How to plan for the twins

Hi everyone,

i introduced myself a couple of days ago as expecting Mono di twin girls in june. I have a couple of questions and was hoping experienced twin parents may help

1) sleep arragements: did you have the babies sleep together? for how long? in a basinette or crib?

2) what are essentials that i need to have on my registry?

3) your top piece of advice for a new twin mom


thank you so much in advance

 

1) When it came to sleep we did whatever worked in the moment.

2) A twin nursing pillow (even if you're planning on bottle feeding it can make feeding them at the same time easier), swaddling blankets (the vast majority of newborns love a good swaddle), sleepers with zippers (fussing with snaps in the middle of the night sucks), somewhere for the babies to sleep (crib or bassinet), and this one isn't necessarily "essential" but we can't live without ours - a white noise machine.

3) Hire a post partum doula - she will be an invaluable resource as you're "learning the ropes" & an extra set of hands to help with the logistics in those early days/weeks. If you can, find one with some twin experience.

HTH!

 

I had an Arm's Reach Co-sleeper. It's like a pack and play with a bassinet, but the bassinet is rated to 30 lbs instead of 15 (I think that was the comparison). It attaches to your bed, so you can have both babies right next to you. They both slept in it for a number of months, I don't remember, but I'm thinking 4-5. I also had 2 small bassinets on wheels that a friend gave me after her twins. It was nice because I could put a sleeping baby in and roll them to whatever room I wanted them in for naps. When they were tiny, they could sleep in one together, but that was only a month or so. I do think that sleeping arrangements might be a little different depending on if you're breastfeeding or not. I really liked the co-sleeper because I could pull one up to me and nurse while I was falling back to sleep, then lay them back in the co-sleeper and switch babies. If you are doing bottles, you'll need to get up to prepare them. On that though, my SIL said they kept a thermos of hot water next to their bed, with the formula already measured into a bottle. Then they could just pour the hot water in and shake it up without really getting out of bed. I thought that was pretty clever.

My advice is 2 things... the first few weeks go by incredibly slow, because you're so exhausted. But it will get better, by about 6 weeks, and then every month or two it seems there was a bit of a jump in things being easier. Then the other thing that goes with that is to sleep when they sleep, regardless of the laundry or dishes or vacuuming that's piling up. When they're napping, nap! And if anyone offers to help, accept. It's so hard for me, but when someone offered to mop my kitchen floor I almost kissed her. When another woman offered to clean my bathroom, I was mortified. But I accepted and was so grateful for the help. Neither of them had seen the messes, just were moms I knew from church and knew how it could be.

 

1. We started out with both girls in the bassenette section of a pack n play, set up near our bed. That was good for a couple weeks. But a lot of time they slept on my twin nursing pillow, wrapped around me, on the couch. It was actually pretty comfy and convenient for all of us.

Then both in a crib together for a few weeks, then separate in a crib at around 6-8 weeks.

2. Lanolin, my fav for all sorts of scrapes and sores. A good carrier, not just for outings, also for around the house. Better yet, get two; you can wear one on front and one on back in a pinch, or if you're out with daddy you both carry one. Everything miss bossy said!

3. Always have a glass of water handy, especially if you're breast feeding! Lots of easy, one handed meals.

Best wishes!

 

1. I desperately wanted my babies to sleep together but they hated it. Then they got to the point where they would only sleep in bouncy chairs or the swings so that is where they slept for the first 4 months. After that I put them in their own cribs in their room.

2. SwaddleMe 's or Miracle Blankets. They Swaddle a baby like no other. receiving blankets - I prefer to use them in the place of burp clothes, to put under the baby while I'm changing them (I don't bother with a changing table).

3. Listen to your body when pregnant. If you develop a complication slow down.

After the babies are born, treat them like 1 baby. Feed them together, put them down to sleep together, etc.

Make freezer meals ahead and don't be shy to ask for help or kick out people who aren't helping or worse- you don't feel like you can nurse in front of.

 

SwaddleMe Wraps are the best, we used them up until a few months ago, they are fantastic and you can still use them with their arms out if needed.

Ours slept together in a crib, diagonally in each corner on Tetra TeaTree Snuggle Bed which goes inside a crib to make the bed smaller. We had this in our room next to our bed, for the first 2 months then put them in their own cribs in a separate room.

Drink lots of water when breastfeeding, organise some freezer meals before they arrive (or get someone to make some for you!), have the camera handy.

And for me, I wish I had been better prepared for them to spend time in NICU - I just wasn't prepared for that (had my head in the sand so to speak!).

If you get a bodysuit with zips, get ones where the zips start at the bottom so that they don't get cold while changing in the middle of the night.

Feed, sleep, change together right from the start!

 

1. Sleep arrangements: they shared a crib for the first 6 months in the nursery. After that, they were getting too big to share the crib and our bedrooms were not big enough to hold two cribs, so they went to separate rooms after that.
2. I agree with the swaddle me blankets on the registry, they were a huge help in the early days. I would also add a boppy pillows or a nursing pillows (if you are planning to BF). I would also say lots of diapers and wipes too! I also agree with the white noise machine or a fan. Really helped my two out as well. Two things that I registered for and never used was the wipe warmer and bottle warmer, so in my opinion, skip those.
3. Talk to your DH/partner about your expectations for him as father and vice versa. Having children in general could be a strain on a relationship, so always keep the lines of communication open. Don't be afraid to ask for help and don't be afraid to accept others offers for help. Take them up on it! Take it one day at a time.

 

1) Ours slept together in a crib right next to my side of the bed for the first 6 months or so. After that we went to co-sleeping because the crib was too small for both, our bedroom was too small for two cribs and both were still nursing a lot at night.

I also found a bassinette on wheels nice to have - to take the babies around the house with me, wheel a napping baby into a quieter room etc. They only napped in there together for the first 6 weeks, but I used it a lot for one in the first 5-6 months.

2) Double nursing pillow. Sleep sacks - I prefer them to swaddling blankets. Lots of receiving blankets and burp cloths. If you ask for clothes, stagger the sizes as they grow out of the newborn sizes very quickly and it is nice to have some larger things at home. A wrap, a sling or a baby carrier (buy a second one once you know if DH is willing to carry too).

3) Listen to your body, get enough rest and always have water and healthy snacks at hand - during the pregnancy and in the first months after the birth. Discuss expectations and shared responsibilities with DH. Try to get DH to organize some time off when the babies come home. Limit visitors.

GL!

 

thank you everyone.. really good information from people who have gone thru it. i REALLY REALLY want to breast feed. and have read the section on here about that. i hope that i am able to.

thankyou again

 

You'll have to join us in the BF forum- the more the merrier. I think a common thread amongst many of us who have BF'd our twins is support from your partner and a stubborn will to stick it out when its not easy. That being said, you can do it'

 

Even better than zipper sleepers are layette gowns! My babies live in them! I put short sleeve onsies and socks on them also, and they are warm enough and good to go. Makes diaper changes a snap!