Join our TwinParenthood Community!

 
Are you overwhelmed and bogged down… finding it tough to make it through the day, the next hour, the next minute? Are you newly expecting twins and afraid of what you don’t know? Are you getting more than a double-dose of twin parenthood isolation? Then you need to join TwinParenthood — in the ‘hood — under the BigTent.

TwinParenthood is very proud to announce our new membership community and twins forums.

 
TwinParenthood is a place for parents of twins and multiples to connect for support and information as we share the joys and struggles of twin parenthood.

Our online community features active forums – where twin parents and parents-to-be can ask questions, offer advice, and occasionally escape from the day-to-day adventures of this thing called TwinParenthood.

You will also find a rich and growing set of FAQ articles on parenting twins, tools for download, and deals and steals gathered from across the internet as well as some exclusive deals negotiated exclusively for TwinParenthood members.

So sign up today — and begin connecting with other twin parents in meaningful way. Connecting.    Learning.   Growing.

Still need more information? Visit our Members page for more details about our membership community.

Attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is a safe and appropriate choice for most women — including those who are carrying twins, according to guidelines released this week by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).  This is great news for women expecting twins.  Previously, VBAC was not recommended for women carrying twins although there were no conclusive studies to suggest that twins posed a higher risk. 

In fact, VBAC was often not recommended for many women, and the rate of C-sections in the United States had risen significantly over the past four decades.  In the 1970’s, the C-section rate was about 5%, but by 2007, it was up at a whopping 31%.  One reason for the increased rate of C-sections was due to insurers, doctors, and hospitals opting for a repeat C-section rather than attempting a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC).

TOLAC and VBAC do present some added risk.  If uterine rupture occurs (between 0.5% and 0.9% of the time), it is an emergency situation that can cause serious harm to a mother and babies.  For this reason, TOLAC and VBAC should only be undertaken in a hospital where an emergency C-section can be performed in the event of complications.

Patients and doctors will need to work together on a case by case basis to determine if TOLAC and VBAC are appropriate.  New moms having twins should do their research and come prepared for a discussion with their OB/GYN about the possibility for VBAC with twins if that is their desire.  Patients who encounter doctors that won’t even consider VBAC for a twin pregnancy should consider moving to another doctor.  While there may be very valid reasons why a VBAC is not appropriate for your particular twin pregnancy, you should expect your doctor to cover those reasons with you in detail rather than rejecting the option out of hand.

These new guidelines will provide women expecting twins with more options than were readily available previously.  And when you’re having twins — your options are often limited and out of your control.  So bringing back options is always a good thing.  And reducing the number of “automatic” C-sections is a good thing.  Hopefully these guidelines will help to reduce the overall number of C-sections being performed in the United States.

Source:  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Ob-Gyns Issue Less Restrictive VBAC Guidelines“, July 21, 2010.

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com

Can you feed twins at the same time?

Absolutely! However, it doesn’t work out for everyone, so it is best to keep an open mind about how feeding will go.

• “Tandem Feeding” just means feeding both at the same time, this could be breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or a combination of those.  But in most articles tandem feeding refers to breastfeeding more than one baby at a time. 
• Sometimes one infant will have feeding issues or other medical problems that prevent that baby from breastfeeding, while the other baby may breastfeed like a champ.
• Sometimes moms will feed one baby and then immediately follow with the other because a helper is not available or for some reason tandem feeding doesn’t work out.
• Some families choose to breastfeed one baby while another adult bottle feeds the other baby — then with the next feeding, the babies are swapped. This gives both caregivers an additional opportunity to bond individually with each baby.

I’m having trouble getting the hang of tandem breast feeding – is it worth it?

