For many moms, when the two blue sticks appear on the pregnancy test, the assumption is that you’re getting a single baby. And now, the ultra-sound photos are out, and you can’t believe what you’re seeing, you’re not carrying one, but multiple babies. There’s the excitement of having twins or triplets, but you’re also a little anxious. If you’re expecting or just had your multiple blessings, read more for some essential tips for caring for twin babies.
Twins come with double the blessings, and also double the work and double the shopping. Taking care of singletons is hard enough; it’s only reasonable to expect that it’s going to be a little harder caring for more than one tiny, totally dependent tot. As with everything else, being well prepared gets the job half-done.
While twins are both exciting and quite a sight to behold, you’ll be needing more resources – both human and financial – to handle them. This doesn’t mean you’re doomed if the resources are limited; you can still learn how to make the best of everything and enjoy taking care of twin babies.
How Do You Prepare for Twins Birth?
Even before the babies arrive, you need to take care of your pregnancy as most multiple pregnancies are classified as high risk. Here’s how to take care of yourself when you’re expecting twins.
#1 Heed your doctor’s advice
If you’re pregnant with twins and the Doctor has declared your pregnancy high-risk due to any complication, ensure that you heed the doctor’s directive. The most important thing is that you and the baby are alright. Therefore, you must work with the doctor to push the days the baby is in you as much as possible.
Take your supplements faithfully and eat a balanced diet to keep the babies healthy and developing well. If you are advised to be on complete bed rest, please take heed.
#2 Have everything ready early
Most multiples are born early, rarely do they get to the full 40 weeks. Have all the things ready at least by the 30th week to avoid the last-minute rush. Most moms of multiples are put on complete bed rest at about this time. Please make a list of everything you need and have it cleaned and stored in advance. Should the babies surprise you with an early entrance, you’ll be ready.
Schedule baby showers and all activities that involve a lot of movement or have lots of before this time. Shop for the essentials in the early weeks when you’re able to move around with ease and have your hospital bags packed.
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#4 Choose your delivery plan in advance
Ensure that you have had a talk with your doctor about what delivery method will work for you and book early. Twins can be born vagin*lly; you don’t have to book a cesarean section unless your doctor recommends it due to risks.
As you plan for your facility of choice, choose one with an excellent neonatal unit as almost 50% of twins babies are born prematurely. Also, ensure that your doctors and midwives have prior experience delivering twins to be in safe hands.
Use this time to make decisions such as the type of birth you prefer if everything is alright. Twin babies can be born vagin*lly, but you can also choose to have an elective Caesarean Section. Many pregnant mothers are now choosing to save their baby’s cord blood. It would help if you made other choices, such as whether you’d like to undergo tubal ligation or have an IUD inserted during delivery. This is mainly for CS moms.
Discuss all these delivery options with your doctors in your prenatal visits to ensure that you’re on the same page.
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#5 Will you or will you not need help?
Before you get the babies, you should plan to get help with the babies when you come home. Babies are quite a handful, and twins make that task quite complicated. Arrange for a nanny or a relative’s prolonged visit service in advance if you plan to have an extra hand. This will help you orient them to your plans, schedule and
If you plan to be taking care of the twins alone, planning the best way to make your work easier will save you a lot of stress. Make the babies’ things easily accessible to make your job easier. Read on for more details on how you can do this.
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How to Take Care of Twin Babies Alone
Sometimes you will have help with your twins, but sometimes, you might have to fly solo as your household members may get entangled in other activities, leaving you alone with two identical little screamers. Here are some essential tips for caring for twin babies alone if you’re doing a solo job with them.
#1 Brace yourself
Taking care of twin babies alone will have you feeling like a crab competing in a walking-straight competition. You’ll be wishing you had an octopus’s hands and a spider’s feet. Sometimes, all the balls you’re juggling will be falling.
Sometimes, the babies will both be crying, their little lungs sore for no apparent reason. Other times, your hands are full with a soiled diaper that needs to be changed or milk that needs to be warmed. In short, there are times, they will cry, and you’ll not be able to pick them up immediately. That’s still ok; it doesn’t mean you’re in over your depth; it just means you only have to hands, and you’re doing the best you can.
They may also not understand your schedule and decide they won’t follow it. Feeling so fatigued that you could sleep yourself into next week is expected, but do not push yourself to be a superhero.
They may reward you with an easier time than you had anticipated, and that will be a welcome bonus, but don’t underestimate the potential of two babies bringing a grown woman to tears. When you’re mentally and emotionally prepared to be with the babies alone, you will have an easier time dealing with how the day turns out.
