How I Survived Twins With Colic
When expecting twins one thing you’re told more than anything else is that the first year will be the most challenging. I thought I understood this pretty well considering, I helped my aunt take care of my twin cousins when I was a child. When my twins, Ella and Rose, came I realized that helping take care of twins and being a parent to twins are two very different things. Both girls cried for six hours straight for two-and-a-half months. So, not only did I have to meet the challenges of taking care of two babies at once, but two colicky babies.
Nothing agreed with their sensitive stomachs, and it seemed as if we changed their formula almost more than diapers. My husband and I became resigned to the fact that maybe that this is just how life was going to be. I would be lying if I said that I was happy, I was tired and stressed out like no other time in my life. I yearned for a day where I could just sit with the girls and see them happy. A day where, my eldest daughter, Ava, could bond better with her younger sisters.
A year later, as I write this, I can say that it’s possible to survive colicky twins. The endless days of crying finally came to an end, and I couldn’t love my girls more. The feeling of despair have been replaced with excitement for the future – like their next milestone – taking their first step.
HERE’S HOW I SURVIVED TWINS WITH COLIC
Recognize that the Crying is Not Normal
This may seem obvious, but in the first weeks, I actually thought the crying was normal. I had been told how hard having twins were so I thought their constant crying must just be a part of the package – that each twin was setting the other off with her crying. The crying was not normal though and no baby should cry for six hours straight days on end. My first piece of advice is to recognize that there is an issue and not to just deal with crying. It doesn’t have to be your new normal.
Stomach Sensitivity
I breastfed while supplementing with formula, but switched exclusively to formula after the first month. The babies had trouble latching, and I wasn’t producing enough milk. At this point, the colic got worse. They started to suffer from terrible stomach pain, and you could hear each of their belly’s rumbling. This was when their screaming was at it’s worst. It didn’t matter what formula we tried; each had a different negative consequence on their digestion. We even switched to soy-based formula, and it helped a little, but they were still suffering.
If your babies seem colicky, I suggest you speak to you doctor about stomach sensitivity in infants. We talked to our doctor and he suggested that the twins would benefit from a prescription hypoallergenic formula. The day we started the hypoallergenic formula things began to get better. Their stomach issues of the twins became better, and they started to enjoy everyday life.
The Bottle Matters
Find yourself an anti-colic bottle ASAP. The new formula helped, but the girls still had some slight stomach issues with it in the first months, so a good bottle is truly the key to eliminating the stomach issues altogether. The bottles that suited Ella & Rose the most were Philips Avent Baby Natural & Anti-Colic Bottles .
The little details make the biggest difference, and even with my first daughter, I chose Philips Avent products. Their products have won the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval (PTPA). This means that the products have been put in the hands of real parents to be rigorously tested and later reviewed. Each of these products has won the seal for use in their packaging and marketing initiatives to tell other parents that they’ve been truly tried and tested! These products are the real deal!
The Philips Avent Natural and Anti-Colic bottles are BPA Free while being simple to use, clean and easy to assemble. In our home, we have used both and love them equally.
Philips Avent Baby Natural Bottles
- The advanced venting system with its innovative twin valve makes sure air goes into the bottle, not the baby’s tummy.
- The Natural bottles are great if you’re supplementing formula with breastfeeding. Their truly the most natural way to bottle feed because the bottles create a natural latch-on because the nipples are wide and shaped like an actual breast. The nipples also mimic a real breast because there are crafted with unique petals creating a soft and flexible nipple that doesn’t collapse.
- The bottles also have an ergonomic and easy hold for maximum comfort.
- Compatible with Philips Avent bottle and cup ranges
Philips Avent Anti-Colic Bottles
- These bottles are clinically proven to reduce colic and discomfort.
- The advanced venting system helps create 60% percent less fussing at night.
- The nipples are designed for a secure latch, and their ribbed texture prevents collapse for uninterrupted feeding
- Leak-free design and the wide neck bottle with corners make it easier to clean.
GIVEAWAY
Philips Avent is supportive of all women (and men) in their parenting journeys. In hopes of supporting other parents, Philips Avent is providing 2 Natural Bottles Gift sets and 2 Anti- Colic Bottles Gift Sets gift sets. The giveaway is open to Canada only (excl. Quebec).
Enter the giveaway via the widget below:
Philips Avent Bottles Giveaway – March/April 2017
Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Philips Avent and I received Compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
My niece had colic and it was rough. I can’t even imagine having two at once.
