| Club Members Speak Out |
Chattanooga Mothers of Multiples Club
White Noise Machines: White noise machines are awesome. They drown out the noises
of the household and the older children and eventually become a "signal" for your children
that it's time for sleep.
We've used white noise machines for the kids since they were born. We use them for naps
and at night to help them sleep. It reduces normal household noises and road noise in their
bedroom and you don't feel like you have to tip toe through the house or worry about the
phone waking them up.
Snap-N-Go Stroller: I couldn't live without my Snap-N-Go twin baby stroller. It was so
light weight and easy to take where ever I went. All you do is strap in your infant carrier
and go.
Something I couldn't have lived without is my "Double Snap-N-Go" Stroller. LOVE this
thing!! Folds completely flat and only weighs 12 pounds. Best stroller EVER!! I will cry
when the boys outgrow the infant carriers that fit into it!!
of the household and the older children and eventually become a "signal" for your children
that it's time for sleep.
We've used white noise machines for the kids since they were born. We use them for naps
and at night to help them sleep. It reduces normal household noises and road noise in their
bedroom and you don't feel like you have to tip toe through the house or worry about the
phone waking them up.
Snap-N-Go Stroller: I couldn't live without my Snap-N-Go twin baby stroller. It was so
light weight and easy to take where ever I went. All you do is strap in your infant carrier
and go.
Something I couldn't have lived without is my "Double Snap-N-Go" Stroller. LOVE this
thing!! Folds completely flat and only weighs 12 pounds. Best stroller EVER!! I will cry
when the boys outgrow the infant carriers that fit into it!!
| I couldn't have survived the first year without my... |
We have really enjoyed our Graco Duo Glider double stroller and infant carriers. Beware, not all double strollers are designed
to hold two infant carriers.
Battery powered mobiles: Keeps you from running in to re-wind a thousand times!
"The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer": I loved the book "The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg. This book helped
me get my boys to sleep on their own. It also helped me get to know my babies better and how to be a better parent.
Swaddling: Also, we found that tight swaddling really helped them sleep in the beginning.
Halo Sleep Sacks: helped my boys sleep longer and better right from day one and I didn't spend the night worrying whether or not
they were cold or had kicked the blanket off. These are great because they go up in sizes and are available in different weights
for all seasons.
Zip up Sleepers: Sleepers that ZIP are so much easier to deal with in the middle of the night! The bag outfits just ended up
bunching up.
Dr. Brown's Bottles: We couldn't live without Dr. Brown's bottles. The babies were able to take these so much easier (and
faster) but with so much less gas. We spent a fortune trying different bottles and finally found Dr. Browns. They do have an
insert that requires a little more care than just a regular bottle but it is well worth it. The wide neck version cleans easier in the
dishwasher.
A Podee bottle which is a hands free bottle that can be used anywhere. It is great for car rides when you cannot hold the bottle
or when you are trying to take care of your other kids and need to feed the babies. I would just put them in the swing or bouncy
seat and do what I needed to do. This has made trips to the doctor and even Florida tolerable!
Boppy Pillows: I couldn't live without two Boppy pillows, as it allows me to feed them both at the same time with relative ease.
Also, Boppy pillows are great for feeding when you don't have an extra hand and you have to prop a bottle.
EZ-2-Nurse Pillow: This pillow is designed for nursing two babies at once. I also had 2 Boppy pillows for when they had bottles.
A Video monitor: Expensive....but worth every penny. We still use ours in our play room with the camera mounted on the wall so you
can see everyone. They also come with night vision too which is great.
Baby Einstein Videos/Bouncy Seats: Allows you to actually get a minute to eat something while they're awake.
Crib Toys: Also, the Fisher Price Aquarium things that attach to the cribs are wonderful!! The lights and music and moving fish,etc.
keep the boys occupied for up to 20 minutes!!
Wipe Warmer: The wipe warmer isn't necessarily a waste of money if you get the kind with the little wet pillow that lies at the
bottom and a warm wipe in the middle of the night is always better than a cold one.
My best baby investment was the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders swing. It was the best $99.00 I have ever spent. All three of ours
have used it and enjoyed it.
Folex: That stuff will take out almost any kind of stain. You can buy it at places like Wal-Mart and Home Depot. It comes in a big
white spray bottle with purple writing on it. It works on our carpet, this morning it helped remove a poop accident. It has even
removed a grape juice stain of the linoleum in the kitchen. Awesome on clothes as well.
Generic Tylenol instead of name brand. So much cheaper and it's the same thing.
to hold two infant carriers.
Battery powered mobiles: Keeps you from running in to re-wind a thousand times!