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#2 Have a similar schedule for both of them
If the babies are on different routines, you’ll soon exhaust yourself running around. Let all the babies’ activities be synchronized so that you’re not doing the same thing twice or even more times each day for the two babies. Make feeding time, bath time as well as nap times communal.
When you get the babies on the same schedule, this will accord you some time to rest. Make their nap times also your time to relax, take a nap, or sit and zone out. When you’ve had a minute to relax your mind and your muscles, it will allow you to be a little more energized for the next marathon when the babies wake up. This is one tip for caring for twins that will save you time and tears.
#3 Plan and practice feeding times
The most chaotic time for babies is when they are both hungry and cranky. Trying to feed one while the other waits is going to be very hard. All the same, babies are different; you may have one who’s cranky and impatient while the twin is content being second and waiting their turn.
Study your babies and make a note of their temperaments and preferences. Feed them according to their likings, at the same time, or one after the other, whether they are breastfeeding or on the bottle.
Before you’re on your own, practice the feeding methods you’re planning to use and see if it works and tweak it to what works for you. If you’re suddenly on your own without prior warning, observe the babies and make an executive decision depending on their behavior.
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5 Survival Tactics When Caring for Twin Babies
Whether you are doing it alone or with a pair of helping hands, caring for twin babies is no mean feat. Help is excellent and necessary. These tips for taking care of twin babies will help you and your childminder to navigate the twins world better.
#1 Learn how to breastfeed twins
Breastfeeding twins is an art as they mostly are hungry at the same time. You can consider tandem feeding to solve the problem of one baby screaming while the other one is nursing. To feed them together, use a breastfeeding pillow for twins and place them on each side on the left boob and one on the right.
If you’re not able to put them on the breast simultaneously, you can breastfeed one while giving the other one the bottle. If they are not breastfeeding but taking breast milk from the bottle, feed them both on their feeding pillows, on the couch, or even on their bouncy chairs at the same time.
Put babies who have already been weaned on the feeding chairs together and let them eat at the same time. As they grow, feeding together might create an excellent atmosphere for a competition, which works for you as the mom as they will be better feeders.
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#2 Buy twin gear instead of two items each
Shopping for twins means buying two of every item, and although you’re most likely planning to buy everything in pairs, you should note that twins can share some things.
Other items – such as prams, cribs, and feeding tables – can be modified to be used for two babies instead of one. If you’re the innovative type or spouse, you can create your versions of what you need, such as feeding tables and even the crib.
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#3 Allow the twins to share
Babies are expensive ad shopping for two babies and can leave a massive dent in your pockets. Take care of this by buying single items to be shared between the babies.
Washbasins or the washing station can be shared between them. Clothes also don’t have to belong to anyone, especially if you’re having twins of the same gender.
Use a swing to rock one baby while carrying or nursing the other one, which will enable you to offer comfort to both babies at the same time. Teaching twins to share from infancy is one of the best hacks for caring for twin babies. There will be less bickering as they grow older and learn not to own things; it will have been a worthy lesson.
#4 Meal prep in advance
Preparing every meal from scratch takes lots of time and energy, both of which you do not have. To have an easier time, freeze and store your food to be consumed little by little with no stress to cook.
Cereals, meats, chicken, and even vegetables can be boiled and stored for months in the freezer. Fruits, too, can be dried and frozen. You’ll need a healthy diet to keep producing milk and to heal after delivery, store some of this nutrient-packed food for the time when you have little energy to chop and marinate things.
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#5 Find a support system
Sometimes when you’re in your little world, you may feel like it’s crumbling. Find a community of mothers with twin babies and exchange notes. Sharing your struggles as a mom of multiples and finding other mothers with similar experiences can be the strength you need to get over mom guilt and be a great mom.
You’ll be shocked to know how similar babies are and happy to find that all these things that look like a mountain are navigable with the right information.
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Final Words
Good things come in multiples, and although twins may seem like a lot of work at the beginning, like all babies, they are a blessing. These tips for caring for twin babies will help you navigate the murky waters of the first days with newborn babies. Soon, you’ll be a pro-mom and advising other moms about what has worked for you. Remember to pass it on.
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Beatrice W, RDN
Beatrice is a registered nutritionist who loves to write. Health promotion is at the core of everything she does. Her mission is to inspire people to choose a healthy lifestyle.Being a mom is the most fulfilling role in her life. She also loves reading, cooking, and art. Her work is inspired by the need to pass information to new moms so that they can get it right the first time.
