Thanks Aprilgirl. I figured that really I just need a strategy to get through a few months until they can sit up, so it's good to hear you say so.

Tonight, I made two changes to my routine: had a bouncy chair in the bathroom and bathed them one after the other with the other one sitting in the chair. Then took them both to my room to put them in their grobags and fed one whilst the other was on the floor with a dummy. Made HUGE difference. No crying at all.

Tomorrow will add dressing them in their sleepsuits on my bed (just put on nappy and vest in the bathroom) and might also get them both undressed before going into the bathroom to cut down the amount to do whilst kneeling on the floor (tough on postnatal joints! - plan to move slowly over time to something closer to deedar's routine.

Your suggestions all helped me come up with ideas that would work for me. Thank you so much

oh my i remember this situation so well my dp works away and i'm at home with my 1yr twin boys and 3yr old ds, i just want to say I PROMISE things get easier! i can remember bath times being a total panic for me where same as you one would be screaming while the other was in the bath then vice versa, my advice is to not bath them every night something i was against but realised i had to do being on my own and guess what .. they settled for bed exactly the same, the didnt stink HA HA and they werent any worse off for it, so ive basicaly cut my work load at the most stressful time of the day!!! i found that sitting one of them in a bumbo watching the other in the bath worked well then swapped over while i bathed the other one! then both in the bedroom for pj's on, and downstairs each in a corner of the setee me in the middle with there bottle and bed...... phooooooooorrrr i'm shattered even thinking about that again!! they r 15 months now and sit in bath together get one out dried and ready while other plays then other out, so so much easier , i promise i really do it gets pleasurable to bath them once they r sittling up and playing!!!

Thanks everyone. There are some things here that will really help me. deedar thanks especially for describing your routine exactly - I find it useful to visualise things so a step by step guide is helpful!

I don't tandem feed and I would particularly want to retain this feed as a one on one. However, there are things both dairymoo and deedar do that I could try e.g. bathing and dressing together on my bed is a great idea and then I could probably have one in a chair/on the floor with me while I feed the other. I might also bite the bullet and try not bathing every night, but I'll try changing the routine a bit first and see if it's good enough.

They don't sit up yet by themselves but they sit up well in high chairs and want to be sitting up all the time so I don't think the ergonomic supports will be useful for long, but bath seats may be an option very soon and lucya and curiosity thanks for the recommendations - I saw the aquapods and thought they looked great but it's always good to know they work in real life!

Can I just rave about the plastic ergonomic seats some more. You don't have to hold the baby (ies) they just sit there propped up, can't roll, can't sit up etc etc

i had one of those ergonomically shaped ones for my dd1 too and it revolutionised bath time. we got given it when she was a few weeks old. i've since bought another off ebay for £1.50 and planning to do the twins together in one each. dd1 adored lying in it, she seemed to feel very safe.

http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Duo-AquaPod/dp/B002HN2ACO/ref=sr11_1/280-9351279-8761317?enco ding=UTF8&mcb=core
if they can sit up by them selves, try this, i used the single version for my ds, and am waiting till my twins can be big enough to use this version. you just need a baby chair by the bath to put one in while u carry the other out. ( thats what i am plannig anyhow!! ) perhaps a tandem feed after?

I had one of those bath seats for my singletons (not a multi MUm) and it revolusionised bath times for me.

PS. Have just read my message - sounds idyllic doesn't it! But forgot to mention that sometimes one won't feed and just screams, or one of them poos in the bath, or will projectile vomit an entire feed over the carpet. But that's life with twins!

My twins are 5 months old now and they've been bathed together since birth - they love being in the bathroom and only ever cry if they're really hungry. I get them both undressed in there with a bit of nappy off time while they kick about on a sheepskin and towels. Then I put one in the bath support (the one in the link), to have a good splash and wash the other. Then quickly whip out the one in my arms, wrap him in a towel and put him back on the sheepskin while bathing the second. Then he's out, wrapped in a towel on the floor while I dry, massage and oil the first. Then do the second one. Then I dress both of them in the bathroom.
As someone else already mentioned do make sure you've got everything close to hand - towels, flannels,nappies, etc.
Usually they'll be starving by now and as soon as I take them out of the bathroom to their room for a feed they'll start screaming (but I've developed almost complete tolerance by now). I don't breastfeed them in the evening so I feed them both together and as soon as the bottles go in to their mouths silence descends. Bliss! Am sure you know how to double feed but through trial and error I've recently realised that if I sit on the floor (leaning against the bed) with a cushion on each leg and plop them onto those rather than against my legs they are completely comfy and don't wriggle. And as a bonus they'll stay there after the bottle's finished so I can wind them one by one.
Phew! Sounds worse than it is - it does take a while to get used to it, but I now kind of enjoy bathtime/bedtime rather than dreading it!
A friend who also had twins used to do the same but one at a time in a baby bath. The she'd prop them both up on a pillow and sit in front to feed them together.
Good luck!

I used the bath seats which Curiosity linked to from about 6mo (before they could sit up completely) and did mine together every night, as like you I found it helped settle them.

Then I took one out, wrapped in a towel, then the other, wrap, and then carried them one at a time to our bed where I dressed them and then did a tandem BF. Is tandem an option for you?