As we said earlier, it doesn’t work out for everyone, so it is best to keep an open mind about how feeding will go. Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work out for you. There are many circumstances that may prevent you from tandem breastfeeding. Only you can decide if it is worth it to continue attempting to tandem breast feed.  Some of the benefits include:

• Tandem breast feeding can cut the feeding time almost in half
• Some moms report an added closeness between the babies as a result of tandem breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding saves on bottle washing and prep time

Tips for tandem breast feeding

• Practice with a lactation consultant present
• Until you get the hang of it, don’t attempt to tandem feed if you’re alone
• Use a helper to get the babies positioned and to help with burping
• Try to practice at least once a day
• Use pillows! Lots of them
  • Use a double nursing pillow for resting the babies (these are horseshoe shaped, stiff foam pillows that will support two babies at the right level and position for breast feeding). Many twins moms recommend the EZ2Nurse pillow.
  • You may need several pillows under the sides of the double nursing pillow
  • Use a pillow behind mom’s back for support
• Try out different tandem breast feeding holds to determine which works best for you.
  • One way that works well is the “football” or “clutch” hold. One baby tucked under your arm on each side with their legs sticking out towards the back of the chair.
  • Another tandem position is to place the babies in front of you with their legs criss-crossing over each other.
• If one baby is better at breastfeeding than the other, get that baby settled first before adding the second baby

If I don’t tandem feed, how can I deal with two hungry, howling babies at the same time?

The trick here is to cue in to early hunger signals and begin feeding the hungrier baby before either baby gets too hungry.  These early cues include:

• Finger or fist sucking
• Nuzzling into your arm or chest
• Opening and closing of the mouth or smacking
• Moving the head back and forth

If feeding is delayed so that the waiting baby is overly hungry, you can attempt delay or distraction techniques. These include: 

• Use of pacifier
• Placing the baby in a bouncer or vibrator chair
•  Toys
• Offering your (clean) finger for the baby to suck

Twin Tandem Breast Feeding Best Practices

• Keep track (chart) your babies’ feeds (time started, which breast L/R)
• Switch your babies’ assigned breast with each feed
• Practice tandem feeding daily for the first several weeks before making any decisions to discontinue tandem feeds
• Watch for early hunger signs and begin feedings early
• Drink 8 – 12 glasses of water daily (too much or too little can impact milk supply).

Having twins and multiples means more of everything — including morning sickness. The majority of all pregnancies experience nausea to some degree, and that increases with each additional baby in the mix.  The severity of the nausea is also increased with each additional baby.

Pregnancy nausea is usually attributed to the increased hormones during pregnancy. Many of these hormones are produced by the placenta. So, when there is more than one placenta (as in many twin pregnancies), more of these pregnancy hormones are produced — causing increased nausea.

“Morning Sickness” can occur at any time of day, but is often associated with the morning because it can be more strongly felt with an empty stomach. In addition, a twin pregnancy can put more pressure on the tummy — increasing nausea.

One little trick to help with this is to keep crackers or a banana at your bedside. When you get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom (as pregnant twin mamas often must do), eat a little bit. It is healthy for you and your babies — and will help reduce the morning nausea.

Increased nausea is one of many signs that you might be having twins.

Do:

• Eat small meals often
• Take a nap and get plenty of rest
• Learn your particular triggers and avoid those foods and smells that increase your nausea
• Dress in layers so you can peel off if you get too hot (feeling too warm increases nausea)
• Drink lemonade, eat watermelon, or something with ginger — as these help reduce nausea
• Exercise (but talk to your doctor about the amount and type that would be appropriate for your twin pregnancy)
• Eat salty potato chips
• Consult with your doctor — keep your doctor informed of your level of nausea (too much naseua can indicate a problem)
• Eat healthy with lots of protein

Don’t:

• Do not drink a large amount of fluids with meals
• Do not lie down after eating
• Do not skip meals
• Do not cook or eat spicy food

While morning sickness in a twin pregnancy can be more severe and can last longer into the pregnancy, it is survivable — as is just about everything twin related.  Take it one day at a time, and your little sweethearts will be here before you know it.

Did you or do you have morning sickness with your twin pregnancy? Any tips for coping?

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com

The age at which twins, triplets or more begin to notice each other and interact varies widely.  A lot depends on how closely you keep your twins in proximity to each other.  Do they share the same crib? Do you place them side by side on the floor for tummy time? or under an arch for overhead play time? These factors all can influence their interactions.

