Tips for first few weeks?

Hi,
I'm new here... I'm 36 weeks today with twins, so they could arrive any day (both head down and no c-section planned for now!). I'm know getting the babies on somewhat of a schedule/routine is crucial to survival (although may not be possible right away). Just wondering if anyone has tips/advice on how to survive the first few weeks with my babies, feeding/sleeping advice etc. I hope to breastfeed as much as possible.
Thanks!!

Travelbug

 

the best advice anyone gave me was to feed at the same time. if one wakes up hungry, feed both. letting them get out of sync will mean no sleep and no order to the chaos.

good luck! there will be plenty of support here in the coming weeks and months and years as they arise.
:youcandoit:

 

Congratulations!!!!!! I personally wouldn't worry about a schedule right away, but definitely keep it in the back of your mind. In the beginning, it's going to be survival mode. What helped dh and I alot-was we took shifts at night(I pumped/bottle fed). So I would get a 5-6 hour stretch of sleep, and then he would. That way were both weren't exhausted.

And once the boys were older and more predictable, I did worry about the schedule. But I fed them both at the same time-all the time. I changed them at the same time, bathed them, etc. You kinda treat them like one baby. Sometimes it wouldn't work out as well, but for the most part-it always did. Oh-and I had them napping at the same time. But like I said-in the beginning-it will be all about surviving!

DH and I lived on take out food, or food if people brought it over/cooked it for us. I should say I lived on Oreo's... :laughing: It was much easier to eat a cookie then to make a sandwich! LOL!

Get out of the house! Go-do it! You'll be proud of yourself for doing so. Do it now while they sleep mostly. I would get them fed and jump in the car(maybe not so much when they were itty-bitty). It helps for your sanity-and it gets them used to it when they are young!

And if anyone offers help-hand off a baby and SLEEP. I wish I did that more often when they were little, but I was always worried about cleaning up here or there.

Good luck! It will be an exhausting experience-but a wonderful one!

 

My girls are 7 weeks and 3 days and IM tired but I am also stuborn!! People are always willing to help with the babies and let me sleep and I never took it at all in the begining. But now in the past couple weeks I an learning to take it! Sleeping when I can so I dont snap at everyone that I am near.

MAYJOR ADVICE exp if your babies are preemies. Dont let a million different people around them when they are born. I let everyone who wanted to come see them and hold them. DH has a huge family. Even my friends little kids I would let come over. Then at 4 weeks they started having congestion. THey still have it and now its an ear infection! At 4 weeks I decided not to let anyone handle or see the girls til they are 2 months excpet my mom and sister and DH mom. MAKE SURE EVERYONE who handles your babies wash wash wash hands!! i think we easily forget that even if we as adults feel fine we coul dbe carrying a cold or something that our body can fight off and is immune too but not little ity babies!

Try and talk about a plan now about sleeping at night and what you and DH are going to do. TWINS can be stressful on your relationship with NO sleep! So talk a bout your plan now!

AlWYAS feed at the same time! One wakes up hungary, the other one is going to eat too!

Try and alert them during the day so they dont get days and nights mixed up. I know new borns sleep alot so the first week or so just wing it. But i would say after that make sure your alert every wake momment they have during the day, keep lights on and tv on, make noise whatever, and at night keep lights low(only turn on if needed) not alot of noise! babies can easily get days and nights mixed up!

sanatize btls, wash clothes, all those things NOW. you wont have time when you come home, the last thing you want to do is go use something and it has not been opened or cleaned, or the batteries not put in something.

If you are going to have outside help, line up a plan now. You dont want everyone there at once, take advantage of help and spread people out.

go out to diiner, movies, whatever NOW, you wont do it again for a while!

gooood luck! love on them babiesss!

 

Great advice from the PPs. My biggest advice, to any new mom, but especially with twins, make a ton of food for yourself and DH, and freeze it. We had about a month's worth, and it wasn't enough. The last thing either of you will want to do is cook.

 

And have lots of food ready that takes less than minutes to prepare (including clean up). That way you can make the food while a bottle warms.

 

We lived on paper plates, plastic cups and silverware for at least 6 wks, there was no way I had time to wash dishes in amongst everything else.

