Advice for Newborn Twins

What’s your Best Twin Tip? How did you cope!

** Routine * Sleep * Relax **

Congratulations! Your newborn twins have come into the world, or maybe you have just found out you are expecting twins ‘Now what do I do, how will I cope?’ is maybe questions you are asking yourself.

Of course the first step is to become acquainted with your new baby twins, twenty toes and twenty fingers, check. Two tiny people are now in your care, the feeling is incredible and overwhelming all wrapped up with love for these two little bundles. Now your twin journey begins…

My Best Survival Tips for Newborn Twins

Taking care of a newborn let alone two newborns is a scary thought; here my best tips on how to cope with your newborn twins:

Support is a must with Newborn Twins

How to cope with baby twins can be a scary thought, especially if you have premature twins which is common with multiples.

When my girls arrived I felt extremely tired and lost, having lots of support from family and friends really helped me get through the first couple of months.

There is also the possibility of hiring help even for just a couple of days a week, like a nanny or someone to help with household chores.

If it’s possible maybe your partner could take some time off to help you out for a couple of weeks. It was great when my partner took two weeks off work after our twins were born. This is also great bonding time for daddy and twins.

Routine is Essential

Routine routine routine, is the vital ingredient for happy twins and happy parents. You will be surprised how organized you will become, even the most unorganized people (like myself) can become highly efficient and prepared.

To start with newborns need to be feed about every 3 hours and will usually sleep a lot, giving you time to rest and recover. To help your newborn twins feel secure just start by doing everything the same for example (in routine) a cuddle, change diaper, feed, burp then back to bed.

Remember it will take a few weeks before your two babies realize what the routine is, and it will also change as they grow needing less feeds and less sleep. Generally this will be around 3 months.

Sleeping Twins

Putting your twins to sleep at the same time is important for healthy sleep habits and allows time for you to relax.
Having a bedtime routine like having a bath and a bedtime story will help your babies understand the cues to go to sleep.
Swaddling – wrapping your twins will help calm them as it mimics being in the womb.
Newborn twins love to be close to each other, after all they are use to one another being around. Sleeping your twins together can be of great comfort. I had separate cribs for our twin girls but I would sleep them together if they were unsettled, it worked wonders.
Allowing your two to fall asleep on their own is vital for good sleep habits now and later.
Sleep (or rest) when they sleep, don’t worry about the house work you need all your energy to care for your baby twins.

**Something to note is identical twins will have similar sleep habits and temperaments whereas fraternal twins could be quite different, making it more of a challenge to sleep your newborn twins at the same time.**

Be Prepared

Have everything set up and ready to go in their nursery and loads of diapers and wipes at hand before your lovelies arrive. Once your twins arrive home have diapers, wipes and extra clothes all throughout the house and even in the car. You will have everything at arm’s length when you need it.

Support Group

Talking to other mothers and parents of twins can be a great resource, find a twin group in your neighborhood. Joining a playgroup not specific to twins is also great for your two as they mingle with single babies and children helping them socially.

Home Life

When cooking a meal cook enough for two dinners and pop one in the freezer. You will have back up dinners ready to heat and eat on those chaotic days.
Relax and enjoy, the tiredness will pass and it will get easier, try to focus on that when you’re having a bad day.
Before the arrival of your twins have the cupboards stocked up and even prepare some meals for the freezer.
Grocery Shopping – Shopping with your twins can be very difficult. The best way to do the weekly shop is to get someone to look after your baby twins (straight after a feed so they have a nicely full tummy). If relevant/able you could even do it at night when your partner is home.
If you have other children get them involved with caring for the twins. This helps bonding between your children and time to talk with them, maybe you could read a book when reading to your twins.

What Other Moms of Twins Have Shared

Only tips I have is no matter what keep their feeds together. If one wakes for a bottle then wake the other because if they get outta sync and go on opposites, for bottles its a nightmare. No matter what goes on routine is a biggie, even more so with two.
Never turn down offers of help and take every opportunity to sleep when they do.
Being a mum to twins is hard work but so rewarding. To have a single baby you burst with pride, to hold twins you really do feel like the luckiest women ever.
They bring their own uniqueness too, like when they cuddle each other, suck or hold each other’s hands.
Being a mum to twins is the best x
Helen Hawkey
The first weeks and months the 5 s’ from the book – “Happiest baby on the block” worked for me (shh, soother, swaddle, swing, side/stomach). In combination with this I used the sound of running water and Dr. Brown bottles. I also used Ovol as needed for gas.
As the girls got older, swaddling had less of an affect. Now I use the hood fan to calm them down.
We have a night-time routine now which is bath, lotion, change clothes, say goodnight and then feed and sleep. I use soap every second day and only wash hair with soap once a week to avoid cradle cap. The girls are asleep within 15 minutes after the routine. I plan to cut out one night-time feed soon and make the transfer to the crib by month 5.
I give ovol every night right before the last feed. I use side to side swings for the first long stretch of sleep (four hours) then we co-sleep the rest of the night. Girls feed every three hours. I still use soothers and one twin likes to hug a Binkie. Oh and I switched formula from similac to good start, my doctor said good start ready to feed is easier to digest than any other formula, and it worked like a charm.
These are just some tips aside from the obvious “keep them on and schedule and ask for help.
Sheena
I am a twin. My mother told me, when I was older, that because my twin sister was colic and woke up in the night to eat more often, she would wake me up as well, and try to get us on the same feeding schedule. She felt bad about it later, as she confessed, because I ended up being the most picky eater on the planet..I hated most food, and had a small stomach and got full very fast. This went far into my adulthood. Just a tip……..from one who has been there. Find the balance not only for yourself, but for the twin who is also a singular individual. Now, my sister eats everything and a lot of it, and I still eat smaller portions.
Sue
For all those having twins or more arriving soon… my twins are 4 in a few weeks and i can say the most wonderful gift I received by far was a product called “Its been”.
They can be found at places like Babies r Us and are very inexpensive. You will need one for each, they come in different colors, or I recommend writing the babies name on it to keep from mixing them up.
The features are timers for specific things , such as diaper change, sleep, feeding and one you can make for anything else that may be helpful. Each timer has a reset button, so when daddy changes a diaper ,or I suppose if you wanted to keep track of bowel movements only you could, then he pushes the reset button for that baby… then when mommy or grandma checks on the baby she can see how long ago it’s been since the last one. Same way for sleep, start it when they go to sleep, reset when they wake… then you know how long they slept and how long since they slept, and also for feeding.
The other features are a belt clip, I clipped it on their bassinets, I suggest keeping it with each baby at all times, that way multiple care givers don’t have to hunt for it. It features a short timed night light so you can check on things without flipping on a bright light. It has a little left and right flip switch to keep track of which side you breast feed on the last time (if you choose to do so).
They may have improved this item in the last 4 years, all I know is I would recommend it for multiples… or anyone for that matter !! It took so much guess work and confusion out of the picture and lets you concentrate on more important things like those little precious bundles. Sorry this was so long , I just had to share !!!
Catrina Larsen
Feed at the same time whether it is breastfeeding or formula feeding… There is no set schedule for anything so relax…. Sleep when you can…cause for the first 6 months sleep is hard to get… Accept household help when you can and it is okay to let the housework go…. Watch out for signs of ppd, postpartum depression, because it can sneak up on you… Your hormones go crazy after having twins so you can be extremely happy for weeks then crash hard after your hormones have leveled off… Make sure you take care of yourself too.
Crystal Meeker-Stasyshan