Taking care of a newborn baby is a stressful job and that stress will be doubled with multiples. And your parenting life will be entirely different from the singleton parents. I would say you will be on a parenting adventure from the day they are born. Adjusting to motherhood with my twins was hard for me as a first time mom.
So as a twin mom, I would like to share few tips that I have followed to survive with my babies.
Disclosure: I independently select the products based on my research and experience. This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission for qualifying sales and there won't be any additional for you.
1) Create a schedule, stick to it no matter what.
Create a schedule and keep your babies on that schedule. Creating a schedule for a newborn baby is hard as they are not well developed and their sleep cycles tends to change every time. But getting your twins on same feeding and napping schedule is essential. So all you have to do is try synchronizing their timings from the first month onwards so that eventually you will have a schedule for everything.
No matter whether you breastfeed or bottle-feed, always feed them together. Also If one baby wakes up, wake the other one. You will find it hard to wake a soundly sleeping baby or may be you might have put a lot of effort to get them to sleep. But synchronize their nap times, so that you could also get some time to rest. Keep in mind that your babies deserve a well rested happy mother. So always keep them on a coordinated schedule to maintain sanity.
Also bathe the twins at the same time. You can either take help from someone or invest in two bath tubs. I was bathing the twins one after other and later realized that I could have save my energy & time if I bathe them together. Click here to find the bath tub which I have bought for my babies
2) Master simultaneous feeding
To synchronize your babies feedings you have to learn how to feed them at the same time. I used to breastfeed my babies and trust me it is going to be a really beautiful experience. It was hard initially to manage two hungry babies but once you master it, you are going to love that experience. You can also use this breastfeeding time to create a bond with your babies by talking, singing and kissing. Always keep everything ready(feeding pillow, burpclothes, water to drink, snacks and other essentials).
You can use twin feeding pillow if you can afford one and that could make your life much better. I bought a normal feeding pillow(With normal feeding pillow you have to use additional pillows for supporting two babies). Feeding pillow options that you can consider to buy are mentioned below.
i) KRADYL KROFT 5in1 baby feeding pillow with detachable cover
ii) Get It Cotton 5-in-1 Feeding Pillow with Detachable Cover,
Also if you are bottle feeding your baby, feed them together. You can take help from your partner or family while bottle feeding. Also if you find it difficult to manage babies while burping, accept help from others.
3) Don't get them overtired.
Never let your babies to be overtired. Always look for the sleeping cues and act before its too late. If you miss the sleep cues or tired signs you might end up in a witchy hour having two little ones crying together and fighting to fall asleep. It took me some time to learn this great lesson and I would say life before that was really difficult.
Once I learned this, I watched the clock and always manage to start their each nap after 1.30 hours from the time they woke up. Always watch the clock, because it will be hard for your baby to settle down if they are overtired.
4) Accept help and don't do it all alone
Taking care of two babies is a hard job. So don't hesitate to ask for help and accept it. You are not alone in this journey, so ask help from your partner, family, friends, relatives or whoever you trust . Have another adult stay with you especially at night. Accepting or asking help won't make you a bad mother. You might feel it hard to ask help initially but do not turn down any offers of help.
My mother stayed with me after delivery and that was really a great relief. I would say we wouldn't have survived without her. If this kind of help is not available for you, hire a babysitter or nanny to take care of the babies.
Also share you household duties with you partner or anyone who is there to support you. Raising twins will need a team work. So be a good team player.
5)Don't spent much on buying everything two
Now you have two babies and naturally you will be having a tendency to buy everything two. But this is actually not needed. You will need two high chairs, car seats and similar essential items. But do not spent on buying two similar toys, books and such items as you never know what your babies are going to like.
Also opt for gender neutral dresses for your newborns. It will help you to save a lot of money.
6)Lower your expectation. Just go with the flow!!!
You might have expecting your mom life to be better after putting a lot of effort in synchronizing timing for you babies, feeding them together and following all those tips & tricks. You might be expecting your babies to sleep through the night, have a good nap schedule and have a happy feeding time. But some days may still feel harder and you may find yourself in a depressing state again.
Don't let that expectations ruin your happy moments with your baby because you can't predict a newborn baby. It will take time for them to adjust to this entirely new world , so it is completely normal. Put all the efforts to make your life better with your twins and just go with the flow. Enjoy the moments with your little ones and do not stress too much.
7)Try out different sleep techniques
Try out different sleep techniques and follow any method which works well for you & your babies. Few methods are mentioned below:-
a) Swaddle them to sleep
b) Lay them in cribs or bassinets
c) Use cloth swings
d) Rock them to sleep
e) Take them for a walk to explore nature before bedtime
Create an environment and routine for your babies to sleep and follow any strategy which works out for you both.
8)Connect with other twin moms
If you know any other twin Mom speak with them and get to know their experience. I didn't had any friends or family members with twin babies, so I rely on the blog posts and social media to understand and prepare for my adventure.
9) Always plan ahead
Always keep a bag packed with essentials which you can take out when you are going out with your twins. Before bathing them keep towels, clothes, diapers and everything ready. Always keep you feeding space ready with pillows, bottles and other essentials.
So while raising twins you might feel overwhelmed but it is not an impossible task. You need to show the patience and go with the flow. Don't let that Mom guilt get you. Trust yourself and as long as your kids are happy you are doing an amazing job. You will find a lot of people judging you and a lot of suggestions for raising your kids. But make sure to take what you needed and follow your own mother instincts, Some days might still be harder but it is completely normal.
Remember that sleepless nights and stressful days won't last forever... So no matter how stressed out you are, enjoy the moments with your little ones as they will grow up in a blink of an eye and you won't get to enjoy those moments again!!!
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