What is better than wearing one baby? Wearing two! Yes, it is possible to wear two. In this article I will give some ideas for you to wear your babies, whether you have twins, or want to carry siblings close in age. It can be done! The following ideas can help. These ideas aren’t the only way to sling two, with more creativity you can find your own ways, but this is a good place to start.

I started babywearing with a pouch and then a ring style sling. When I found out I was expecting twins with my fourth pregnancy, I made another ring sling so I could sling both of them. After the twins came, however, I found the padding too much, and wished I had made them unpadded.

During the first few months I liked slinging both of them in one ring sling & they really liked being squished together… just like they were in my womb. I have made and tried most kinds of slings and my personal favorites for twins are wraps and soft carriers. Everyone has her own style, and it’s up to you to find yours. Below I will describe the different kinds of slings and ways to wear them with two, including the pro’s and con's to help you make your best choice for you.

Nursing

Learn to nurse hands-free! It will save your life. Okay, well, maybe not your life. but definitely your sanity. A nursing top makes this easier to do. Using a variety of carriers, you can lay the babies along your sides in a football hold and nurse both, or you can nurse them the same way you would with a singleton. If you have one on front and one on back then, obviously, you can only nurse the one on the front. But you didn't need me to tell you that.

Pouches

Pouches are nonadjustable slings for the most part unless you get one with a zipper/button. Pouches are very easy to put on. They are trim and light so they are not clausterphobic, and when your not using it you can stuff it in your diaper bag easily. You can wear both twins in one pouch while they are still young, but after two to four months or so you may want to graduate into two separate pouches. If you choose to wear two babies in one pouch, make sure to go up an extra size. When wearing them in two pouches you have at least two options. You can wear one on front and one on back or both on separate hips. You can use any combination of the traditional carries with each baby, as long as the babies are balanced on your body.

Adjustable Slings

This category includes both knotted and ring slings – padded and unpadded (although I highly recommend getting unpadded ones with multiples). Some find the tails to be too much fabric, and others don’t mind or tuck them in. Ring slings are easy to put on and adjust.

You can wear both babies in slings like the pouches. With a knotted sling (shawl) you don’t have to worry about the size issue because these are very adjustable. With ring slings, you do need to be sure to get the right size, but the range of acceptable sizes is more forgiving than with a non-adjustable pouch. Most moms use two slings after the first few months to help distribute the weight on both shoulders. The ways to wear two in adjustable slings is the same as above with the unpadded slings.

Wraps

This is my preferred way to sling my twins when I’m in town. If you think just having twins gets a lot of attention, then try wearing them in a beautiful wrap – wow, talk about attention! Wraps may seem a bit more complicated to tie on, but with good instrucitons, you'll figure it out.

You can wrap two babies in one wrap or each in their own separate wraps. If there is a significant weight difference then I suggest using two separate wraps. Wraps are very versatile and there are no limits in how to wear them. People are coming up with new ways to tie them on everyday, so experiment and have some fun with it. Babies can be worn on front and back, and hip and hip positions. They can face out or in as well.

ABCs

This type of carrier is a rectangle with four straps. I can put both babies in our ABCs easily. Only one baby can fit in one ABC, so you need two. hey can be worn in several different positions. My favorite way to wear two in ABCs is by putting one on front and one on back. This distributes the weight well.

Combining Carriers

You can also combine nearly any front carry with nearly any back carry. Some moms like to wear combinations such as a pouch on front and an ABC on the back. There are many variations. Use whatever works and feels best for you and your two babies individually. The sky is the limit! Shanna Atland often wears one baby on the front in a wrap and one on back in an ABC.

Strollers

Yes, I’m doing the taboo and mentioning strollers! I am a die hard sling wearer and have a great collection, BUT strollers do have their place when it comes to multiples. If you’re on your feet all day long… wearing two gets very heavy - very quick especially as they get older and put on more weight. Strollers can be a life saver for those times. Often when I’m out and tired I will bring the stroller and push both or even just one and wear the one that needs to be held. This flexible approach helps… especially when the babies get older and heavier. Wearing my twins right now is like wearing my eight year old, which is okay for sprints, but hard for marathons. I keep two slings in my stroller so that I can wear them when they need to be held.

I have been talking about how one person can sling twins or two siblings close in age, mostly because this information is the hardest to find and most needed. However, my husband has often shared the slinging joy and carried one of the twins and this helps lighten the load and gives Daddy some time with the babies, too.

When wearing siblings, consider their weight difference. Two children with a significant weight difference typically don’t do well in one carrier. They each need their own carriers so that the smaller baby doesn’t get smooshed. If you do wear them in one carrier, the best way is to put the oldest in on your hip, then put the younger one on the lap of the oldest in the carrier. A good example for using two carriers is to put the heavier one on your back and the lighter one on your front.

Best of luck and wishes with your “double the joy” slinging experience! This is a special bundle and what a fun way to carry it around! Enjoy this time… it fly’s by way too fast!

Special Thanks

I would like to give special thanks to those who have helped me with this article... including all those noted on the pictures, including my husband & Ryan Carter for taking pictures and my kids for modeling! You all helped so much in making this article great!