Under 1s twin post-natal group? Should we have one? Who's in?!

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

The antenatal group is nearly full, any graduates fancy joining forces to compare

In tiger in the tree position of course...

yay dream you had some sleeeeeppp! yay yay yay! Umm..whats tiger in the tree though?

Yay to sleep :)

Where you hold them lying along your arm, on their tummy, and their arms hang down like a tiger up a tree apparently... The typical colic hold.

thats the one I call 'superbaby' by the sound of it!

:) minesa probably is! Lots of pics if you Google tiger in a tree to confirm :)

Hello everyone,

It's been quiet on here which I hope means everyone has been having lots of sleep and fun with their children :)

My boys are getting smilier every day- 12 weeks on Wednesday, which i can't quite believe. It's looking unlikely DT2's colic will be gone by then, though tonight the miracle of White Noise got him to sleep, and I've fed both and he's gone back to sleep with it on ,. Sadly DT1 is looking wide wide awake.... Err, its 2 something am baby, we've been up over an hour now!! Bit worried now as he slept loads in the day and I'm knackered even if he isn't. He's getting the old white noise anyway, so fx he goes to sleep soon!! I'm hoping for A long term White Noise miracle now :)

Right, it seems my jigging while mn-ing is unacceptable... Best go put some more effort in

Yey dream, glad something's working.

I've been out enjoying myself inbetween feeding babies as my best mate is out from the UK. I've even gone for oysters and a glass of wine tonight and left DH to do bathtime. I'm living the dream/.....

Looks like ny day has already started! just a quick one..... dream, we have a 'ewan the dream sheep' Google it - it really works for my two (although evidently not at 4:45am.

Yay for best mates and wine

wow bigboobs, dream, you two are hardcore!

My two are getting 8 out of 10 for last night - DT1 settled after every feed, which is a first, and I'm putting it down to the fact that I completely blacked out the room by taping tinfoil to the window. And the swaddling. And the white noise. DT1 just woke herself by getting one arm out of the swaddling - a bit chicken and egg, did she wake cos her arm was free or did she work it free because she was waking? DT2 is still up there sleeping. Feeds were around 9.40, 12.30, 3 and 5.30. That's not a 3 hour schedule, that's a 2.5 hour. Come on ladies, I know you can take 150ml in a go and sleep 5 hours because I've seen you do it... once...

It must be getting easier because I'm finding new things to worry about. What the hell am I supposed to do with them all day? They're increasingly awake and alert and I'm knackered from entertaining them. The baby gym occupies them for maybe 20 minutes at a time then they get annoyed and need a cuddle... of course they would both be very happy to be cuddled and talked to all day, which would be fine if there was only the one of them. It's fine when I've got someone with me but we can't have our mothers here forever... I'm going to start going to a twins club now that they've had their first imms, just have to decide what to do with the other 4 and a half days of the working week...

Yes, entertaining babies can be pretty tedious. Play them some music, take them to one of the childrens centres 'sensory play' things- they're often in sensory rooms with all kinds of lights to look at etc. I'm ok with that as with s toddler I have no time to entertain them, and they go to her music group (which incidentally I didn't think they'd get anything from but they both love- they really go still and listen when the guitar is being played) and various other playgroups with me and DD and get passed around!! If you do have another pair of hands, take then swimming in a warm pool, DD loved that. I need two more pairs of hands as its an adult per child under two here so bit trickier for me. Erm, out of ideas now....

Tired already. 8:50am. I'll go and Google the dream sheep!

Hi all. We don't yet have broadband, roll on 4th July, so have been lurking. Our move went well and I'm loving being back in London.

Choc for breakfast is inevitable when sleep starved the only way to avoid is to keep it out of the house, of course then it's like prohibition lifting when someone gifts some.

red when you move noone will ever know about your nightly baby hoopla; hopefully my old neighbours memory will fade so my true mothering techniques won't be discovered long term....

dreaming don't be too hard on yourself, I have done my fair share of arguing (with all those who have given me best support) both in person and mentally (erm). If no other benefit i found there is a tension release, if only we could excersise or get out for a walk the situation would be better and had more time, support, sleep etc....
My mother and little sister got both barrels from me just before Christmas.

The boys are one on Thurs :)

Hello ladies, sorry for long silence but really busy here!

The girls are now on holiday from school and the last few weeks were quite intense.

dream it sounds like your dts are heading in the right direction, slowly you will get there! You sound better already! Yay for smiles!!

I really don't do much entertaining as such, tbh . I do not have the time... I mean I do play a little at change time, bath time, or after a feed if still awake. They spend lots of time on the playmat. They are quite happy to be on their own used to being ignored and they often nap there too. They've both just started rolling over on their tummies too.

