Download the Parent24 toolbarSearch Parent24 and get links to our Facebook and Twitter pages with our toolbar!

Follow Parent24 on Twitter!Want more excitement? Then follow Parent24 on Twitter now!

Parent24 : Toddler 1-2 : care nutrition : Twice as nice

Twice as nice

Pin It

What having twins has taught me.

Kate Wilson

Pic: iStockphoto.com

Article originally in Parent24

We recently went to an air show as a family. When we got to the front of the queue at the ticket counter and handed over our cash, the dude in the booth took a look at my twin toddlers and said “Twins! We should be giving you money!”

Yes, you are going to be a lot busier than a mom of one, but you will cope and still be happy enough to enjoy your double bundle of joy. I was lucky enough to have twins as my first children, so I actually didn’t know what to expect, and better still, I had nothing to compare it to. So I took it in my stride that being a new mom of twins was probably just as scary as being a new mom of one. It pays to be optimistic here. Here’s what I’ve learnt, most of which probably applies if you have only one baby too.

Buy in bulk
You are going to go through a lot more than you actually think. I was honestly surprised at the amount of nappies I went through. I knew I was going to go through a lot but I didn’t realise it was nearly a skip-full a week! You will also go through a phenomenal amount of clothes, some days I would go through 5- 6 outfits per child, so buy loads. One thing I never thought I would need bucket loads of is blankets. Not only do newborns get cold very easily, they vomit a lot.

Accept (and ask for) help
Nobody expects you to be able to cope on your own with one baby, let alone two. Even if it’s just friend to pop round and do a load of laundry or drop off a casserole, if it makes your life easier, don’t pass it up.

Improvise
Nothing is cast in stone. I found it exceptionally difficult to breastfeed both babies at the same time and I also couldn’t cope with feeding them after each other. So I would breastfeed one baby, whilst expressing the other boob. The other baby would then lie of its side next to me and I would prop a bottle up with some blankets or a pillow with the previous feed’s expressed milk. I would alternate babies at each feed and keep my eye on the one drinking from the bottle.

Write it down
Many twins are born prematurely and can be sick. Both my babies had very bad reflux and I needed to monitor the amount of milk both babies were getting at each feed as well as administer numerous medications to help with both the acid burn and constipation. Newborns can feed every 2-3 hours so in order to keep in control I would write down the time I started and ended feeding each baby when each one received medication.

You are not alone
Twins are actually more common than you think. Join a twins group like TATS. I found the newsletters very insightful. It’s a great place to learn about how others have done it and how to get through many of the challenges you will face.

Have you raised twins or more? What secrets can you share?