Tandem babywearing is double the fun! Carrying twins or children close in age can be a great tool.
The first question we get asked a lot is, can I carry twins or multiples in a single carrier?
Yes, you can! We recommend using a long woven wrap in your base size +2 when learning to carry 2 children in one wrap. This is usually a size 8/XL. The easiest carries to learn with two children are carries that can be individually adjusted. We like Jasmine's Hip Carry with 4 Rings for this- each side can be adjusted like a ring sling, so if one child needs to come out of the carry, the other child is unaffected. See a tutorial of this carry by tapping here.
Once your children are old enough to be safely back carried, more options open up, with one child on your back and one on your front. You can tie off separately for each child with practice!
There are also twin backpack style carriers... and we've got something special here coming soon, so keep watch on your emails for updates!
Although you can carry 2 children in one carrier, it's often easiest to start out with 2 carriers. This lets you focus on one child at a time when putting the carrier on or taking it off, and for when one child needs to come out of the carry.
Which 2 carriers should I use? This really comes down to personal preference- almost any combination could work, if those are the carriers you're most comfortable with!
Generally, we would recommend combining either 2 fabric carriers (long woven wraps, ring slings, wrap strap meh dais), or combining a fabric carrier (stretchy wrap, long woven wrap, ring sling, wrap strap meh dai) with a buckle carrier (hybrid half buckle meh dai, soft structured carrier, onbuhimo). 2 buckle carriers can be uncomfortable with the extra shoulder strap padding and waistband padding, but some enjoy this, too! Amanda in the image above is enjoying using 2 Lenny Light SSC buckle carriers, plus suck pads to protect the carrier and a sackpack to carry the "extras" she needs.
Tips & tricks:
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Place the "snugglier" child on you first. This way the child that is more likely to want to go in and out can be unwrapped without disturbing the child who'd like to stay put!
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Take advantage of fabric straps, knots, and sling rings to avoid uncomfortable layering
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Consider carriers with pockets, waist bags, or sackpacks to carry any necessary items. The less you need to carry apart from your babies, the easier it is to manage them!
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Practice with dolls first to get familiar with the techniques
- Choose carries/carriers that let you adjust each child individually
- Be gentle with yourself - it takes practice! You will likely have to build up your strength over time to comfortably carry 2 children at once
Have you tried a tandem carry yet? What's your favorite way to tandem babywear?