Some twins are aware of their twin from day one. Parents of multiples have reported their twins crying more when separated from their sibling.

Hospitals in Europe have long practiced co-bedding of multiples because of the reported benefits for the infants, which include improved weight gain and growth as well as a reduction in physiological stress.  Hospitals in the United States have begun to follow suit. However, hospitals in both countries are rethinking their policies.  

More recent reports indicate that co-bedding can increase the chances of SIDS, although some sources attribute the higher incidence of SIDS among multiples to be primarily related to low birth weight and not necessarily co-sleeping.   A commentary published in the journal “Pediatrics” on November 30, 2007 titled, “Cobedding Twins and Higher-Order Multiples in a Hospital Setting” concludes:

“Although cobedding multiples has become more widely practiced in hospitals in the United States, neither the safety nor the benefit of this practice has been documented in the published literature. Parents should be encouraged to follow established safe-sleep practices for infants at home.”

Even if you decide against co-bedding your twins, you can encourage their interactions by keeping the cribs close to each other in the bedroom. During activity time, you can encourage interactions by placing your twins together on the floor, side-by-side in the stroller, and holding them face to face with another adult.

No matter what age your twins begin responding to each other, it will happen sooner or later. It would be pretty tough to grow up as a twin without forming a strong twin relationship that involves playing, fighting, and emotional support.  As parents of twins, we long for the day when we see the twin bond developing — and some of us must be more patient than others.

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com

Many new parents having twins, triplets or more wonder and worry if they should hire someone to help care for their twins in the first several weeks or months. Based on my own experience and the results of several surveys conducted by TwinParenthood.com, the resounding answer is YES.

• Yes! If you can easily afford to hire help for the first several weeks, you will not regret doing so
• Yes! If you can’t easily afford to hire help, but can scrape together money to hire help, you will not regret doing so

Still, many twin parents will tell you that hiring someone to help you with your twin infants’ care is not strictly necessary — especially if you have volunteer help.

Volunteer help can come in many forms. It may be family that come to stay with you, or it may be a church or neighborhood community that rallies to your aid. Our previous article, Twin Baby Shower Gifts that Provide Real Help for Mom, gives some great advice about how to incorporate volunteer signups into your twin baby shower. 

But, not everyone has a support network to step in. So, hiring help makes sense. Once you have decided to hire help, the next question quickly arises. 

Should we hire help to care for our twins during the day or night?

Day:  Typically you’ll get more for your dollar during the day if you hire someone for daytime help with your twins because you can hire someone that is willing to do more than strictly baby care (fix lunch, do dishes or wash bottles, for example).  And, daytime help is typically less expensive than night help.

Night:  Getting at least one 4 hour uninterrupted sleep stretch can make a huge difference in your physical and mental well being. If you don’t have at least 3 caregivers in your rotation, you will have difficulty being able to achieve at least one 4 hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep. If you are not able to schedule this in without paid assistance, then you should hire night help.   

What type of help should we hire?

The type of help you will need depends a lot upon your particular situation, your financial reserves, and how much volunteer help you will be receiving. If money is unlimited, you can hire several types of help to cover all the bases: a post-partum doula for right after the babies are born, a night-nanny for the first 3 – 4 months, a day time nanny and a housekeeper.  Unfortunately, the reality is that most of us can’t afford all of that.

Regardless of what type of help you decide on, you should interview your candidates to ensure they have experience with newborns. Experience with twins is nice, but not strictly necessary.

Doula:  A post-partum doula has special expertise with newborns and mother care.  A doula is usually more expensive than other types of care. Doulas are often available for over-night care.

Nanny: A nanny may live in or out, but typically a nanny works only for you – in your home. A nanny is usually considered an employee of the household (and thus, you will usually need to pay vacation and holidays, and consider the tax implications). Nannies responsibilities often include additional tasks such as laundry, dishes, and other light housework. Be sure this is discussed prior to hiring your twins’ nanny.

