Mummy's hack

Being a first time mummy is a scary thing and it's even scarier to be facing twins. Double trouble.

Though I get alot of advice and tips from people around me, there is only so much I could take in. 

After all, all children are different. You have to go through it yourself to figure out how to handle your kids. Period.

That being said, there are some general things everyone could adopt to make your parenthood journey easier.

Here's my version:

1). Baby sleeping bag

Its the oldest trick in the book to make your baby sleep more soundly by swaddling them. But if you have the same swaddle skills like me which means its non existence, then I suggest you to buy the zip up sleeping bag to zip your child in it.

My skills were so bad that the Dinos managed to break free 3S EVERY SINGLE TIME I swaddle them. The minute their hands are out, they would be waving it around and get startled easily and sleeping will be the last thing on their little minds. 

1 hand out

We initially try using those cloth pants meant to keep cloth diapers in place to secure the swaddle. It only works for a month before Dinos outgrow it. For fear for hindering their growth, I did away with the method. I tried using those velco book binders and tie around them and it didnt work out too. That's how desperate I wanna swaddle them and how noob I am in doing it.

Improvised swaddle

Improvised swaddle V2

Stumble across this sleeping bag in QOO initially and there's no looking back. I brought 2 at 15bucks each to try and it worked like magic. Not only it provide the much needed swaddle but it's also convenient for changing diaper since the zipper works both way - up& down. Juz need to unzip from the bottom, pull out their lower body for diaper change and put back and zip up. Need not re swaddle again.

Dinos in their sleeping bag

Unhappy Big Dino

Let their hands out when they are older

Upgraded to hands out version

I love it so much that I went Taobao to search and realised its much overpriced in SG (what's new?).

Got it at 7bucks each and I brought different sizes all the way to 2years old. Haha. The boys eventually outgrew the phase where their hands need be bounded together to sleep well and I transit to the version with hands sticking out of the bag but their legs will be still kept inside the bag.

2). Walk away from it

You know sometimes no matter what you do, you are not able to calm your crying child down? Pass the baby to someone and walk away from it for a while. It works like magic for us.

Once in a while the Dinos will throw tantrums and refuse to be coax no matter what I do. Initially, I will try all means and ways to pacify them but patience do run thin ya? Sometimes, I'll flare up but it didn't help much in making them calm down or at least keep quiet.

There was this once when Mr Love was nearby and I was trying to calm small dino down for the past 15min and patience ran out for me. I passed small Dino to him and that rascal immediately quieten down!!

From then on, we knew. Sometimes the Dinos are just trying to irritated the hell out of the person pacifying them. Passing to another person helps. Haha

3). Nose Frida

Big Dino had excessive phlegm when he was 2 months old and was coughing quite badly. It affected his sleep and mine too as I was afraid he would be either choked by the phlegm or have breathing difficulties due to excessive coughing.

One fine day we decided to bring him to a PD and the PD sucked out a small bottle of mucus using a machine it freaking set us back by 270bucks. Expensive much.

My mum enquired about using a over the counter sucking device to help clear and he told us its of not much use. But if I keep needing to go back to him for sucking out the mucus, we will be broke in no time. Plus there's 2 Dinos.

I googled a bit and decided to go buy nose frida and try sucking out the mucus on my own. There are quite a few time of different sucking devices available but I chose this because it was non invasive and you just need to suck via a tube.

I do not have a powerful lung that works as well as the PD's machine but I've got patience. Diligently sucked their mucus every night and the boys phlegm cleared up.

Sometimes when it gets too different to clean their nose, I'll use this to suck out their booger or at least move it nearer to the exit for digging it out. Haha.

4). Extra scope of Cereal

Wanted to start Dinos on cereal when they were 4 months plus but seems not ready as they couldn't swallow properly during feeding. Not wanting to waste the cereal I brought, I decided to add to their milk during last bottle to let them feel fuller and last longer till next feed and also to get use to the cereal taste.

Though the Dinos don't take cereal now that they are on puree and porridge but I still add 1 scope to their last bottle. They can usually last 2more hours than usual.

5). Moveable Rack

When we first had the Dinos, they were sleeping with my aunt in the study room since she took care of them most and we did not want keep moving them.

After their 1st month, we were to move them back to my room at night as I'm taking night duties. But there are other more things to move to.

Hot water flask, milk bottles, room temperature water container, diapers, extra clothing/ hankies etc. We need move them to and fro my room and the study room everyday and it's irritating. Plus there's isn't much space on my night table to hold all these.

I came up with the idea of buying a rack with wheels to hold these and all we have to do is to move this rack where ever we move the Dinos to. The inspiration came from going to the hair salon after my confinement. Haha.

So the 1st rack will be holding hot and room temperature water, the measuring bottle and milk powder.

2nd level will be holding all the milk bottles. I used to prepare at least 10 for a night when they were younger since they gave irregular drinking hours. Sometimes, small Dino will be asking for an extra serving before bedtime.

Our Rack

3rd level is told extra clothing since we kept their clothes in the study room and did not want to walk across the hallway at night when we need the clothes to change them urgently. There's extra hankies, toys now in this level too.

The last level is for diapers where we will top up whenever the supply runs low.

My colleagues were joking to me that because my house is bigger that's why I need this rack while people with smaller house can just walk and get the items. But seriously you wouldn't want to walk outside and make milk while your baby is crying don't you? Or when you need a change of clothes when they throw up or need change the soiled diaper. You would wish everything is within reach since time is essence when it comes to changing or dealing with babies. 

6). Toys arc

I got this toy arc thing from Taobao when we were due to send and fetch Dinos from their granny's place daily. Figured out that it would at least keep them entertained on the journey. Its' useful no doubt but for short while only before they got bored with it. 

7). Teething necklace

I saw bestie buying it for her younger son's use and thought of buying it too because I find the designs nice to wear as necklace. Haha

My hauls

But it proves to be useful as the Dinos are now at the stage of wanting to bite every other thing to ease their gums' itchiness and also trying their very best to pull out my necklace every time I carry them. 

By wearing the necklace, it at least distracts them from my own necklace and also gives them something to bite on. I brought the baby carrier version and clipper version so that my mummy can hang 1 on her bag when she brings them for bus rides and 1 can be clip on their PJ to entertain them on their car ride with their papa. 

Small Dino biting one

Am now thinking to buy more design haha. Even if they outgrown it, I can still use as my accessories. 

These are what I can currently think of as of now. How about your hacks?