Having two babies (or more) at once is a lot harder than most people realize. When my husband and I found out we were having twins we were both a little nervous, and rightfully so. We knew that having two infants to care for was going to be a challenge because our friends had shared stories of the work that was involved with one baby.
If you are currently pregnant with twins, plan ahead and prepare to be ready earlier than if you were expecting a single baby. Twins are more likely to be born early than a singleton (a single baby). In fact, two out of three twin pregnancies end prematurely. If you want to attend “New Baby” or “Breastfeeding” classes, schedule those for when you are in your second trimester so that if you end up on bed rest you don’t miss the information you can gain from these courses. Consider holding your baby shower early too or maybe even after the babies arrives.
The first year being a parent of twins is really the most difficult. It can be manageable, but there will be a few times you might be overwhelmed. Give yourself the right to feel the emotions that come from having a new baby, or two.
You can do a few things to help you survive that first year.
1.牋牋牋 If you plan on breastfeeding have a back-up plan so that if you are not producing enough milk you are not worried about your babies going hungry. My twins learned how to bottle feed while they were in the hospital so transitioning them to breastfeed was a little challenging. My husband and I agreed that he would help me bottle feed them at night so that I could get some much needed rest. Because believe it or not, you need to get plenty of rest in order to produce milk for your babies.
2.牋牋牋 Ask for help. This is not always easy. After our twins were born my relationship with my husband’s family was a little stressful (it’s wonderful today, though) but I asked my mother-in-law to come help for one week. It was wonderful to have that second set of arms when my husband was at work.
3.牋牋牋 Share the workload. When my husband would get home I often wanted to crawl into bed to get some rest, but I knew we needed to work as a team to cook dinner, clean-up, and take care of babies. When I was truly exhausted or sick my husband understood that he would be on his own.
4.牋牋牋 Take a break. When the weekends came it was heaven when I could run to the grocery store by myself. I needed time to get out of the house and feel like I was doing more than just feeding babies and changing dirty diapers. Another thing I found helpful was taking the twins on a walk around the block. The fresh air was a great way to recharge.
5.牋牋牋 Play with your babies. As much work as it is to take care of two infants, enjoy the baby stages. When they are on the floor for “tummy time” join them on the floor too. Not only will you enjoy the interaction but it is also a way to wash away your worries for a few minutes.
You’ll establish a great schedule and then your babies will start to crawl. Then they’ll both start to walk about the same time and the rules (and routines) will change all over again. They say that the first year with twins is the hardest and I agree with that statement. Each year has gotten easier, although having two children the same age will always present its own unique set of challenges.