Feed at the same time, all the time. Ours got off schedule a couple of times and it sucks. It's better to wake one up and feed them then let them get off schedule by an hour.

We made a spreadsheet on the computer and printed it out, for us to keep track of feeding times and lengths (nursing), oz's (bottle feeding), wet and dirty diapers, and a spot to write any issues down (gassy, fussy) or any meds taken (mylicon for gas, tylenol for fever..etc). Within 2 weeks it was all a blur, there is no way I could remember who nursed on which side last, or who had a dirty diaper when, and then we were dealing with thrush so trying to remember who needed thrush meds when, including myself....etc. The spreadsheet saved our life because instead of busting my head to remember, I just checked the sheet! Once they got into a routine, after I quit nursing at 6 wks, then we just gradually stopped using the sheets probably around 2-3 months old, when they started sleeping some at night!

Snatch sleep when you can.

And take lots and lots of pictures, because you are not going to believe how fast they grow up! :wub:

My fav pics: I took a picture of them together in one bouncy seat, when they were maybe 3-4 days old. I took a picture of them again when they turned 1 yr old in seperate bouncy seats....it's hard to believe they used to fit in one seat together! :wub:

 

i second this motion!

try to find moments to write down your thoughts about the experience, the little things they do that make them different. don't be surprised if you have absolutely no time to think about baby books, but try to find a place where you can occasionally jot stuff down so you'll remember details later.

 

There is a ton of good advice on an old thread I bookmarked:

http://www.twinstuff.com/forum/index.php?/topic/27612-surviving-twinfants/

Congrats!

 

Make a personalized spreadsheet to write down feedings and diapers. Then tape it to your chest so that it is actually near you when you need to write stuff down. Ok, kidding about the second part, but I really had a hard time tracking all that stuff until I made my own log that fit my needs. And I couldn't remember anything to save my life.

 

Don't be afraid to ask for and accept help!
My DH and I did feedings at the same time, it saved our sanity.
If people offer to make food & bring meals-take it
Don't worry about keeping the house clean...it takes time to adjust with two new babies...take the rest you need when you can get it.
Keep quick and easy meals on hand...I think I lived off of cereal those first weeks :laughing:
Keep in mind that the tough times of babies not sleeping & crying will pass!

Good luck!

 

I definitely agree with the feed/sleep them at the same time. That is the best advice we were given. All of this is great advice. I would probably add to try and get as much rest as you can in the hospital before you come home because once you get home, you won't get any for a while. It's ok to let them stay in the nursery to catch a nap. At first I thought I would look like a terrible mom, but that nursery really filled up, especially at night!

 

I posted a similar question before my girls were born. A mom from the forum mentioned "itzbeen". I took the advice, went online and bought two of them. These two little time keepers are really our live savers. Everytime when we feed the babies we'll just press a button and it really helps us in keeping track of the feeding time. Especially when my MIL and I are switching shifts. And it works very well at night too. All I have to do is to press a light button then I'll know which baby is due for a bottle (that is if thier schedule is a little off). Sorry that I am not able to put a link here since I'm using my iPhone but you can find it online by doing a yahoo search. I bought a pink and green pair from itzbeen website. I was also worry about how to get 2 babies eatng a sleeping at the same time. But there is no problem at all. It seems to be natural for them to be on the same schedule. Even when thier time is off, it always takes just a couple of feedings to set things back again.

 

Congrats!

I agree, keep them on the same schedule!!!! I can't stress that enough!


I see you're from ON as am I, not sure where but my hospital offered the help of a lactation consultant. I refused it at first seeing as I "thought" I was an expert on BF from my 2 previous babes... bf twins is so different!

My parents used to come over at night and sit w the babies so dh and I could sleep in the first few weeks. They'd come over around 9 (or after their night feed) and let us sleep for the 2.5 hr stretch. That helped SO much!!

Come here for advice when you can, even if you only get the opportunity to read it's a great way to learn about your twins!

 

I agree with all of the excellent advice above. As much as anything, remember to log on and ask for advice on this forum whenever you are unsure of something or need support (and have a spare minute)!! I didn't discover this website until my girls were about 4 months old, and I REALLY wish I had found it before they were born - it has reassured me tremendously!!