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                    Mommy Tips 101 (from those who have been there)

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Nursing

• If you’re nursing your twins, feed them at the same time because this will save sooo much time. It’s more difficult, so a twins nursing pillow (thicker than a Boppy and slanted) is helpful.  -Aimee M. 

Feeding

• I had a hard time feeding two babies at the same time until I found the Baba-bib at Baby Depot. It’s a pillow, shaped like a bib with elastic to hold a bottle in place for under $15.00!  -Tiffany M. 

• Eating food is about creative naming. Carrots or power pellets, which would you rather have? Rice cakes are cookies right? And my personal favorite (since my son never eats meat) is calling stringy meat from a roast, meat sticks. The sound of a toddler chanting meat sticks is like music to my ears!  -Erika J.

Reflux

• Keeping baby at an angle after eating can help with reflux. You can do this by putting them in a bouncy seat and/or elevating the head of their cribs/pack-n-plays with canned goods. It doesn’t have to be very high (we used tuna cans) otherwise they will end up at the bottom of their bed!! If this doesn’t work there are medications and thickening liquids available just talk to you doctor.  -Tiffany M.

Diaper Rash

• It happens to the best of us! Absolutely the BEST diaper rash cream is PINXAV (pronounced pink-salve) It’s a wonderful preventative if you use a little at each change, and it will clear up any diaper rash. You don’t need a prescription for it but sometimes you have to ask the pharmacy if you can’t see it on the shelves. Try it once, you will never use anything else.  -Pauline T.

• Try switching diapers, certain brands can irritate babies skin.  -Aimee M. 

Bathing

• Save the peri care squirt bottle that they give you in the hospital so that you can use it to rinse the shampoo out of the babies hair, it has more control than a cup. It also makes a nice tub toy later on.  -Erika J. 

 Taking diapers off

• To prevent Houdini from messing the linens at nap and bedtime: When duct tape fails…try zip up pajamas put on backwards. They will chase their tails for a while but at least you wont have to change the sheets 2 x per day.  -Patti H.

Activities

• You don’t need a lot of fancy toys. You are throwing them away all the time and don’t even know it. Catalogs are really books. Toilet paper rolls are bracelets of armor. Diaper cases are cars. A coffee can with a few pennies in it and the lid super glued on is a drum. Paper towel rolls are swords. Socks that don’t fit anymore make great puppets.  -Erika J. 

• Pick a good book and read it to them everyday. You will be amazed how well a toddler can tell you parts of it. I started reading Goodnight Moon to Dylan and Ania Paige when they were born. At 22 months Dylan knows Good Night Moon by the cover, knows what some of the pages say and can repeat every word if asked.   -Erika J.

• Books can be expensive so use your local library. The childrens section of the Falls library has tables, crayons, blocks, puppets, puzzles and kid friendly areas to read in. I let my kids pick their own books and put them in their own bags to take home. They love it. And no the librarians don’t freak out when your kids cry because it is time to go home.  -Erika J.

• Local used book stores are a great place to find inexpensive books in great condition!  -Shannon T.

Discipline

• As my children are only two and learning to communicate, they get mad fast and hit a lot. I tell the offender to kiss the other one and say sorry. I don’t think they understand yet but it is never too early for kindness and it distracts them from the bad behavior and makes them happy to kiss and hug.  -Erika J.

• Use phrases like “I like it when you __________” and “I don’t like it when you ________”. It works better than no, don’t, and very good.  -Erika J.

General

• Get your twins on the same schedule as soon as you can. If one wakes up in the middle of the night to eat, wake the other one, too. -Aimee M.

• Whatever your gut tells you, listen to it!  We are moms, we know the most about our kids.  My instincts (so far) have always been right.  -Dana S.

• You don’t really need a changing table, you will probably use the floor or the couch.  -Erika J.

• Use a car seat cover when it’s cold outside so you don’t have to put coats on the babies. Great time saver. It has elastic around the edge, slips over the car seat and has a flap to open so you can see the baby’ face.   -Aimee M.

• Keep a daily diary – a steno pad with the babies names on each side works well. Record all shots, meds, vitamins, etc…It will be very helpful at the doctor’s office.

• I have a backpack diaper bag that I couldn’t live without.   -Tiffany M. 

• Stain stick is amazing. If you didn’t realize that something had a stain on it and you have washed and dried it already, stain stick will still work. It even works on grease, oil, and butter.  - Erika J. 

• Start tummy time early. They hate it and won’t like it any better the longer you wait. If they can lift their head off your chest, they can lay on their tummy.  -Erika J.

• The Magic Eraser really IS magic.  It even removed hair dye that had been on wood for over 2 years!  -Shannon T.

For Moms Only

• Sleep when you can, especially the first 3 months.  -Aimee M.

• Hire a local teenager to be a “mother’s helper” to assist in feedings, diapers and bathing. Or just keeping an eye on them while you take a nap.  -Aimee M.

• Have your husband or someone else do one of the night time feedings so you can get a longer stretch of sleep. -Aimee M.

• Make time for you.  Do something for yourself every week: take a bath, go shopping, do a hobby, etc…Date night with your husband is very important, too.  -Aimee M.

***A good motto to live by is “This too shall pass”.  Remember that these are all phases and just be patient.***  -Aimee M.