Co-sleeping or bedsharing with your twins is such an amazing way to bond – and it’s not as scary as it sounds!
If you’re thinking of cosleeping with your twin babies, specifically bedsharing, then you might be wondering how on earth you’ll be able to get sleep with two wriggling babies!
Not only that, but you may be concerned about the safety aspects – this might include rolling on them, or the babies becoming entangled in sheets. These are valid, but have pretty easy solutions!
- This in-depth tandem nursing guide (it saves SO much time to just nurse them both at once!)
- If you already have a child, find out what’s different in raising a single compared to twins!
- In case said child isn’t too excited about the new arrivals, find out fun ways to get him excited for the new baby!
- If you plan on breastfeeding, prepare ahead of time with this article that addresses the most common breastfeeding problems and their solutions!
- NICU stays, unfortunately, are fairly common. Find out how to power pump to make more milk until they can nurse. You could also whip up a batch of these amazing peanut butter, oats and chocolate lactation cookies to snack on!
- If your baby(ies) are coming home on oxygen (something else that happens sometimes after NICU stays) you’ll be surprised to know that it’s NOT as scary as it sounds! Found out what to expect when bringing a baby home on oxygen!
I have had the most amazing bonding experience with my twin babies through cosleeping with them!
I felt like I really needed to work on that bond due to the fact that they were in the NICU, and I didn’t get to breastfeed after or even hold them for any length of time.
Perhaps you want to cosleep because you did with your previous children.
Or maybe you just want to get some darn sleep!
Whatever it is, I’m going to tell you how I made it work, and hopefully, you can implement some of these tips to make your cosleeping journey with your twins work as well!
P.S. Please make the choice that is best for your family when it comes to co-sleeping, and only use these ideas if you feel they are a safe choice for your family!
I also want to disclose that I am an Amazon Affiliate and do get a small commision if you purchase anything through my links. More information can be found here
Cosleeping by bedsharing with newborn twin babies
Our twins had some breathing issues once born and were sent to the NICU for a couple of weeks. It became apparent that their main problem was just lung maturity, so they were sent home on supplemental oxygen.
While that can be pretty intimidating, we made it work!
When babies are super young, it’s really important to be extra safe when sleeping in the bed. It’s best to follow these guidelines!
- No comforters
- No pillows
- No soft beds
- No drinking
- No smoking
As with sleeping in a crib, you should still place baby on his or her back. Even if they sleep better on their tummy, they may not be able to breathe as well.
It’s likely your bed is way softer than their firm crib mattress, so it’s possible their face would get stuck facing down and they wouldn’t have the neck muscles to move!
You may have noticed I do have pack n plays for my twins in the bedroom
This is because I have a sweet schedule where the babies are able to be put down in their bed till around 9 or 10 before they want to come to bed.
Our twins go to sleep between 6 and 7, so that’s potentially 2 or 3 hours of time to do other things!
I HIGHLY recommend trying to do something like this, where your twins will accept some time in the crib/pack n play.
I, unfortunately, don’t have much advice on how to get there, especially if your twins did not do any NICU time.
The sad reality of NICU babies is that they get used to sleeping alone, no patting or anything from a REALLY young age.
The only redeeming part of that is that they are too young to be upset about it and that you get the bonus of having an easier sleep transition at home.
A good place to start, as with any sleep change, is nap times.
If you can get your twins to nap in a crib, it’s likely they’ll be able to do 2 hours or so at night in a crib before wanting out!
Safety items for bedsharing with twin babies
In the beginning, the concern is sleep safety, and as they get older, it shifts towards containment!
Something that REALLY gave me peace of mind during that newborn stage though, was that both of my babies wore an owlet.
An owlet is a sock like monitor that attaches to your baby’s foot and sends heart rate and oxygen levels to your phone.
If something looks bad, it sends an alarm to your phone as well as a base station nearby the babies!
This was such an incredible peace of mind, especially for us because ours were sent home on rented monitors due to their oxygen needs.
I wholeheartedly recommend an owlet for bedsharing. There are other options, however, alot of those are movement based and so won’t give you an accurate read if they are in bed with you – it may just sense you moving and think everything is good!
Additional co-sleeping safety items for twins
My son didn’t ever leave the bed till I woke up, however, my twin girls are movers!
It became apparent very early on that I would need to buy bed rails.
With my son, I was able to kind of keep him in my arms all night.
Unless you have extra long arms, that isn’t the case with twins!
I really liked the full-length bed rails, as opposed to trying to save money and just use toddler ones.!
