Raising twins with one and only one thing parents can expect is that your new life will be completely different from parents with only one baby. The best advice you can get will be from parents with twins or triplets and experience with you. I turned to other twins for “survival” advice for raising two kids at the same time.
"Follow the timetable that you have outlined, no matter what."
Jaime Cohen Pickles, mother of four four-year-old twins, Ryan and Sophie, said. If one baby wakes up, wake up the other. One baby is at mealtime, and the other is also about to eat. For sure, your brain will suffer from sleep deprivation for the first six months. So keeping track of what happens during the day is one way to stay awake.
My husband and I recorded everything on a large board in Chloe and Claire's room. Cohen Pickles used the "Twins Time Diary" to keep Ryan and Sophie on a calendar for the first eight weeks of life.
To make it even better, Pocket Nanny is an application software that allows to record the time of diaper changing, napping and feeding. Jumelle Twin and Baby Tracker software is used to track teething, fever and milestones in your baby.
2. Simplify meals
Taking care of two hungry babies is extremely stressful. Whether you are breast-feeding or bottle-feeding (or a combination of the two), do whatever you can to be proactive in feeding at the same time. Erin Ballew, mother of four-year-old boy-girl twins, Orson and Astrid said. When bottle feeding, it's more convenient to have two places for two babies to sit and suck at the same time.
I breastfeed and bottle my daughter and realize that it really helps to prepare everything beforehand. I will prepare the meal needs in advance: a feeding pillow, a bottle, a milk bag, breast milk or formula and a snack for myself. When bottle feeding, use two pillows and a crib to support your baby. Take two tissues or a bib for your baby to wear. Hold a bottle for your baby or use a bottle holder for a bottle-feeding baby, for the rest of you you can breastfeed or feed your baby manually.
After eating, help a baby burp while the baby is having fun and swapping turns. And then, mother should reward yourself after conquering the "struggle" to eat for two twins.
3. How to raise a baby for twins?
When the twins are young, it's easier to bathe when the baby can sit in the crib next to you. From birth until about 10 months old, in the morning and before bedtime, Katie Belt, mother of twins Cash and Maddie, will have the boy sit in a baby chair while bathing her daughter. "When I finish bathing and dressing the girl, I will put her in the chair and the boy comes in," said Belt. When the baby is about 6 months old and can sit by himself, moms should use a shower chair to make it easier for two babies to bathe at the same time.
4. Know which baby is which baby
In the early days of having twins, there will be times when you wake up at 3 in the morning and can be confused about the two because they are too similar. My husband, Brendan, and I dab pink nail polish on Claire's big toe to differentiate between the two and avoid confusion.
5. Connect with parents who have other twins
Build a community with parents who can understand living while raising two babies. You can search on Facebook groups or sites like Theasianparent.com. We have saved a lot of money on baby clothes by exchanging clothes with other mothers whose babies are 6 months older than their babies at home. But, above all else, parents of twins or triplets understand the heart and the hardships that you have to go through.
6. Practice putting your baby to sleep
The best we ever did was get into sleeping habits for Chloe and Claire when they were 6 months old . After a long night of staying awake, we reached out to a sleep consultant who gave us a nap schedule and mostly accompanied us throughout. After three days of practicing sleeping for my children, my girls slept all night, which made our lives a million times more wonderful.
However, not everyone is ready for the challenge of learning to sleep for your baby. Whitney Peach discovered that the book "Healthy Sleep Habits for Twins" by Marc Weissbluth, helped her set a good sleep schedule when the twins, Isabella and Violet, were 10 weeks old. This is a reference to great sleep, Ms. Peach shares.
7. Use double gear
Some twins are quite excited and always use twins for twins. Skyler Wagner, the mother of two two-year-old twins, Sagan and Huxley, used a twin stroller to take her out. Initially, I practiced indoors until I got used to it before I ventured out, she said. Actually, I prefer having two because my husband can help me push the baby.
8. Both babies cried
The most stressful and terrible moment was when both children were fussy and crying. Finding solutions to soothe your baby is challenging because each baby may like it differently. Cheri Wagenbach, mother of seven-year-old boy-girl twins, Alexander and Mackenzie, and two other children, said, “These two swings saved me when the children were crying at the same time. When my girls are fussy, I put one in the crib and comfort the other. It is not fun to hear two children screaming together, but finding an effective way to soothe each child takes patience and practice.
9. Share duties and responsibilities to raise twins
Asking for help isn't always easy, but sharing responsibility and having another hand support is key to surviving with two newborn babies.
Father John Falvo recommends discussing and handling your twin parenting responsibilities. This helped him and his wife, Jen, raise their two 21-month-old daughters, Angelina and Sophia. My wife and I are a team, so we need to share the work together, Falvo said.
I bathed the girls while she dressed them up. Before I go to bed, I prepare lunch for the next day. Washing the dishes, the two will take turns. Sometimes, one parent will take on more than the other, and a couple needs to communicate well so that it doesn't affect the marriage.
For a single parent of twins, relying on a grandparent can be very important and helpful during the first few weeks. Single mother Lehra Samadhi temporarily moved in with her mother and step-father retired when twin sons, Raj and Axl, were born. My mother was a huge help in the early stages of raising the baby, says Samadhi.
Expert assistance with expertise in the process of raising twins
Seek a specialist, such as a sleep counselor, night nurse or therapist, to help you when you need professional advice. There are twins that are very difficult and exhausting, Ms. Ballew said. I will book a 45-minute session every few weeks to help her get through this difficult time.
Although it will be very extreme, but everything will be easier and better after the first six months .. One day will be very long and the months are very short, but soon you will be the one to cheer and share experiences to the fathers. another mother.
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