Tips for raising twins (Twins In General)

Member Name: clairestevens

Product:	Twins In General
Date:	24/01/08 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Double the love!

Disadvantages: It's hard work!

So you're expecting twins! How are you feeling? Excited? Nervous? Terrified? The most important thing to remember is that there are no hard and fast rules to raising twins. The suggestions I make here are just that - suggestions. They are things that I found useful during my pregnancy and first year and that you may wish to try. Read all the information you can get your hands on, but ignore any books or people that try and tell you 'the only' way of doing things. I'm not talking about things like hygiene rules which should obviously be obeyed by the letter, but about things like routines - all babies are different and you may have to try a few different pieces of advice before you find what works for you.

- Be aware that more things tend to go wrong in a twin pregnancy. I was very lucky in that the worst thing that happened to me was swollen ankles and piles. My babies clung on to me until 39 weeks when I waddled into the doctors office and demanded that he do something about it! I think this had something to do with the fact that I'm very tall and was able to bear the extra weight better than someone a lot shorter and also that I took care of myself. Go to all the check-ups you're advised to and if you're unsure about anything see your GP or midwife immediately and take their advice regarding your health - they really do know what they're talking about! If you've not got any health problems try not to wrap yourself in cotton wool. Stay as active as you can. Eat well, but not too much - you really don't need many extra calories until the end of your pregnancy. Give up the smokes and the booze - apart from your babies thanking you, you'll feel so much better for it!

- I got all bent out of shape about my birth plan. I wanted a natural birth and was terrified that my hospital would try and make me have a caesarean. In the end, the doctors did bully me into having a caesarean at the last minute while I was in immense amounts of pain and you know what? It wasn't too bad. I recovered really quickly and was pushing the buggy into town in six days. A lot of twin births require some kind of intervention - try to go with the flow and not fret too much.

- I found it useful to get into a routine from day one. I don't mean a Gina Ford 'at 9.55 do this, at 10.05 do that' kind of routine, but we had a set time for waking up and going to bed every day. We got our children up at seven every morning and at seven in the evening they were put in their cots. Obviously there were days where they decided to wake up earlier, and for the first few weeks we had to get up in the wee small hours for a feed, but my husband and I actually managed to get plenty of sleep.

-I made sure I took them out in their buggy every day, even if it was just a few turns round the block. It helped me get back into shape (ish), the fresh air made them nice and tired for bedtime and I didn't get all cabin-feverish.

- I know this is a really contentious issue and I don't want to get lynched by anyone, but don't feel bad if you feel unable to or choose not to breast feed. It's difficult enough to breast feed one baby, let alone two! Breast milk is best, but that doesn't mean that formula is poison! I made the decision to switch to formula after both my babies had problems latching on - they would be constantly sucking but not really getting anything and I was literally feeding 24 hours a day. In their first thirteen months they've had two colds, so I don't think formula did their immune system any harm.

- Similarly, don't feel bad about using disposable nappies, at the very least for the first few weeks while they're pooing every five minutes. After a few weeks, if you feel able, change to reusables, but you need to be aware that you will have enormous amounts of washing and tumble drying to do and that this is bad for the environment too. My husband and I have assuaged our guilt over using disposables by increasing the amount we recycle.

- Try not to do too much housework. I started off by giving the house a spring clean every week like I always had, but soon found myself exhausted! I soon decided that as long as the kitchen and bathroom were clean, the rest of the house would just have to wait.

- When proudly wheeling your two angels around town, don't be surprised by the amount of attention you get. Twins are still fairly unusual and a lot of people will come over to chat to you about them. These people end to fall into two camps - those that say 'Twins! How lovely for you!' and those that say 'Twins! How awful for you!' I actually had an old woman come up to me one day and say 'Oh God - twins! I'd have killed myself!' I resisted the urge to punch her and calmly pointed out that they were marvellous children and I was thrilled to be their mum.

- Try to remember that your babies, whilst twins, are still different people. If one starts crawling or sitting or talking before the other one, it doesn't mean the other is retarded! I had real problems with this as my little girl was very quick off the mark when it came to first smiles, holding her head up and sitting up unaided and I really worried about my little boy. The tables have turned now, as he is walking but she won't even stand up!

This is by no means a guide to every aspect of raising your twins, but I really hope it helps. If you have any questions or you are expecting twins and want someone to talk to, please feel free to message me.

Summary: Wouldn't swap it for the world.