Twins
Congratulations on the arrival of your babies!! Although there will be challenging times ahead it is magical having two babies smiling and chatting to each other and you!
I know at the moment you probably feel that you will never get dressed or go out again but I am going to share a few of my secrets with you and make it all less of a worry.
Firstly a routine is going to be a sanity saver for you. This way your babies will be sleeping and feeding at the same time and then you can have some time in between for you! (and siblings/partner).
Using my book you can put your babies onto a routine straight away, it is based on their natural feeding patterns so you aren’t pushing them into one and as they put on weight you can move this along.
Top Tips for Twins
- Your babies may have been in NICU for some time if they were born early or had a low birth weight. Often they have been fed on a routine of every 3 or 4 hourly. So speak to the Nurses on the ward on how to proceed with feeding. If your babies are tube fed they may come home with their tubes in place and you will be taught how to feed them. If you want to breastfeed but your babies are tube fed, try using expressed milk in a bottle until they are stronger and more able to latch on. This may be when you get home, where you will be more relaxed
- Keep a log of each babies feeding and sleeping patterns + dirty nappies – this way you can see your babies progress and also if they are unhappy you can work out why / whether it’s constipation, hunger or tiredness
- In the early weeks your babies will be very sleepy, wake them in the daytime for feeds every 3 hours otherwise they won’t get the nutrition they need to put on weight. You can also wake them in the night if you have been told to by your midwife or neonatal unit
- You can breastfeed twins but will need help with latching on. It may help for the babies to take turns each feed. This way you can concentrate on one baby at a time. The other baby can have expressed milk from a bottle. Also, if they are having a growth spurt you may need to supplement their feeds with expressed milk
- Swaddle your twins until they at least 4 months old. They will then sleep longer and fuss less. Use a lightweight breathable material like cotton, bamboo or muslin
- Put your babies together to sleep as they have been together before they were born, so extend that bond they have. They will settle more easily if they are together and won’t wake each other up. Make sure the space is large enough so they are not squished together
“I am not sure what I would have done if Jo hadn’t arrived with a smile and amazing knowledge on twins. She has taught us so much. How to feed them together. How to get them sleeping at the same time and how to juggle the day with my two boys! They are amazing sleepers and are so happy. Coincidence? I don’t think so! It is all down to Jo and her calming teachings.” Julie, Mum to Ben and Joshua
Money Saving Ideas for Twin Parents
- Use supermarket nappies in the day and more expensive absorbent ones for nighttime
- Borrow things from friends
- Use water and cotton wool for nappy changing and grape see oil for dirty nappies and massaging for the 1-2 months
- Join a twins club this will provide equipment and clothes from other twin mums and also a support network
- Join Twinstrust.org (used to be TAMBA) as they offer discounts on many things like Clarke’s shoes, plus a great Facebook support page