Night-Nanny: A night nanny is a nanny that works at night.  Often they try to rest when the babies are sleeping, but may do some household tasks such as emptying the dishwasher or folding laundry – again, be sure to negotiate this prior to hiring.

Au Pair: An au pair is a foreign national on a work visa for a 1 year term. They live in your home and are paid a small salary, room & board, and travel & insurance expenses. Typically, they are required to take some kind of coursework (which you will need to make accommodations for in their schedule). Keep in mind that an Au Pair is not a 24 hour caregiver although they live in your home.

Daycare Providers: This is usually in someone else’s home or facility and your babies will not be the only ones receiving care. Daycare providers must be licensed.

Baby Sitter: Not always, but often a baby sitter is used on an irregular, as needed basis. Baby sitters also do not usually perform extra tasks such as light housework.  The term “baby sitter” is often used as an over-arching word to describe anyone who provides child care.

Mother’s Helper: Typically the least expensive of all options. A mother’s helper can be a high school student that comes over after school to help with housework and baby care. Usually a mother’s helper does not take on full responsibility for caring for the babies – but assists with mother present.

Housekeeper: One option not often considered is to hire a housekeeper who will take care of the house, the dishes, the bottles, the pump, cleaning the bathrooms – all of the things that you will not have the energy to do.  It is easy to become resentful of your twins’ caregiver who is spending sweet cuddle time with your babies while you are off doing household chores.  Wouldn’t you rather pay someone to do the things you don’t want to do, while you dedicate your time to your twinfants?

All of the options available for the early weeks of care with your twinfants often seem overwhelming. But, don’t be tempted to put it off, to “wait and see” what you’ll need. To be on the safe side, you’ll want to plan, interview, and hire your caregiver before reaching your 35th week. If you are very unsure and expense is an issue, start with hiring a part-time housekeeper or mother’s helper.

Bottom line, you will not regret having the help. 

What did you do in the early weeks or months?

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com

Visit us on Facebook

Like any experience with twins, grocery shopping with twins can either be heaven or the opposite.  Here are some ideas and options for your next grocery shopping trip.

1. Order groceries online and have them delivered.  Not that many years ago, online grocery shopping was so limited, it wasn’t worth the effort. But now that the kinks have been worked out, online shopping has huge benefits for fatigued busy parents of twins. Once you get past the initial couple of orders, placing orders is quick and easy. Since your previous orders are in the system, you just need to tweak your order and you’re good to go.
2. Wear a Baby. Using a single child seat shopping cart and wearing a baby (in a front pack, backpack, or sling), is a great option for a successful trip to the grocery store with twins.
3. Shop at stores with double carts. Many stores now have large carts with two child seats. And, some have ”car carts” as my kids call them. These shopping carts are encased in little plastic cars (or they are attached to the front of the cart) and are loved by toddler and preschool aged twins. The cars often have more than one driver’s seat and steering wheel.
4. Divide and Conquer. Take two adults, split up the shopping list and the babies and meet back at the checkout.
5. Bring a large stroller. Hang reusable shopping bags from the handle of the stroller and fill ‘em up.  Some strollers also have a large storage area underneath. It was amazing how much I could load up on my double jogging stroller.  This system is great for a quick stop at the store, but doesn’t work as well for a full grocery visit.
6. Put both babies in one seat. This technique uses a single child seat shopping cart. Put one baby on the left side with her left leg out the leg hole, and tuck her right foot under her — like a 1/2 criss-cross applesauce. Put the other baby on the right side with the opposite leg positioning. Two sharing one seat.
7. Use two shopping carts. When at a store with single child seat shopping carts, sometimes your only option is to use two carts. Push one in front of you, while you pull one along behind you.
8. Push the cart, pull a stroller.  Or push the stroller along next to you by holding onto the side of the stroller. Easy enough… you’ve been working on those arm muscles with all that baby lifting anyway — right?
9. Leave babies at home. Ahhh… the grocery store, alone!  I TOLD you grocery shopping can be heaven! This option requires an accomplice, but Oh, so worth it sometimes!

I know there are many more ingenious ideas for grocery shopping, and many more tips and tricks. For one, I do recommend a shopping cart cover — but that’s a subject for another day.  Please leave a comment to let me know what else I missed.

