Day to day logistics with two tiny babies

[Hobbes39]

Hi - I'm coming up for 28w pregnant with twins and starting to think about practicalities when they arrive and are home and realising there's a whole host of logistical things I haven't a clue about despite having a DS5.
So I am hoping that some of you experienced mums of multiples can help advise!
We have a dog - he's lovely, but a a bit licky and over excitable, so if once these babies arrive I need to go change a nappy etc, I wouldn't be able to leave the other twin lying on the floor / in a bouncy chair low down just in case daft dog knocks them over/ smothers with licks... how do I pick them both up at once? Particularly if I've had a c-section (which is looking likely)?
I remember my DS had v good strength in his neck from day 1, but we still always picked him up careful to support his head etc, but have no idea he to do that with 2! What do I do if both are crying at once? What do I do when I need the loo?! I used to take DS with me... but again, can't see how I can take 2..! How do I get up and down stairs with them both?
I'm thinking I might need a travel cot downstairs to put one in safely while I take the other upstairs? Is that what people do? Or do you wear a sling almost permanently to allow you to pop one in so you can pick the other up?
Any advice gracefully received as I'm starting to worry about these things!
Thanks x

Not a mother of twins but have seen friends using a playpen in this situation

Hi - don't worry you will manage. My twins were my first so if I can do it. You can!
Get yourself 2 bouncers for the babies. Mine used them loads.
If both cry - put them both in bouncers and feed them at once - tandem feeding. You can feed them individually as well. You'll see what's best for you. Sometimes you will want to pick one up while the other is crying and it won't be possible. It's difficult but also my twins are so patient now. Everyone comments. You won't damage them. They just learn to adapt so don't worry.
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy. Twins are amazing.

I second the bouncers - you can strap them in and know they are okay. The good thing about twins is they get very good at being patient very quickly - I’ve heard horror stories about babies refusing to sleep unless they were on one of their parents - we can’t physically do that and they have no choice but to sleep where they are put! They are very resilient and mine very rarely cried at the same time - it was like the crying of the other one was like white noise to the other and they would just stare at them. Try not to worry, you find your way when they come. It isn’t easy but it’s worth it 😆

Yes the sleep thing. My babies are easy because we've had to be quite tough. People
See easy babies now but it's hard to be tough. But good for babies and parents in the long rung.

Anyway...
Mine slept in the pram cots downstairs and upstairs in a cot bed - we shared until they were around 8 months.

Twins are great you know , and a blessing. You will become a greater person because of them.

@Hobbes39 I can't give advice on babies but I do have a dog and we've found putting a baby gate in the kitchen doorway has been great! He's a bit excitable and licky too so when we have my friends toddler over we need to keep him out of the way so he doesn't get too much for her but he can still see what's going on.

Maybe something like this would help when you need to change babies or put them down? Easier to remove pooch from the situation than 2 little ones!

My pal had twins and got a special wrap sling that she could pop both in too when they were tiny. The sling consultant I purchased my carrier from (son had hip issues so needed specialist advice) offered specialty advice for multiples.

I don't have a dog but I did have an overexcitable toddler who would have squished them given half a chance. The best thing I bought was a Nuna travel cot. It has a little bassinet for when they're little so good for you post c section. They slept/played in that for a long time until I started putting them down to nap in their pram. I didn't find slings useful as my twins were big and holding one in the sling whilst the other was alone in the cot made me feel (irrationally) guilty.

Congratulations! The first year has been very hard but it's getting easier

If anyone wants to see day to day routines with twins then follow me on insta - twinningituk
I have lots of tips ans advice. My 2 are 1 next week (cannot believe how quickly it goes!) I am a maternity nurse and sleep consultant so hopefully my account may be useful x

Bouncers are good if you’ve no space but we just had a full cot in the living room (we squeezed one in) that we used for all naps. We don’t have a dog but you could put them in the cot to keep them away from the floor. I’d put them in the cot if I had to go to the loo or answer the door. I knew we’d need two cots eventually so one in the room and one in the living room was how we done it.

As for them both crying and picking them both up, you learn a way that works for you but sometimes you can’t and that’s when I loved the bouncer although we didn’t get them until they were around 3/4 months I think, I’d put them both on one and rock them or if I had to hold one id bounce the other.

Hi, twin mum here. Mine are nearly 4&1/2. The early days are a bit of a blur to be honest. We carried ours about in their moses baskets around the house when they were tiny. For feeding we bottlefed, and woke one about 20/25 minutes before the second one woke to feed twin1, so when the twin2 started to stir, we could feed them too. Worked for us. Bouncy chairs, or even bath supports are great for the early days. It’s just a bit like Groundhog Day, but the best thing ever :) Oh and start batch-cooking now and pin folk down to actual days and times when they offer help! Good luck! Feel free to pm me any other twin questions :)

Shut the dog in another room when you're alone with the babies. It's going to be one hell of a pain in the arse if you have to keep picking up both babies every time you want to nip out the room. I used to use a soft sling to get both of them on the feeding pillow or carry them both- one in the sling, hold the other one, sit down then get the sling baby out.

And you can't always tend to both at the same time. that was one of the hardest things for me to come to terms with about having twins that that I couldn't always be the mum i wanted to be to both of them at the same time. Sometimes you have to weigh up which twin's need is more immediate and just get on with it.