Just like feeding babies, diapering, bathing, and dressing babies is a time consuming task. But, diapering, bathing, and dressing multiples can feel overwhelming without help. That is just another reason why nannies and au pairs are so helpful to parents raising multiples.
DIAPERING: The advice about diapering by hundreds of nannies and au pairs that answered a poll about working with multiples is to diaper babies BEFORE feeding them. Typical advice from pediatricians and mothers is to diaper babies after feeding. But the nannies and au pairs that responded to our survey about caring for multiples answered that babies tend to fall asleep after feeding and the last thing a caregiver ever wants to do is wake a happily napping multiple.
BATHING: Bathing multiple babies can be quite a challenge. Some caregivers bathe the children separately in the interests of both safety and one-on-one time. For higher-order multiples it is best if the mother and nanny to work together, especially at first. When the infants are older, it will become easier to bathe more than one at a time.
DRESSING: Dressing babies in the first few months does not have to be a big production. Some nannies and au pairs that took our survey on caring for multiples recommend color coding wardrobes to see at a glance whose clothes belong to whom. It may make sense to have multiples share some basic items of clothing, such as onesies and pajamas. As the babies get older, it becomes more important to give the children their own clothes and establish their unique identities.
Do you have any tips to share with nannies and au pairs about caring for multiples?
5 comments:
Using disposable diapers is a necessity when caring for multiples. I don’t really know why anyone would use cloth with more than one baby!
Also, try to get the babies to sleep at the same time, if at all possible. This allows time to rest or do laundry.
I love the idea of diapering before eating. Never even thought of that. My tip is to put stickers with the children's names on everything from water bottles to clothes to keep their belongings sorted.
I always bathe newborns and infants in the kitchen sink. Tubs are too big and you can't hold the baby as securely in a tub.
Samantha, Greenwich CT
My problem is reflux or spitting up. I prop the twins and hold their bottles for them as they eat, but I suppose the position is still too horizontal and not up right enough and when I go to burp them they spit up. It is difficult.
Mindy, Atlanta area
I agree with Samantha and I bathe the twins in a infant tub in the kitchen sink. I usually wait for the mother to come home and we give them a quick bath together. I think we both prefer having the other around for the full bath in the sink with hair washed and all. Babies do not get that dirty so unless they spit up a lot or get extremely dirty, you only need to tub bathe them two or three times per week. With that in mind, if you alternate days or bathe both on the same day really does not matter. Just do what the mother prefers.
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