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com

Bathing twins is a challenge.  When they are infants (or “twinfants”), bathing is relatively easy — and yet, there are still tricks of the trade that moms and dads of multiples — who have “been there, done that” can pass along.  Still, the logistics of bathing twins can get a little tricky. TwinParenthood.com’s tips for bathing twins should help.

First, I must say that it is not necessary to bathe your infants daily.  We fell into a routine of bathing every other day (or even every 3rd day) with our infants.  When you have infant twins — life is crazy enough without adding stress to your life with self-talk about how you should be bathing your twins nightly.  As they grew, we retained the every other day routine. It has made our life much less stressful.  Of course, we break our routine when the kids get exceptionally dirty and need an immediate bath.

Second, mostly we don’t bathe our children as part of their bedtime routine.  We found it was a great activity to fit into our regular daily routine — to kill the time and just “get through the day”.  Bedtime was a blur and with feeding, diapering, books, and all the “stuff” of bedtime routines — adding bath time was just too much. So we moved it to another time and are much happier for it.

One last thing before we get to the tips from parents of multiples who have “been there, done that”.  Please do not ever leave your babies or small children alone in the bathtub.  Adult supervision is imperative. It only takes a moment for an accident to happen. Most baby drownings occur when the baby is left alone in the bathroom or in the care of an older child. Don’t risk it. Please keep your baby within arms reach.

Tips for Bathing Twins

1. Detachable Shower Head.  Use a detachable shower head when bathing your twins.  It makes it easier to rinse hair and is entertaining for babies/kids, too.  Be sure to get one with an on/off switch so you don’t have to run the water continuously.
2. Visors or Swim Goggles.  Use a baby bath visor or swim goggles for your little ones when washing their hair. Many kids don’t like the water running down in their eyes and these are a fun option to prevent it.

Options for Bathing Twinfants (Twin Infants)

1. Bathing in the sink.  When the babies were very small, we bathed in the sink, one baby at a time.  My back was already sore and I didn’t want to add pain by bending over the bathtub. We put down a foam bath cushion, filled a little water in the sink and away we go!
2. Bathing next to the sink. Again, a back saver. We sometimes used the hard plastic infant bathtub that we put on the counter next to the sink. These are products that are great to purchased “gently used” rather than new.  There are folding options (for saving space), molded hard plastic options, and foam lined options. There are many infant bathtub options, and really any of these products are about as good as the next.
3. Plastic bath seat.  After the first several weeks, we moved to the tub using a plastic bath support or seat.  These are not the “sitting up” type of seats, rather, they cradle the baby in the tub and support your twinfant’s head.  Most often, we opted to have one baby in a bouncer chair next to the tub while one baby got mom or dad’s full attention in the tub.  But, these can also work with both babies in the tub together.

Options for Bathing Twin Babies or Toddlers

1. Blow Up Bathtubs.  When they are starting to sit by themselves (usually between 4 – 7  months), and are more active, nothing beats a blow up bathtub for a fun and secure bath. These little baths are the perfect size for sitting a baby at each end of the tub, facing each other.  The babies are able to interact with each other and play in the water.  The blow up rim helps stabilize them when sitting.  As when they are younger, it is still crucial that you always keep your babies within arms reach.  Also, never fill the large bath tub with water which could allow the inflatable bath tub to float up and tip out your precious cargo.
2. Laundry Baskets.  When they are sitting up well, a plastic laundry basket (or two) is tons of fun for babies to enjoy the bath. Since there are slots in the baskets, the water flows through the basket, while the basket offers support for the baby sitting up.
3. Baby Bath Seats. Although we tried these, these were never my personal favorite. If you opt for these, please be sure to get a newer model — as the older models are not as safe.

Summer Pool Fun

 Blowing up a large pool or filling a hard plastic pool with water is a big undertaking when you are caring for twins.  It’s fine and great occasionally, but not something you want to undertake every day.  And besides, those larger pools pretty much require that mom get in the pool with the babies.  When the babies are still somewhat unstable, it is then a challenge to help keep them sitting upright. 

