a single baby.

Twin-Specific Carriers

Twin-specific carriers are an excellent option that offers many features such as the ability to carry children apart in age, built-in storage and different carrying positions. Some of these also come with a split configuration that allows different adults to wear different baby.

Things to remember while choosing carriers for twins:

It cannot be emphasized enough that different baby carriers suit different people and choosing baby carriers for twins will require a basic understanding of what may work. Here are some tips to make a good choice:

• Very young babies need to be carried on the front. The one back and one front style may not work for the starting months. A stretchy wrap will be ideal to wear both of them together where you can hold both of them upright on the chest. You can also use two stretchy wraps if you are looking for separate pouches for both of them.
• Woven wraps are also as versatile as stretchy wraps and can be used for toddlers too. They do not use the stretch of the fabric but can be tightened around the babies based on the need. You can try several combinations for twins with woven wraps.
• Ring slings are very comfortable and safe and can be used both on the hip or chest. Since they use a single shoulder, using two ring slings is a favourite among tandem baby wearers.
• If you opt for soft structured buckle carriers, opt for ones with an adaptable panel so they get utmost support as they grow. They must support them along the back on the neck and also offer knee to knee support. Very structured carriers will not suit for both babies. Lightweight and soft buckle carriers are ideal if you choose to carry both the babies together. Also, a single soft structured carrier cannot accommodate 2 babies. One on front and other on the back is the only style that will work.
• You can also opt for meh-dais, onbuhimos or pouch carriers. An ideal combination can be worked out based on your comfort. You must try the different carriers at a babywearing library with the help of an educator and embrace the hands-free comfort with your children.
• Make sure that the babies are not overheated as you wear both of them together as it will be three bodies against each other.
• Keep realistic targets and do not plan a whole day of shopping with two babies that you need to wear. Take your time to get accustomed to the whole process and focus on your comfort too. You do not want to end up with body pains with 2 babies to take care of.

Look out for a babywearing library near you and get all the help you need before you experiment. If you are new to babywearing, it can be daunting to get the right fit and a fit that is not right may cause more harm than good.