"The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer": I loved the book "The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg. This book helped
me get my boys to sleep on their own. It also helped me get to know my babies better and how to be a better parent.
Swaddling: Also, we found that tight swaddling really helped them sleep in the beginning.
Halo Sleep Sacks: helped my boys sleep longer and better right from day one and I didn't spend the night worrying whether or not
they were cold or had kicked the blanket off. These are great because they go up in sizes and are available in different weights
for all seasons.
Zip up Sleepers: Sleepers that ZIP are so much easier to deal with in the middle of the night! The bag outfits just ended up
bunching up.
Dr. Brown's Bottles: We couldn't live without Dr. Brown's bottles. The babies were able to take these so much easier (and
faster) but with so much less gas. We spent a fortune trying different bottles and finally found Dr. Browns. They do have an
insert that requires a little more care than just a regular bottle but it is well worth it. The wide neck version cleans easier in the
dishwasher.
A Podee bottle which is a hands free bottle that can be used anywhere. It is great for car rides when you cannot hold the bottle
or when you are trying to take care of your other kids and need to feed the babies. I would just put them in the swing or bouncy
seat and do what I needed to do. This has made trips to the doctor and even Florida tolerable!
Boppy Pillows: I couldn't live without two Boppy pillows, as it allows me to feed them both at the same time with relative ease.
Also, Boppy pillows are great for feeding when you don't have an extra hand and you have to prop a bottle.
EZ-2-Nurse Pillow: This pillow is designed for nursing two babies at once. I also had 2 Boppy pillows for when they had bottles.
A Video monitor: Expensive....but worth every penny. We still use ours in our play room with the camera mounted on the wall so you
can see everyone. They also come with night vision too which is great.
Baby Einstein Videos/Bouncy Seats: Allows you to actually get a minute to eat something while they're awake.
Crib Toys: Also, the Fisher Price Aquarium things that attach to the cribs are wonderful!! The lights and music and moving fish,etc.
keep the boys occupied for up to 20 minutes!!
Wipe Warmer: The wipe warmer isn't necessarily a waste of money if you get the kind with the little wet pillow that lies at the
bottom and a warm wipe in the middle of the night is always better than a cold one.
My best baby investment was the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders swing. It was the best $99.00 I have ever spent. All three of ours
have used it and enjoyed it.
Folex: That stuff will take out almost any kind of stain. You can buy it at places like Wal-Mart and Home Depot. It comes in a big
white spray bottle with purple writing on it. It works on our carpet, this morning it helped remove a poop accident. It has even
removed a grape juice stain of the linoleum in the kitchen. Awesome on clothes as well.
Generic Tylenol instead of name brand. So much cheaper and it's the same thing.
| Club Members Speak Out on advice for expecting M.O.M.s: |
Use a CHART -- Make a chart that will tell you who has been fed, changed, medicated, slept
and when it happened. THIS is so very very important as it will help to keep your sanity in
your massively sleep deprived state to remember who got fed and when. Plus, when you have
family and friends helping you out, it makes it easier for people to know what is going on.
This was critical for me due to medication and formula issues.
Do as many of your Thank you notes as possible before giving birth.
Don't buy two of everything until you know if they both like it. One may love the swing or
the bouncy seat and the other may hate it.
If you formula feed, Mix up enough formula for an entire day.
I used powdered formula with my boys and I would measure out the formula into the bottles
the night before. Then, when they were hungry, all I had to do was add room temperature
water and the bottles were ready to go.
Become involved with a multiples club. Most Moms of singletons have no idea what moms with
multiples go through on a daily basis.
Make time for yourself or you will go crazy.
Purchase enough bottles for 2 days
I kept the crock pot on 24/7 to warm bottles quickly.
People who tell you to sleep when the babies sleep KNOW what they are talking about.
Become as organized as you can before the birth of your babies. Infant multiples do not
allow time for anything, much less organizing baby clothes, toys, etc.
Sleep whenever you can and always accept help.
Invest in a good body pillow that will last until the end of the pregnancy to help support
your belly.
Remember that it will get better before you know it and you just have to take it one day at a
time... and sometimes one moment at a time.
Feed both babies at the same time- ALWAYS!! If one baby was hungry, I always made the
other eat. Even if that meant I had to wake him up. They learned quickly to be hungry at the
same time and I didn't spend the whole day feeding them. The same thing should be applied to
naps and nighttime sleep habits. The sooner you do it, the sooner the children will be on the
same schedule.
