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There are many benefits to wearing a baby. But are there benefits to wearing two? Absolutely! Can it be done? For sure! When can it be done? From birth to toddlerhood.
Wearing your newborn baby in an ergonomic position on your chest helps them to feel secure and relaxed. Their body systems such breathing, heart rate, temperature and stress levels are regulated by the wearer’s body, even more so when done skin to skin. So what is an Ergonomic Carrier? One that supports the natural curve and development of your baby’s spine as well as supporting their legs from knee to knee so that their hips in an optimal M shape position.
Wearing your baby on your chest with their head close enough to kiss makes them accessible to all your senses. You can see them, smell them, hear them and feel them. This creates a cocktail of hormones in the parent’s body that gives them a sense of love, protection and feeling good. Wearing your baby ultimately helps you to understand and meet the needs of your baby faster, thus making you feel like a more confident parent.
Tandem babywearing is wearing two children at the same time. These children can be an older and younger siblings or twin babies. Tandem babywearing twins from birth allows you to do that forth trimester with both babies in an environment that is familiar for them and for you. This is especially important if the twins are born prematurely or have a low birth weight. Later on, tandem babywearing allows you to snuggle and sometimes settle two babies at a the same time as well as keeping two toddlers safely contained in a public place such as the airport. Believe it or not, tandem babywearing can be done comfortably for the wearer too if they have the right type of carrier(s).
There are 3 main options for tandem babywearing:
1. There are carriers that allow you to carry the twins at the same time in the one carrier (Stretchy wrap, woven wrap, Twingo, Weego, Mini Monkey Twin Sling).
2. Wearing the babies in two of the same carriers (x2 Ring slings, woven wraps, soft structured carriers or Mei Tais). This option will allow you to wear one baby at a time and share the wearing with your partner, family member or friend.
3. A combination of carriers that allow you to wear your babies together, on their own as well as sharing the wearing with another person (wrap + soft structured carrier, x2 different wraps, Mei Tai+ soft structured carrier).
Where can I learn how to wear my twins?
Whilst there is a lot of information online on how to tandem babywear twins, the quickest, safest and most informative way to learn is to book a one on one consultation with a professional babywearing consultant. They can teach you about safe babywearing, propper positioning of the babies bodies against your body as well as provide different carrier options for wearing your babies in. Go along to this session with your other half so that you can both learn how to wear your babies comfortably and confidently right from birth.
Further reading:
http://www.windtraveler.net/2014/09/wearing-twins-my-favorite-methods-of.html
https://wrapyourbaby.com/wrapping-twins/
http://www.gentleparentingtwins.com/tandem-babywearing/
http://babyreference.com/bonding-matters-the-chemistry-of-attachment/
Sarah Lander
Babywearing Consultant (London School of Babywearing)
Teacher (University of Melbourne)
IMAGE CREDITS:
Cover Image & How do I wear Twins
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