Sense by Meg Faure – Season 8, Episode 12
Twin Development at 11 Months: Crawling, Feeding & Daycare
SPEAKERS
Meg Faure — Host, Occupational Therapist & Parenting Expert
Zoë Brown — Twin mum & South African radio/TV personality
Tasha Perreard — Registered Nurse, Lactation Consultant & twin mum
[00:00] MEG FAURE (Host):
This week we’re talking twin development at 11 months, with twin mum Zoë Brown and twin mum and well-baby clinic nurse Tasha Perreard. Zoë shares what life looks like right now — from army crawling and big personality differences to starting daycare.
Stick around and you will learn:
How to support crawling right now with a simple hack like a towel hammock, plus core-strengthening exercises — and when to get help if crawling hasn’t happened by 12 months.
How to use the feeding window of opportunity to build adventurous eaters, including key allergens that many parents miss, like sesame and shellfish, and how to add those into your baby’s diet.
How to manage daycare coughs and constant colds — practical immune support and vaccinations.
If you are parenting twins, or in fact any baby approaching one year old, this episode will give you reassurance and clear steps that you can use today. So let’s get into it.
Welcome to Sense by Meg Faure, where we make sense of the science and art of parenting. Parenting is grey, gritty, and beautiful all at once, and my life’s work as a healthcare professional is helping parents feel more confident in a season that can feel really overwhelming. In each episode we share honest conversations with real mums, dive into the science with experts, and simply make sense of it all in practical ways. This is your space — you’re not alone, you’re held. So let’s unpack the journey of a lifetime with Sense.
Welcome back, mums and dads! This week it is a fabulous week again because we have our regular guests — our twin mummies, both of them: Zoë Brown and Tasha Perreard. Welcome, both of you — it’s so good to have you.
So Tasha is a nurse in the Western Cape and runs a very busy well-baby clinic. For those of you who haven’t listened to previous episodes with her, she really is a voice of wisdom in the parenting space — in Cape Town, or globally now, when she’s on the podcast. And of course, she is a twin mum. So when we heard that Zoë Brown, who is a celebrity in South Africa, was having twins, we thought we actually have to do a twin episode. And this episode has turned into probably about 15 twin episodes, it feels like! Zoë, how old are the boys now?
[02:25] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
Can you believe it — they are turning one in March! So we’ve almost been doing our podcast recordings for a year. It is so crazy how quickly the time has gone. But I feel like since the last time I spoke to you, they have just become so busy — exponentially so. We are crawling, but not on hands and knees. We are crawling on our tummies — basically sailing everywhere. But they are growing, and we’ve started daycare, so that’s been massive in this household. We’re only going three days a week, but I think they need that socialisation, they need that stimulation that I feel like I can’t give them — and let’s be honest, I need a break!
[03:10] MEG FAURE (Host):
Yes, we all know that one for sure, Zoë! So let’s start by unpacking each of those. Tell us a little bit about their development, because you kicked off with crawling. They’ve obviously been sitting since around six months — if I remember correctly — and I can remember them starting to scoot already about a month or so ago, trying to get around. Tell us a bit about their crawling.
[03:34] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
So we are army crawling — arms going, little legs moving left and right — but they’re just not going onto their knees. Jordan is the baby who did not want to sit, and now he can go from sitting to moving around — he can get himself back up. He’s had moments where he goes onto his knees and rocks a bit, but then when it comes to the actual crawling, he drops his hips and goes on his tummy. Maybe in the last two to three weeks, Luke has finally learned that he can also move. He used to get onto his tummy, hated it, and would just scoot backwards. He was my sitter from the beginning.
Their first day at daycare, there was a bit of an orientation where I had to leave them for half an hour. I put Luke on the floor — he was playing with toys. When I got back, the teacher said to me, “Jordan scooted around everywhere — he explored the whole space.” Luke sat exactly where I left him and just continued to play with the toys!
[04:31] MEG FAURE (Host):
That’s so funny! So I’m going to hand it over to Tasha just now, but I’d like to just check in on that crawling a little bit first. So they’re around about 10 and a half months — is that correct?
[04:35] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
We are 11 months.
[04:37] MEG FAURE (Host):
11 months — okay. So crawling would typically happen around about this time. We want to get them crawling before they start to decide to walk, because they will start to walk closer to a year. So in terms of crawling, I’ve got a couple of suggestions.
One is a lovely activity where you take a towel, roll it up into a sausage shape on the floor, and lay them with their chest over it — almost creating a hammock between their hips and their knees. It supports them in that four-point kneeling position. In that position, they can start to rock a little bit, and as they start to hold themselves up, you can gradually release the hammock so they’re taking their own weight. That’s quite a nice activity to do every day at the moment.