Little blow up bath tub to the rescue!  Our little blow up tub can also transition out-of-doors for the perfect outdoor pool for twin babies. These little blow up baths are so great for fun water play for twin babies in the summer. Again, place one baby at each end of the tub, and they can splash away. Best of all, mom doesn’t have to swim, too!

Hope you find these twin bath tips and summer pool tips helpful. I think the best piece of advice about bathing twins I’ve heard is to “just have fun”. Something about water seems to strip away not only the dirt, but also the stresses of the day.  I hope you enjoy your little ones in the bath and pool, and I’d love to hear your twin bath time tips. Please leave a comment.

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com

One fun aspect of parenting twins is choosing twin baby names. Some parents agonize over the decision — while some have no trouble at all. There are several philosophies to choosing twin baby names (or, as we we like to call them “twinfants” names). But, you need not worry, no matter your philosophy, you’ll eventually settle on something that will be perfect for your little sweethearts.

How to Choose Baby Names for Twins

1. Family Names.  Some parents of multiples will use the opportunity to honor those special to the family (family members, ancestors, friends).  This is a great chance to do that as there are multiple children, and thus multiple names  – so that you do not have to choose which family member to honor first. 
2. Same Initials.  Another option is to name the babies so that all the names in the twins, triplets, or higher order multiples ”set” begin with the same letter.  Some examples:  Aiden & Addison, Brandon & Bryon, and Jacob & Joshua.  Thinking ahead, one pitfall to naming a set of multiples with the same initials is for labeling possessions such as clothing, sippy cups, etc. If they all have the same initials — you’ll have to do a bit more writing.  But, this is a minor inconvenience and may not deter you if you like the idea or the sound of the names together.
3. Birth Order.  Typically hospitals will assign a letter to your babies as they are born (A, B, C, etc.).  Multiples parents have been known to stick with the letter assigned to each.  Examples: A-Abigail, B-Brenden, C-Caleb, etc.
4. Sound Alike or Rhyming.  Many sets of twins are named based on similar sounding names.  Some popular examples: Jayden & Jordan, Ethan & Evan, and Taylor & Tyler, or rhyming names Zoe & Chloe.   Parents need to be aware, though, of a danger with rhyming names. Outside of the immediate family, it can already be difficult to distinguish between identical twins. Having rhyming names can add to the difficulty and be frustrating to teachers and other significant players in your twins lives.
5. Meaningful Names.  Twins are often named to reflect family values or are symbolic in some way to the family.  Examples: Faith & Hope, Jacob & Joseph, Austin & Denver.  Or, maybe you’ll want to choose names that have a similar or complimentary meaning in another ancient language.  Examples: Duke & Dean (which both mean “leader” in French).
6. Complimentary or Harmonious.  Sometimes we just like the way the names sound together. It is appealing the way the twins’ names roll off your tongue. For instance: Madison & Morgan, Olivia & Sophia, Ava & Emma.
7. Same Complexity.  Twin names often sound better together when they have the same number of syllables.  For example, Jessica & Samantha, and Tom & Jo.
8. Stand Alone. Probably the easiest method of all is to simply choose names that you like, and don’t worry about how they sound together. Some would even argue that this is the “best” way to do it because it promotes individuality.

Many resources can help with choosing names for your twins. Tons of books of baby names have been written over the years, and many baby related website have lists and pages of baby names.  One such resource that I think is especially helpful is the Social Security Administration’s list of Popular Baby Names and Popular Names of Twins.  These lists are updated annually, showing the most popular names for the prior year.

Try on names for a while. Write them out. Then, ask friends and family what they think.  But, if you’re like me, maybe you want to keep the names a secret among your friends and family.  If so, another great option is to ask for advice from online twins communities and/or twins support groups. Many great communities exist and typically, your friends and family are not members.

Finally, it is important to keep in mind that no matter what names you choose for your twins, triplets, or higher order multiples, there will always be those that think you should have chosen something else. Most people will be supportive, but there will be those that will be insistent in presenting their “perfect” names for your little ones.  Take it all in, mull it over, and above all, just have fun finding your perfect names.