On the sleep front dream look away now, they are brilliant. Falling asleep anytime between 7&9 and then waking up once and they sleep again til 7-8am!

Tbh the only reason I'm not sleeping much these days is the unbearable heat and the mozzies. [wish I could be in the uk emoticon]

Pigcon good news on new home but about London, can I ask you where you are? If you don't mind of course! I used to live in North London.

lemele I know what you mean about depression, I also have a history of dep and when I feel out of my depth I just do what you did, ignore the neg thoughts and focus strongly on the present, it normally works! Fir ex yesterday I was invited to a pool by a friend, its a private club and she wasnt going to be there, I got myself in a pickle just thinking about it, panicking about therd being steps and being unable to manage with pushchair, babies getting too hot, or crying together thus annoying everyone, or just attracting too much attention with my travelling circus... I almost cancelled, but then my best friend (who was going to be there too) convinced me to go and said I could have left the older two with her if I felt at any time it was too much for the babies. And of course it was absolutely fine and we had a lovely time.

bigboobs what did you think of the zafira? We decided against it because you need to mive the second row forward to lift the extra seats, and thinking we'll have two stage1 car seats there nxt year and using the additional seats quite a lot, it all sounded like a huge faff iykwim

Right, big hellos to anyone I havent mentioned, sorry but dishwasher and sink full of dirty dishes calling!

We are in Battersea claire sorry to hear about the mozzies but great to hear others are getting sleep.

Hi all. Been home to visit the folks up north for the weekend, which was nice but glad to be home (except for the piles of washing). The little munchkins spent 5 hours in the car yesterday with a couple of stops so they're making up for it rolling all over the floor and trying desperately to crawl, they look like they are doing doggy paddle!

Dream I'm glad the white noise is working! You're nearly at the magic 12 weeks now so fingers crossed the colic disappears.

pigcon I'm in Richmond so not far from you. I know a mum of 6 month old twin girls that lives in Battersea so if you want some twin mum contacts let me know! And happy birthday to your little ones, I bet that year has flown by!

Am pissed off today.I've been trying to negotiate with work to return part time by stepping into a sideways role. They agreed but now are trying to cut my pay massively, by over a 1/3 before then prorating it too! It would mean I'd only just earn enough to pay for childcare and train fares with about £50 a week left over. Just come off the phone and burst into tears. Looks like I have a choice of going back full time or not at all. I really don't know what to do as I am scared of giving up my career but don't want to work so many hours that I don't ever see my babies. Dilemma!

cvb that sounds pretty pants. Have you thought of giving acas a call to see if they have any advice, they might be able to think of some options your company has overlooked.
Will pm you on other, thanks.

Waves hello to everyone and apologies for not stopping by but things have been just a little manic.

I've just started back at work. 2 weeks ago I started the week with an AP and a nanny. By the end of the week I had neither. AP left with suitcase w/out telling me claiming mother was in car crash which was a lie. She decided once here that life as an AP wouldn't suit. APs can be hit and miss. She was definitely in the miss category. That was Tuesday. On Thursday night after everything seemed to be going fine with the nanny a friend told me she had replied to her ad for a nanny that day. Cue major panic.
We said goodbye in the morning as whatever reason she had for doing it (she said she couldn't cope with 5 year olds so had applied for another job with..... a 5 year old) communication had obviously broken down as well as all trust after that.
My wonderful childcare consultant contacted agencies and arranged interviews for the 2 candidates we were interested in on Sunday and we offered the job on Monday and my new, much more wonderful and much more expensive nanny started last Weds. We think we may have found a new au pair too although I'm rather nervous about the breed now after the lovely one we had when the dts were born.
So I haven't had much time to post.

Lemele - pleased to meet you. I'm also type 1. Happy to pm about things to do with that.

Ceeveebee bad luck on the work front. IME unflexible employers do not become more flexible. My old employer was of that ilk. I stuck it out with them for a number of reasons but new one after minimal informal consultation amongst my colleagues who are the ones affected by this, agreed to what I wanted this time round.

It's a difficult one. Try posting it on the employment board and see what advice you get there as Flowery is usually good for a perspective.

If you've made a formal application and this is their response then from memory you can't apply for another format for another year. One option is to go back on full time and remind them how wonderful you are and then make a new application but bear in mind the above.

Dts are now both crawling and very sweet. It's such a pity this is the stage I have to go back to work as they're far more fun now than at the newborn stage.

Wow tiggers what bad luck! You sound remarkably calm considering. What a palaver. Glad it's all sorting itself out now.

ceeveebee, bummer about the job...I have no experience of these things as have always had a rather random career path, but I hope you get something sorted. It's horrible to feel pressurized into making that kind of decision.