Also, if they’re not able to hold themselves up in that crawling position, it’s often an indication that their tummy muscles are a little bit on the weak side. So I would introduce some little ab exercises — having them kick balls away, or hanging balloons while they’re lying on their back so they can kick them. Those types of activities are really useful.
The last thing I want to mention is that we often see babies not wanting to crawl, or not having the core strength to crawl, if they’ve been sitting in seated positioners — things like walking rings, Bumbo seats, or bamboo seats — as those can make the tummy muscles a little bit lazy. Are you popping them in any of those at the moment?
[06:36] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
We did at one stage, because they were showing a lot of frustration at not being able to move. But since they’ve been able to scoot around, we’ve barely put them in the walking ring. I think my biggest question is — and I know you shouldn’t compare babies — but a lot of my friends’ babies are younger and already going on all fours, some are even pulling themselves up onto furniture and standing. I had coffee with them and was thinking, “Oh my goodness, we are not there yet.” I’m not comparing, I’m not going to worry — but then I see them pulling themselves up and I think, “Thank goodness we’re not there yet, because I don’t know if I’m ready for that chaos!” But yeah — when should intervention take place?
[07:26] MEG FAURE (Host):
That’s such a good question. First of all, comparison is the thief of joy — I think Roosevelt said that — so you mustn’t compare. Babies are so vastly different, and twins often just do things in their own time. They entertain each other so much that they don’t have the same urgency to get on with their milestones.
As for pulling up to walk — even if they walk as late as 18 months, it’s all considered within the normal range. Don’t focus on that. I would say getting them to crawl in the next month would be fabulous. Tasha, do you have any input on that?
[08:11] TASHA PERREARD (Nurse & twin mum):
Yes — there’s such a broad range of normal, it’s incredible. Some babies start crawling at seven months, some closer to 12 months. But certainly by 12 months, if they’re not crawling, we do flag it. We often refer babies to physiotherapists or occupational therapists, and within just a few sessions, these babies don’t look back. So it’s so important not to compare — especially when there are two of them.
Another nice exercise, similar to the towel roll, is to sit on the floor with your legs slightly apart and let the baby hang over your leg, then tuck their little legs underneath them. It helps them feel what it’s like to have their legs beneath them.
Also worth mentioning — bum shuffling. A lot of people think it’s adorable, and a lot of babies sit really beautifully, and then start wiggling around without ever getting onto all fours. Please don’t encourage bum shuffling. It’s so important for them to build those core muscles and upper body strength by being on their tummies and leopard crawling.
As Meg said, we want them spending more time crawling than standing or walking. We get so excited when our children start walking, but we really don’t want them to miss the crawling phase — it’s important for everything they do in later life: sitting at a desk, writing, playing, crossing the midline. Lots of crawling and lots of floor time is really key at this stage.
[10:42] MEG FAURE (Host):
Thank you for that, Tasha — so true. And just to pop back to the question of when to seek intervention: my middle child was a little bit like Luke — very happy to sit and watch the world go by. When she did go onto her tummy, she started doing that little aeroplane thing, where arms and legs both went up in a banana shape. I realised she wasn’t developing her tummy muscles — great back muscles, but no tummy muscle development. At 10 months I took her to physio, and exactly as Tasha said, it was just three sessions of NDT physio — neurodevelopmental therapy — and within a week she started crawling. So if you have concerns, a session or two with an NDT-trained physio or OT could make all the difference.
So, tell us — what’s going on with sleep or feeding? Any challenges or wins?
[11:50] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
I feel like our feeding has become a big win! We were maybe on the slower side to transition to various textures, but finger foods have always been offered. It’s only in the last two to three months that they’ve really started enjoying solid foods. I’ve started serving food bite-sized, because they’ve mastered the pincer grip and can pick up small pieces and put them in their mouths.
Something I’ve noticed is that Jordan doesn’t seem to realise when he’s full! I dropped them off at daycare after they’d already had cereal and their first bottle, and I saw on the app that he’d eaten his entire morning snack before his nap. He’s definitely just saying yes to everything!
Luke, on the other hand, is very good at showing me when he’s full. And the other evening I made cottage pie — something Robbie and I would eat — and the boys absolutely loved it. For me, that felt like a real win. I was finally able to make food for the whole family and they enjoyed it too. We’re slowly getting there!
[13:12] TASHA PERREARD (Nurse & twin mum):
Can I just add — at this age it’s so important to start eating with them, if you can. A lot of people still focus on baby foods and keeping everything quite bland. But now is the window of opportunity — before they potentially become fussy toddlers and picky eaters. At 12 months there’s almost nothing they can’t eat, so anything you eat as a family, they can absolutely start eating too.