I remember when my son was born he suffered from colic and would cry so much. It’s so hard to know when the crying is normal and when it’s not, especially with everyone reassuring you that “all babies cry”. Good for you for listening to your instincts!
OMG, I can’t even imagine simultaneous colic! I had a hard enough helping my kids one at a time! You are a rockstar.
I can’t imagine having two babies with colic. Crying like that is not normal and I’m glad you talked to the Dr. about it and received help. Your kids are adorable!
Colic is the worst thing in the world. I’ve dealt with all of it from colic to diaper rash, and I don’t even want to THINK about dual colic.
Oh God. I almost had a panic attack just reading this. Of all the things I dealt with as a mom, colic was the worst. And that was with just one baby!
These are all great tips! One baby with colic is hard, I couldn’t imagine having 2 babies with colic! They are adorable, btw!
My kids had Colic, but not at the same time. I can’t imagine how hard it would be for both parents and babies.
Your twins are so darn adorable. I can’t imagine have both of them suffering from colic. So glad non of my kids had to go through this. Good to know there are ways to help the babies now.
Great tips! I cannot imaging the stress to have colic with twins, but your advice was well taken and appreciated. Your kids are so cute!
Your twins are so cute! I know how hard it is to have one with colic or even just one that is fussy! I can’t imagine two! The baby stage is rough, but it sure is worth it. Those bottles look great.
I think my sister-in-law’s struggling with this with her baby right now, I will definitely tell her about these bottles maybe they will help her too. You are a saint to make it through twins with colic and still have your sanity LOL I think you deserve a huge vacation.
I can’t imagine having children yet. And I definitely couldn’t imagine dealing with colicy twins!
I can’t even imagine. I know that I got lucky with my baby. No issues at all other than latching. I ended up pumping for a few months before switching over to formula. I’ve heard a lot of great things about these bottles.
Those bottles are definitely going to help a lot. It’s difficult to keep up with the gas with a regular bottle!
My babies never had a colic but I have a friend whose baby had it and she said it was tough. Your children are beautiful!
You’re nothing short of a superhero! Only one of my three children had colic, and although she turns 13 this summer, I still vividly remember that horrific stage.
Having young kids with colic can definitely be tough. Both of mine had colic and it was a challenge. These are great tips for new moms.
Oh gosh. I remember having one and feeling totally helpless, much less two. Great tips
Colic is so hard. My daughter had it and they didn’t have as many bottle options back then,
Wow – I can’t imagine how hard it is to have twins, yet alone to have them both with colic. Kudos to you mama!
Wow! Good on you Robyn.
Can i just say that you are my hero? I couldn’t even manage one with Colic. Avent makes such a great bottle!
It wears on any parent when one baby has colic and you made it through two. Kudos to and Philips. Philips Avent Natural and Anti- Colic Bottles are indeed amazing advances for new parents. Thse both would make great gift ideas for any new baby. Thanks for sharing the information.
Colic-y or not, they sure are adorable 🙂 My son didn’t have colic, but those bottles are amazing!
I used these bottles with my daughter when i supplemented. These were the best bottles for us..
No person is equipped to have a baby scream in your face for hours on end with no relief. Babies won’t hurt themselves crying. Even the most gentle parents can lose their cool when faced with colic.
Bringing home a newborn can be exhausting for anyone. Adjusting to sleep deprivation and meeting the constant need of a newborn can suck the life right out of a person.
Oh dear .. two babies with colic. I can’t imagine. My daughter had terrible bouts of it when she was a baby and there were days I thought I was going to open the back door and run for the hills. I’m glad there are now some bottles that will help.
You are amazing!! I can’t imagine having twins with colic. I love that Avent is providing anti-colic bottles. What an awesome giveaway!
I can only imagine what it’s like to deal with two babies that are colic. This is going to help other parents who are dealing with the same thing.
Oh my goodness, that cake and those adorable dresses is just too much cuteness! I have two little girls, who aren’t twins, but they’re so close in age that we get asked if they are twins. We used Avent bottles for our girls too.
2 babies with colic!! I can’t imagine! But those babies sure are adorable!!
I heard colic has a lot to do with bottles and the air bubbles so this was a great informative post. I will be prepared when the time comes on what bottle to get for my baby.
I have a friend who was a twin and their poor mother had to have a C section due to complications. She got a break though because she didn’t have a colic. Twins are hard enough without adding colic in. Bless your heart!
oh man, i don’t know how i would be able to handle that. wonder woman you are!
I thought one baby with colic was going to end me. You are a saint for making it through. Saving this to share with my friends with little ones.
Oh those two get cuter every time I see them. Great work mom!