When your little ones develop a cold, ear infection, or have acid reflux problems, letting
them sleep occasionally in car seats may save your sanity.
and when it happened. THIS is so very very important as it will help to keep your sanity in
your massively sleep deprived state to remember who got fed and when. Plus, when you have
family and friends helping you out, it makes it easier for people to know what is going on.
This was critical for me due to medication and formula issues.
Do as many of your Thank you notes as possible before giving birth.
Don't buy two of everything until you know if they both like it. One may love the swing or
the bouncy seat and the other may hate it.
If you formula feed, Mix up enough formula for an entire day.
I used powdered formula with my boys and I would measure out the formula into the bottles
the night before. Then, when they were hungry, all I had to do was add room temperature
water and the bottles were ready to go.
Become involved with a multiples club. Most Moms of singletons have no idea what moms with
multiples go through on a daily basis.
Make time for yourself or you will go crazy.
Purchase enough bottles for 2 days
I kept the crock pot on 24/7 to warm bottles quickly.
People who tell you to sleep when the babies sleep KNOW what they are talking about.
Become as organized as you can before the birth of your babies. Infant multiples do not
allow time for anything, much less organizing baby clothes, toys, etc.
Sleep whenever you can and always accept help.
Invest in a good body pillow that will last until the end of the pregnancy to help support
your belly.
Remember that it will get better before you know it and you just have to take it one day at a
time... and sometimes one moment at a time.
Feed both babies at the same time- ALWAYS!! If one baby was hungry, I always made the
other eat. Even if that meant I had to wake him up. They learned quickly to be hungry at the
same time and I didn't spend the whole day feeding them. The same thing should be applied to
naps and nighttime sleep habits. The sooner you do it, the sooner the children will be on the
same schedule.
When your little ones develop a cold, ear infection, or have acid reflux problems, letting
them sleep occasionally in car seats may save your sanity.
| Don't waste your money on: "a bottle warmer: I found it to be much easier to just use a crock pot or a pot of water from the stove. It is faster than the bottle warmers I have tried." "diaper genie.....with two, three or more babies it gets filled up quickly and you find yourself having to purchase the refill kits too often. We just used a regular trash can with lid because you end up taking it out so often anyway!" "A Wipe Warmer: it's just as easy to take a cold wipe, bunch it up in your hand for a few seconds and that will warm it a bit." "It just dries them out and our babies never complained." "Can anyone say 'Diaper Stacker?'" "Cord Shorteners for your mini blind cords are a waste of money. It's just as easy to roll up the cord and knot it at the top so the kids can't get to them." "Bebe Pods/Bumbo seats are convenient but they grow out of them quickly. |
Newborn babies cannot tolerate being awake for more than 1.5 - 2 hours without becoming very fussy and then they're harder to
get back to sleep. So encourage them to nap/sleep well before the 2 hour mark! They sleep better at night this way. This has
really made my life easier.
Realize that you will probably not remember much about the last few months of pregnancy or the first 3 months after the babies
are born.
Treat your babies as individuals from the very beginning. Avoid referring to them as "the twins" and use their given names - if you
do this, others will do the same.
Accept all offers of help from something as simple as cooking a meal to watching the babies while you take a quick shower. Help
is invaluable to a new M.O.M.
Get out of the house and take a walk. It will be a great morale booster.
Infant Swings can be a great comfort to babies. Make sure to get the ones that can run continuously, not the hand crank kind.
There is a good chance that the baby will wake up if the swing stops.
Don't forget to take some pictures of each child separately for the time when one will ask for a picture of "me." Make sure to
label who it is so there isn't confusion in later years.
Enjoy your multiples and don't worry about the housework. Housework can be put off and clutter can be hidden.
get back to sleep. So encourage them to nap/sleep well before the 2 hour mark! They sleep better at night this way. This has
really made my life easier.
Realize that you will probably not remember much about the last few months of pregnancy or the first 3 months after the babies
are born.
Treat your babies as individuals from the very beginning. Avoid referring to them as "the twins" and use their given names - if you
do this, others will do the same.
Accept all offers of help from something as simple as cooking a meal to watching the babies while you take a quick shower. Help
is invaluable to a new M.O.M.
Get out of the house and take a walk. It will be a great morale booster.
Infant Swings can be a great comfort to babies. Make sure to get the ones that can run continuously, not the hand crank kind.
There is a good chance that the baby will wake up if the swing stops.
Don't forget to take some pictures of each child separately for the time when one will ask for a picture of "me." Make sure to
label who it is so there isn't confusion in later years.
Enjoy your multiples and don't worry about the housework. Housework can be put off and clutter can be hidden.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
...where the best things in life are multiplied