Can I ask — have you introduced all the allergen foods at this stage?
[13:46] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
Yes, I’ve done all the allergens and we haven’t had any reactions! The funny thing is, every time Robbie kisses the boys — he’s got a bit of stubble — they always have a little reaction on their skin. So I panicked when I saw a reaction on one of their chests and said, “My love, is this an allergic reaction?” He said, “No, I kissed them!” So that was a relief!
Allergy-wise, I’ve introduced all the major ones and we haven’t had any reactions, which I’m very grateful for. I do know some mums notice reactions on the fifth or sixth introduction — I’ve just kept adding things in and been very lucky so far.
[14:25] TASHA PERREARD (Nurse & twin mum):
When you mention the main allergens, there are quite a few that people don’t know about. For example: sesame, soya, gluten, and shellfish. A lot of people don’t think about introducing shellfish — it’s something many people only discover later in toddler years when a little prawn slips into a dish. Things like sesame oil, tahini, or hummus are easy ways to introduce sesame. And soya is another one people miss. Also — all the nuts. Some people only introduce peanuts, but you’ve got to do cashews, macadamias, almonds — all the tree nuts. Make sure those are all ticked off your list too.
[15:04] MEG FAURE (Host):
Sesame is quite easy to add in — just put some tahini into hummus and you’re sorted. I love what Tasha said, and I love the word “window” — because this really is a window of opportunity. All little ones tend to become picky eaters as toddlers, for a million reasons: they need less fuel, so they eat less, which makes us think they’re being fussy; and they’ve developed strong wills and use mealtimes as a place to push boundaries.
But right now we have this window where they are so open to exploration — different textures, different colours. Moving them towards family meals is wonderful.
We also love to encourage social eating. Most people feed their babies separately and then have their own meal later, but it’s really great to prioritise at least one dinner and one lunch a week where everyone sits together and eats at the same time. Eating socially is such a benefit — and in fact, that’s often what happens at daycare, where all the little ones have snacks together. Social eating is worth focusing on at this stage.
Now — you were asking about sleep?
[16:33] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
Last time we spoke, Luke was very disruptive — I think he was going through a leap. But what we actually figured out, apart from some separation anxiety and a sleep leap, was that he was getting cold at night. Jordan sleeps in a one-tog sleep sack, but we’ve been putting Luke in a 2.5-tog, and we’ve had beautiful evenings ever since. We simply increased how we dress him at night.
[17:05] MEG FAURE (Host):
That is super interesting — we don’t often see that, as most of us actually sleep better when slightly cooler. The fact that you problem-solved that is amazing. Is Luke your sensory-sensitive one?
[17:10] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
He is, yes — he’s a little bit more sensitive.
[17:12] MEG FAURE (Host):
That makes complete sense — he was clearly feeling the environmental impact. And they’re both sleeping well now?
[17:29] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
Yes — sleeping well, except for the first week of daycare! These boys have snotty noses and a horrible cough. I’ve never had to deal with a cough before. We’ve had snotty noses in the past — you bring out the little snot sucker and the saline spray, and it’s awful because they see that thing and start crying immediately. But this is the first time we’re dealing with a night-time cough.
When they were on their Nurture One pillows at an angle, they slept relatively well when they first got sick. But now I’ve taken the wedge from that pillow and shoved it underneath Luke to elevate him slightly, and that is helping. But — what can I actually do for a baby who has a cough?
[18:21] MEG FAURE (Host):
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So — what can you do for a baby with a cough? I’d love to hear Tasha’s response too, but in terms of medications, you do need to be careful with little ones — particularly cough medications. There is one I really like, which is homoeopathic — it’s called Stodal, manufactured by Boiron. It’s quite a thick liquid, and whether it’s the thickness itself that soothes the throat and stops the post-nasal drip, or whether the homoeopathic elements genuinely work, I’m not entirely sure — but it works well. That’s something that can be used with babies, as a gentle cough soother, since we don’t really use cough suppressants at this age. Tasha, what’s your recommendation?
[19:23] TASHA PERREARD (Nurse & twin mum):
So the recommendation really is not to give any cough medicine under the age of two. Under two, you actually want them to cough — you want to get that mucus out of their little lungs. The only cough mixture you can really use here in South Africa is Prospan, which is a herbal medication — but certainly nothing stronger than that under two.
A lot of the time, babies cough because of a post-nasal drip — mucus running down the back of their throats, which stimulates the cough reflex. So the most important thing is saline — saline, saline, saline. You want to thin that mucus and clear it from their nasal passages. Using saline spray three to four times a day is really helpful, along with a nasal aspirator. There’s also a product called ACC, which is a mucolytic that thins the mucus — you can get a syrup formulation for babies from around six months old.
