The twin mothers I have worked with tend to like the Front Wrap Cross Carry with both babies in the cradle hold, their bellies crossing at the mother's midsection. Alternatively, you could position the babies in the cummerbund with their bellies along your sides, so that they are in the football hold. This works great until the babies are about 12 to 14 pounds. At that point, you may want to nurse one while wearing the other on your back. Later, you switch.

Two pouches (or shawls, or ring slings) can help you achieve the same positioning. However, when baby is in a pouch you have to hold on to him with one hand whenever you lean forward. Since you'll have two babies, you may have to hold on with two hands, and that means you won't be able to pick up the thing you were leaning forward for, anyway. This does not negate the value of the pouches, though, in helping you be able to nurse both, hands-free, as long as you don't bend forward too far.

Naturally, you can wear one at a time. And this can be a good solution, whether working around the house, or out grocery shopping, etc. You can wear one and have dad or another person wear the other baby. You can even push one in a cart or stroller and wear the other one. There will be times when one baby is happy to sit in a cart, but his brother desperately wants to snuggle mommy.

As the babies grow, you'll have hard time getting them both into front carries at the same time. Don't despair! You can learn to wear one baby on front for nursing or snuggling, and the other on the back for sleeping or looking around. Later, you switch the two. You can combine nearly any front carry with nearly any back carry, especially if the carriers you use are soft cloth carriers with no bulky straps or buckles.

There is no way to describe every combination of carriers and positions that you could possibly use with two babies. The most important thing to remember when wearing twins is that it's okay to make it up as you go along.

-Tracy Dower
www.mamatoto.org