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com

I was sitting around with a couple of twin friends the other day, when we began talking about what we had in our diaper bags. We had a good laugh when we thought about what our old work friends would think about our highly stimulating conversation. But, none-the-less, we continued our discussion and uncovered some really helpful “must have” items.

These friends had a couple of suggestions that had not occurred to me.  So, I posed the question online to my friends in Eastside Mothers of Multiples (my local twins club) and received even more helpful tips.  These are tips from twins parents that have “been there — done that”.

Many of the parents use the “plastic bag system”.  Some diaper bags are fantastic, with all sorts of special pockets — but even in those, it is helpful to further organize the contents of your diaper bag.  Clear plastic zipper bags (aka “Ziploc Bags”) of different sizes make it easy to find things and to keep up your inventory.

Diaper Bag Basics

Of course, every diaper bag needs to have a good selection of the basics. This is not intended to be an “end-all, beat-all” list of the basic stuff. I’ll list it here for the brand newbies out there. But, it doesn’t take even sleep deprived new parents of twins, triplets, or higher order multiples long to figure out this basic item list. If I’ve missed something obvious, please feel free to leave me a comment and point it out.

Outside the Diaper Bag

1. Plastic Bags in dispenser.  This is a neat trick — buy one of those plastic bag dispensers that attach to a dog leash.  Attach them to the outside of your diaper back, and you are set for disposing of diapers or wrapping up soiled clothing.
2. Hand Sanitizer.  Some of the travel sized hand sanitizer products come in a little neoprene case with a clip.  Attach to the outside of the diaper bag for convenience — you’ll use this a lot!
3. Luggage Tag.  A handy luggage tag with your cell phone number — in case you lose the diaper bag.

Inside the Diaper Bag

1. Diapering Bag.   This gallon sized plastic zipper bag has all the essentials for a diaper change.
   • diapers
   • travel pack of wipes
   • diaper creme
   • hand sanitizer – travel size (yes, one outside the main diaper bag AND one inside in the diapering ziploc.)
   • changing pad
2. Clothing Bag.  This gallon sized plastic zipper bag contains 2 changes of clothes
3. Pacifier Bag.  For those that use these, this small plastic zipper bag contains 2 extra pacifiers.
4. Burp Cloth/Extra Blanket.
5. Feeding Supplies.
   • Bottles
   • Packets of formula (premeasure your own to save money over pre-packaged serving sizes)
   • Bottled water
   • Bibs (disposable is handy)
6. First Aid / Medical.
   • Mini First Aid Kit (with band aids, anti-bacterial ointment or spray, gauze, cleanser wipes, etc.)
   • Medications.  Ask your pharmacy for an extra label and small bottle for your child’s medications. Even if you normally administer medications at home, having a back up supply is so  helpful “just in case”.

Beyond the Diaper Bag Basics

1. Leashes. I’ve gotta confess, I Love Leashes! We used the lightweight harness type with dog leashes that extend/retract. These were small enough to be able to keep in our diaper bag so we had them when we needed them. Keeping kids safe should always be a priority.
2. Entertainment.  One or more gallon sized zipper plastic bags filled with distraction.
   • books
   • crayons or markers / paper tablet / stickers
   • duplos / legos
   • electronics (music, video, etc.)
   • small car
   • bubbles
3. Snacks.  One or more small hard plastic containers (Tupperware) with quick snacks.
   • crackers
   • cereal or cereal bars
   • cookies
   • mini fruit cups
4. Adult Needs.  One zipper bag with adult essentials.
   • spare keys
   • tissues
   • extra cash

Now, it’s been a while since I hauled around a twin diaper bag, but I do still often bring a backpack crammed full of some of these same items. You never know when you’ll have an unexpected need when you’re out and about.   I know there are many more fantastic tricks “out there” — because there are so many creative parents “out there”.  Please leave a comment and share your special tip or trick.

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Whiteley — TwinParenthood.com