Oh gosh, 2 littles with colic, my oldest had colic and it was really hard. What a great giveaway.
I had a colic baby so I totally know how hard it is! These are excellent tips!
Sweet girls! I have 7-month-old twin girls and I cannot imagine if they had colic! You are superwoman, never mind the bottles!
One of my friends baby suffered from colic and my friend used to stay up all night with her. 🙁
I recall how hard this was for us with our first child. It was not easy and so hard to find what would work.
Two of everything must be rough. I do love AVENT bottles though. I used them for my siblings and it’s worth every penny
Your little ones look so pretty and adorable. I understand what you have been through. I am happy for you because your kids are doing much better now. It means you have time to relax. I will recommend Philips Avent to new mothers.
I have commented on this before. We have a friend who has a 3 year old and had twins. She nursed both twins and to watch her in action she was amazing. Yes we helped but she never lost her cool and was simply awesome.
I’m glad you guys were able to get things figured out. I’ve heard of colic, but I didn’t know much about it. I had no idea they made colic bottles. Thanks for the education, your girls are adorable.
I have twins and I feel fortunate that they didn’t have any diet restrictions when they were little. This could have been a tough challenge for me. This post will help a lot of other twin parents out there going through the same.
I had one baby with colic, I can’t imagine dealing with twins with colic. These are great bottles for babies too!
This just taught me a thing or two about colic babies! Thanks for sharing your insight.
My first had the WORST colic back in the day! I definitely don’t miss that 😉 These are some fabulous tips!
Their little dresses are adorable! I know colic can be rough. My kids didn’t have it too badly, but I did have to walk them around on their tummies a lot!
Oh no! It’s really not easy to do that, you are amazing! I agree with all the tips you gave and thankful that there are good products available to help moms who experience that.
Philips Avent Baby Natural Bottles made a huge difference for my friends little one. This is a great giveaway. I can not imagine having colicy twins.
I can’t imagine having twins, no less twins with colic! Glad you were able to find something that worked for you. I was overwhelmed with one baby, so it must have been so tough with two.
Oh my goodness. At first as I was reading your blog post title “How I Survived Twins” and thought the whole post could easily be about that (LOL) then I kept reading further and the word “colic” was added and was like WHOA. I’ve heard it’s bad having one baby with it, I couldn’t imagine two at the same time!
Your twins are absolutely adorable! You are one amazing mama and I absolutely love your positive attitude and great tips!
Bringing home a newborn can be exhausting for anyone. Adjusting to sleep deprivation and meeting the constant need of a newborn can suck the life right out of a person. This is a great tips!
Oh I remember these days, except I only had one child at the time. I have heard great things about these bottles.
My lil one has also suffered from colic ,I totally understand how it feels
I thank God every day for giving me a break on my children. You are one strong mother!
I bought my friend a pack of these for her baby shower and she just loves them. Definitely gives her a peace of mind.
You did an excellent job for a daddy like me.
Wow! You have a patience of a Saint! I have a friend who just has one that has colic, and I really can’t imagine doing it with 2.
My son suffered from colic due to sensitivities. We also changed formulas countless times and ended up with a lactose free, soy free hypoallergenic formula. The bottle you use is definitely super important to reduce colic.
Oh my goodness! I can only imagine! I was lucky enough to not have colicky babies.
Oh wow! Well managed! I don’t have babies yet, but this is a good preparation for whatever is to come!
Neither of my boys had colic so I can’t imagine that situation. We discovered Avent bottles and fell in love with them!
A great read. My daughter had colic so i can imagine how much tougher it would have been with two!
Oh I can’t imagine twins with colic. I was fortunate my 3 boys did not have colic at all. I loved Avent bottles too for all my boys, it definitely helped with their gas issues when they drank out of regular bottles..
I feel lucky to have survived those years with the twins and they didn’t have any issues. I can only imagine what it’s like when they are colic.
These are all great tips! The bottle you use is definitely super important to reduce colic. Right now I can imagine only about twins with colic.
I don’t know how you made it! I would be so stressed with two colicky babies! You are definitely a saint. When I had my son we always used Avent, and I swear by them. They really are a great brand, and if I ever have a baby with colic I will have to try their anti-colic bottles.
Great giveaway! Perfect for baby shower gift idea. My son grew up with Advent baby bottles and never had colic.
Your girls are just lovely. And hurrah for making it through colic! 😉
Avent baby bottles are the best. I wish they were around when my kids were still babies. My cousin did get these bottles for her daughter and the colic was gone just like magic.