I am knackered today and feeling very lazy. Want. More. Sleep.

ceevee that is gutting I would be so confused do you know what youre going to do? what a decision to have to make .

dream things sound like theyre getting better for you! I googled tiger in the tree definate super baby!

beyou its hard when the dts want you all the time but it does get better. 20 mins is good for little babies I would be at that! For the rest of the very longtime how about the baby sling? I know you've got a twin one Im in but if it's getting too heavy can you just pop the most fussy twin in? I also take them all round the house in the baby bouncers or sometimes car seats as long as I keep talking and looking at them they do ok for a bit so I can get things done.

red what do oysters taste like? Ive often wondered. Sounds like you and your friend are having a lovely time. Thank god for friends!

Regarding a few queries on doing bathtime alone I was dreading it as dh gone back to rugby training. To be fair I insisted as he let it go end of last season due to the dts and its a big part of his life. I found that not the dts play a little I gave a toy to whichever dt I wasnt seeing to you for a few seconds and they were a bit calmer still fussing over feed but no crying. Hooray! Stressful aint it?!?

My hv has advised my dt2 is ready for weaning but havent got a clue how to go about it. Any tips for me? Im not convinced he is ready she said I only have a 'small window of opportunity' though which has worried me a bit. What if I missed it? Hes stopped waking for night feeds again. Also she said twins are easier to wean seperate Im not sure I would agree would you? Though I dont know obviously and I know they all different anyway, may not be ready etc....

claire speaking of different it does sound as if our dts that are close in age are similar! My dts sleep 7-6 usually and back down till 7.30-8 same as yours? which is quite nice! I was a bit worried about my dt1 showing no interest in rolling over though either way do you think I should?

Tbh Im feeling a little as had a huge row with dh today nothing to do with dts weve always been the same, rows build up and neither of us back down and we both act and say horrible things. Oops bit too much honesty there we sound so immature maybe we are. Anyway I hate rowing.

Sorry this has turned out to be a bit long! I blame the wine the football.

mine oysters are a taste of the sea. They're kind of gross and amazing all at the same time. Also cheap as chips here as they're found everywhere.

And don't worry about sounding immature - you don't and rows happen. Your HV sounds mental - what does she mean a 'small window of opportunity'? How many adults does she know who are still drinking milk from a bottle? Listen to your gut if you think they're not ready - my tip is wait till they can sit up and they have started trying to pinch your food. Also, I reckon doing twins at once would be easier, but I'm happy to be corrected by the twin mums who have been there - I'm only going on my experience with DD.

I'm glad I've got an inbuilt entertainment system for the twins in the form of DD - she's brilliant, makes them laugh and giggle and also scares the hell out of them. Either way, they're far too interested in everything she's doing to be much fussed about me!

All those who have flown with your brood - any tips? I've heard all sorts of scary rumours that we wont all be allowed to sit together, but that can't be right can it?

I weaned DD at 19 weeks as she was keen. She wasn't sitting independently though. I can't imagine offering one twin food and not the other. Did anyone do that? I have found hv's talk a load of rubbish personally :)

My duo aren't that interested in DD yet but she does have a current button/zip/buckle obsession and i guess watching her fiddle with said items for absolutely ages isn't that great... They're definitely much more interactive now, smiling at me a lot. DT1 loves his playmat and mobiles, DT2 still more interested in people and faces. They're lovely! Still failing to beat them into bedtime with DD though. Gutted!

minesa, huge rows, no, never, not in this house . We've actually had loads recently. :( . I really hate rowing too, and its over the most stupid things atm, like who's the most tired, whose job it was to ring the plumber etc etc.

tigger, that sounds so stressful! How did you manage to go to work after the nanny left? Or was that just before you started back?

And on the subject of work, that's really rubbish ceevee. I know I couldn't go back full time but I'm a bit over protective of my children, plus super soft, I'd miss them too much all week . I don't really have any suggestions though. If i go back after a year off, I'll still have 3 children under 3 so no childcare vouchers and I'd have to have a nanny as the only affordable option, but I'd still be breaking even or making a loss for 8 months until DD turns 3 and gets vouchers. I'd literally be going back to keep my career... And i just can't decide what I want to do.

pigcon, 1 tomorrow . Hurrah, you've survived the first year and your babies are so almost 1!!! Hope they have a lovely day

So mine are 12 weeks today. I had a little cry at 4am this morning as we're still on 2 hourly feeds overnight as I am just too tired to try and jig them or shush them to sleep. Dh also has little patience then and he gave up trying to settle DT1 so i ended up feeding both... Again. But tonight will be different now they're 12 weeks hey?

red, it is true about the flying I think, BB3 said didn't she?! And she's just done it...

Dreaming - this happened exactly one week before I was due to go back. I had planned on a 2 week settling in phase to make sure it was all going well. New nanny got a 3 day settling in but seems to be doing great..... not tempting fate.