In terms of immune support for daycare — I sometimes don’t recommend starting daycare until you really have to, and particularly not in the winter months, because the exposure is immediate. That said, it is good for them to be exposed to bugs so they can build their immune systems. Things I recommend to support immunity include Vitamin D, zinc, and echinacea — there are junior echinacea chewable tablets that are lovely for slightly older babies.
And then I am a big, big advocate of the flu vaccine. Flu season runs from the end of March through to the end of September — sometimes even into October and November. The flu vaccine is recommended from six months onwards. These babies can get so sick, and many are hospitalised every year because of flu. For me, it’s a no-brainer — I encourage it 100%.
[21:52] MEG FAURE (Host):
I love that you mentioned that, Tasha, because there is some incorrect controversy — particularly around the flu vaccine. The reality is, a sick baby is incredibly difficult to manage, and you simply don’t want your babies to be sick. Vaccines are so important. I also saw in the news this morning an outbreak of measles in London — which should never happen. Measles should have been eradicated if people were vaccinating properly. So please do look into your vaccinations. Zoë, are you all up to date?
[22:34] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
We are up to date — we even did the meningococcal B vaccine, which came highly recommended here in Australia. We’re actually due their one-year vaccinations in March. And we weren’t allowed into daycare without being up to date — which is exactly as it should be!
[22:52] MEG FAURE (Host):
Absolutely — that’s the way it should be! Before we finish, I want to mention a couple of things coming up around the one-year mark.
Firstly, walking: the average age for walking in boys is 14 months, but they can walk as late as 18 months and it’s still considered within the normal range. Don’t push the walking.
Secondly, there’s a cusp age with sleep that’s quite interesting. Right now they’re probably on two day sleeps — one around 9 or 10am and one around 1 or 2pm. Between 12 and 14 months, they typically drop down to one day sleep. You’ll know they’re ready because they start waking at 4am, or fighting the afternoon sleep because they’ve already had their morning sleep, or fighting bedtime because they’ve had both sleeps and aren’t tired enough. It’s a little bit of navigation, but it’s very normal. Tasha, what do you advise mums about the 12–14 month sleep transition?
[24:12] TASHA PERREARD (Nurse & twin mum):
It’s a tricky stage, and every day can potentially be different — some days they’ll still need two sleeps, some days one. You just have to be very flexible.
What I always recommend is to gradually push out the morning sleep — by half an hour, then 45 minutes, then an hour — until eventually it’s sitting around midday. Then you bring bedtime earlier to compensate. For example, if they wake from their one sleep at around 1 or 1:30pm, you can bring bedtime forward to around 6pm.
Some parents are terrified of an early bedtime because they think, “If I put my baby down at six, they’ll wake at four!” But it doesn’t often affect the morning wake time as much as people fear. And if they’re in bed by six and you have the whole evening to yourselves — that’s a wonderful thing!
It also depends what time your baby wakes up in the morning. My son woke at quarter to five every morning and was still on two sleeps at 18 months — there was simply no way he could push through to lunchtime. But babies who wake at 7 or 7:30am will find the transition to one sleep much easier. What time are your boys waking up at the moment, Zoë?
[25:42] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
Luke wakes up anytime from quarter past six to half past six. If he wakes at quarter past, I just leave him and sometimes he dozes off again. So I’d say half past six is usually when they wake — but some days I don’t go into their room until about seven.
[26:00] MEG FAURE (Host):
It’s been so lovely to chat with you both again! Zoë, it’s been very special tracking the boys’ development. For those of you who haven’t heard Zoë’s birth story — please go back and listen. It was a natural vaginal twin delivery, which was quite extraordinary, and especially the way it unfolded. Do go back and listen to that episode.
Zoë, I think the next time we chat, the boys will be a year old — so enjoy every moment, and happy birthday to them next month!
[26:29] ZOË BROWN (Twin mum):
Thank you so much — and thank you for always being my reality check with everything. I really appreciate it.
[26:36] MEG FAURE (Host):
It’s a real pleasure — and thank you, Tasha, for joining us. I truly appreciate your wisdom.
Thank you for joining me today. I hope today’s conversation brought you a little more clarity, calm, and confidence on your parenting journey. If you enjoyed the episode, please do share it with a friend who needs to hear it today, and go and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. I’ll be back next week — same time, same place — and always here to support you. In the meantime, download the Parent Sense app to take the guesswork out of feeding, sleep, weaning, routines, and everything in between.
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