Is it possible to carry two children at once?
Carrying is one thing, but can you put them on yourself without fainting? :) Is it easy, simple and pleasant? These questions, and many more, crossed my mind when I received wonderful news and a lot of well wishes at my first ultrasound - Congratulations! You’re having twins! My answer to these questions today: if you have the right motivation, anything is possible! Carrying twins, and not just twins, is known as "tandem" and is practiced successfully throughout the community of babywearing parents.
Everyone who has had the opportunity to carry in this way has similar thoughts. Tandem babywearing is driving you into the ground. Carrying in this way is a great workout in the long run, and can be quite a challenge for some. The simplest way to start carrying twins or two children close in age is to first properly carry one child. However, this excellent advice does not always fit the reality, because with twins there are many situations in which parents would kill for a moment of peace, especially in the first year of life of the sweet burdens. When there are no helping hands nearby, and rocking and cuddling seem like the only available solution (apart from sending yourself or the children into space), wraps and carriers come to the rescue. And although it takes some effort to place two unhappy children on your own body, the regained peace is worth it. I remember perfectly that feeling of fulfillment and regained competence. And these thoughts: They are not crying. It's very nice to have them together, so close. You can rock to the rhythm of your heartbeat endlessly... I can climb these stairs. Without the wrap and carrier, I wouldn’t be able to handle this situation. So, what now? Are we climbing the mountains? Well, I've never climbed the mountains with children tied up in a tandem, but there are plenty of such daredevils among active parents. How to tie up such a "tandem"? Here’s a quick guide! The tandem can be tied in many ways using various wraps and carriers. For the smallest babies or newborns, it is best to use the option with two children in the front. This way, you can easily monitor their position and ensure safe breathing. This is a very good option for parents who haven’t had previous experience with babywearing. The best option is two ring slings. We put both pre-tied and adjusted slings on the body. The first child goes into the sling underneath. The second child is placed on the body only when we are sure the first is in the correct position and the sling is well tightened. This way of carrying inspired us while creating the LennyTwin twin carrier.
To achieve this position, we can also use one stretchy wrap or a woven wrap. Dakota Owen from @the.owenlife, a mom of twins, perfectly demonstrates this option in this video. This is not a recommended option for beginners because the correct positioning of two small children can be quite challenging, but Dakota does it masterfully. Another type of tandem is where one child is placed in front and the other on the back. We can get this solution from virtually any pair of available babywearing products. One child is placed on the belly and the other on the back. The most common combinations are: wrap + wrap, wrap + carrier, carrier + carrier Create any pair from wrap = woven wrap, stretchy wrap or ring sling carrier = LennyLight, LennyUpgrade, LennyPreschool, LennyHybrid, LennyGo, Onbuhimo or Wrap - Tai
How to make such a tandem? I personally recommend first putting a wrap or carrier on the front. In the second step, place the carrier or wrap with the child on the back. If possible, we do not place the child on the front until the third step, or we secure it properly while putting the child on the back (this concerns the moments when we have to bend down, for example). As with any single carry, we need to ensure the correct positioning of the child and its safety. This type of tandem will work well for parents who are already familiar with carrying children on their backs. This is often an arrangement in which siblings with a slight age difference are carried. In this case, the younger child is placed in the front, and the older one is placed on the back. With twins, it’s worth waiting until you’re comfortable with positioning a child on your back. An example of making a tandem can be seen in this video by @thewraplady. Here we have a stretchy wrap and an onbuhimo. The children are 3 years apart. In the next video we can see a ring sling and LennyLight carrier. This is an interesting setup: the younger child in the back, and the older one in the front. A very successful tandem, which I used most often, was putting one child on my back and if needed, keeping the other in my arms. Although at the same time, the hands were not free for other, important tasks in the world.
While none of these options are easy, they are often a lifesaver. Parenthood is not a piece of cake; sometimes parents do not even carry one child, finding it too difficult. It must be admitted that carrying two children at the same time, even in the best available solution, is demanding and sometimes even overwhelming. However, it is a much better solution than the caregiver and the children crying together in difficult moments. Interestingly, there are also parents who travel around the world this way and spend their free time, treating tandem babywearing as an additional attraction.
Even though as an experienced babywearing mom owner of a company producing baby wraps and carriers, I had access to all these options, I am very jealous of parents of twins that they will be able to have such a gem as our new LennyTwin at hand. It took us 2 years to develop this carrier. Along the way, we had moments of doubt - it seemed that our dream of a twin baby carrier was impossible to achieve. At the end of this difficult road, we proudly and calmly hand over LennyTwin to the parents. This is the simplest option for carrying two children that I know. The carrier is easy to use, compact and you can carry the children together or separately (provided that you have a second caregiver at hand). The carrier is adjustable, so it grows with the children, ensuring it can be used for many years by younger siblings, cousins, or friends' children.
author: Joanna Bogdan, co-owner of LennyLamb