This is not really a blog on the what, and when of starting solid foods. I’ve written several articles on starting solids with babies and I’ve linked them below. That aspect of starting solids is no different than starting with a singleton.
However, when you have twins, you quickly learn that you need an extra set of hands that are frequently not available. You need one hand to feed one infant, another hand to feed the other, and a third hand to wipe up the ensuing messes. Since I have yet to meet a three handed woman, I thought I’d offer up some tried and true tips for managing twinfants at the dinner table.
The Dinner Table is Highly Over Rated
We are a very traditional family. I stay at home, my husband works, we homeschool and well, we’re about as conservative as they come. Dinner time is important and we strive (or I should say we used to) strive to make sure that it was a calm and peaceful occasion and that everyone from the oldest to the youngest sat at the table.
Then came the turbo powered mess making machine affectionately known as the twins. Dinner was thrown into utter chaos. To reclaim peace, we started allowing the twins to eat on a clean plastic tarp. . .on the floor. Yes, it looks weird. You may be blessed with all the time in the world to clean up after dinner, and you may have all the room in the world for two high chairs. But I’m not. Cleaning up one tarp rather than two high chairs and the surrounding floors, is much, much simpler.
If you’re really stuck on the notion that babies need high chairs. . .I still recommend a plastic something or other under their seats. You’d be amazed at how much food ends up on the floor.
The Ability to Use Both Your Right and Left Hands. . .Or Not!
My husband was able to feed one with his left hand and one with my right hand. I looked like I had some severe muscle disorder. I simply couldn’t do it. Instead, I fed them both with one spoon and one jar. Yes, it probably spreads germs. I’m okay with that. Neither girl got sick until well after they had been on mostly solids and less breastmilk. (Hmmmm. . .is there a connection there?)
I also used those blessed Baby Einstein videos. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I’m not a fan of television for infants. However, the mantra with twins is that you do what you gotta do to get the job done. If distraction from a video is what’s needed to get both twins fed–do it.
Related Articles:
5 Cultural Myths About Starting Solids
Help! My Baby Hates Solid Foods