Co-sleeping positions in the bed for twin babies
If you plan on co-sleeping with your twins, you may want to plan on trying to breastfeed as well!
Sleeping will be much easier – no need to get bottles ready in the middle of the night!
The tricky part is getting them to be ok with not having to be latched all night.
This is probably the hardest change when getting used to co-sleeping with twins versus cosleeping with a single.
There is no way to have both babies latched on, and if they do really want that, you will constantly be switching back and forth nursing them!
I didn’t have to deal with this problem initially, because they came home on a NICU schedule (Bottle and diaper change every 3 hours on the dot!)
As time progressed though, we let them sleep if they wanted, and fed them on demand.
While I don’t regret this decision, it has resulted in some sleepless nights during growth spurts and such.
But hey, that’s babies right?!
Here is my set up for co sleeping with my twin babies
P.S. If you have a giant king bed and want to sleep with your babies, but are nervous about rolling on them, there are some in bed bassinet options
I used these for my son, but with our twins, there was no room to have two of them in our queen bed.
However, these really are a great option if you want that bonding experience with a litte extra safety.
Here are the top two best options is for in bed cosleeping
Cubby Cove
I could not have worded it better than this Amazon Review –
“Unlike regular 2D fabrics, the CubbyCove features German-developed Spacer fabrics to create a breathable, 3D “microclimate” between highly permeable layers. This technology pushes out heat and vapor providing temperature control and maximum air circulation. The CubbyCove is larger in size when you compare it to the Dock a Tot Deluxe version, which makes the CubbyCove a smarter choice for when your newborn gets bigger (no need to buy a second, larger lounger). The CubbyCove includes a very useful canopy, which is removable and retractable and very similar to the ones you would find in a stroller. Plus, the CubbyCove includes a traveling bag and comes in a beautiful box, making it great for gifts. We also find the CubbyCove to be softer and more cushiony than the competition. ” – Thunder Mart
Key points about this in bed bassinet for baby
- Amazing temperature regulation for baby with 3d micro climate technology!
- The material is certified breathable by multiple companies, and is anti bacterial.
- There are no flame retardants or other harmful chemicals added into this!
- Comes with a travel tote bag
- Has a removable canopy for use camping or on the beach
- This is half the price of the more well known Doc A Tot, but is longer, and of better quality.
SwaddleMe By Your Side Sleeper
If you intend to bedshare without anything at some point, you may not want to invest as much money into these sorts of products, which is why this in bed bassinet might be the choice for you!
This is very similar to what I had, and is just as safe!
It’s not quite as fancy, but you don’t need the extras if you don’t plan to use it very long!
How do you nurse twin babies in the bed if they both want to nurse at the same time?
As awkward as it looks, this “cow” position has been amazing.
Simply position both babies next to eachother, and hang over them!
BONUS – if you have clogged ducts this is a great way to help clear them. The downward angle really helps get things moving out!
If you plan on formula feeding you twins, you MUST get the Brezza!
This thing is a lifesaver!
I bought it when my supply started to run low after a surgery I had, and I was not dissapointed!
I’m talking a perfectly measured, warm bottle in 5 seconds or less at the push of a button!
I kept it at the head of my bed in case my supply was low that day.
I could easily make two bottles without having to even leave the bed, which was super helpful with mobile twins who would try to follow me if I left to make a bottle!
If bedsharing with your twins is still kind of scary, here is another co-sleeping setup for twins that is not in the bed!
Yes, it’s scary when they are so little to bedshare!
TECHNICALLY, co-sleeping refers to just sleeping in the same room – which brings me to my next point!
We didn’t even really start bedsharing until they had been home a month or two!
At the beginning, we used a Joovy twin pack n play that was really great!
It was a space saver, and had a removable divider so that you could choose whether your twins can sleep together or not!
Another option for co-sleeping with your twins is this Halo Twin Bassinet!
It wasn’t available when my twins were little enough for this, but I think I may have chosen this instead of the Joovy!
It can swivel to your bed so that you don’t even have to get out of bed!
Trust me, in those begging months any extra rest you can get is so important, and alot of times, even if you wake up for your babies, if you don’t leave the bed you are able to fall asleep alot easier!
Does the twin sleeping situation seem a little less intimidating now?
I hope so! It’s pretty scary at first, but you adjust over time. Two becomes your new norm!
Co sleeping through bedsharing with your twins offers such an amazing bonding experience, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t also bond through other co-sleeping options as mentioned above!
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