10 Essential Tips for Raising Twins
Are you expecting twins and feeling overwhelmed? I understand! It is natural to let thoughts like, ‘Double the Trouble!’ creep into your mind and leave you feeling that it is too much to handle. So I have come up with essential tips from other moms of twins to help you better handle the stress that can come with multiples. These tips will help you from the day you find out you are pregnant, so it is never too soon to plan.
1 Be a Penny-Pincher
Save on baby gear by hitting up your local mom-to-mom sales. You can find phenomenal deals on gently-used strollers, pack-and-plays, clothes, and more. Keep your eyes peeled for a double-stroller to save lots of cash.
2 Deals and steals
Shop at Babies R’ Us or Buy, Buy Baby and take advantage of their double-purchase deals. If you buy two or more of included products, you get ten percent off the second one. Did you know that companies will literally send you money just for having twins?
Well, maybe not actual money, but they send coupons for their brand in exchange for a copy of your twins’ birth certificates. Look up Pampers/Luvs, Beechnut and Huggies to see their exact process for getting your coupons sent out.
3 Make an investment
Speaking of shopping, go ahead and invest in a nice double-stroller if it is in your budget. This is one piece of equipment that will get a ton of use and make your life much easier. Look for models with multiple configurations so you can swap seats in and out, back and forth as your twins grow.
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4 Get ready early
Carrying one baby for nine months can zap your energy and leave you breathless. Carrying two? Well, you can imagine the extra effort your body has to put forth. Plan on being basically lazy those last few months and get all of your planning and preparation done by the end of the second trimester.
It may seem like a lot to do in a little time, but you will thank us when you are struggling to tie your shoes by that seventh month. At the very least, have the major to-dos checked off your list. No painting or assembling for you past 30 weeks!
5 Accept help
You know the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child?’ Well, it is even truer for twins! Sure, you can do this on your own. You are a strong, independent woman. But do you really want to do it on your own? Let your village lend a hand.
If someone asks you how they can help, be honest. Let them bring you a meal. Have them do the dishes. Send them to the store with a list. It may be hard for them to take the babies off your hands, but they can certainly help with the chores – so let them.
6 Get on the same page
Once your twins arrive, try your best to get them on the same schedule. Is one hungry and ready for a bottle? Go ahead and feed the other baby at the same time. Is one ready for a nap but the other is wide awake? Lay them both down. This may be hard to accomplish at first, but it will give you more time to get things done without a baby. Or better yet, get some rest for yourself while the babies nap.
7 Hit the ‘easy’ button
We have all read the blogs teaching us how to make our own baby food or do cloth-diapering and we think it is wonderful to do those things if you have the time and motivation to do so. But you know what? It is okay if you don’t, too. Do what’s easiest and best for your family.
Your children will be just fine taking a bottle of formula and wearing disposable diapers if it means you are more sane and present in their lives. You do not need that added pressure, so just hit the ‘easy’ button every now and then. You’ll all feel better for it!
8 Keep them separated
Not literally, but do remember that while you are raising twins, you are also raising individuals. They may (or may not) look alike, but those are two different babies with two different personalities and two different paths. I am not saying to avoid matching outfits at all costs, they can be adorable and fun and I would not take that away from you. But I am saying to recognize their differences and embrace them. Celebrate the ways they are unique and let them know they are their own person.
9 Take care of yourself
Your babies can’t take care of themselves, so they need you to take care of yourself. I know, I know, it is hard to find the time to step away and take a shower let alone dry your hair. This is where that village comes in. Let your husband or your family member or your neighbor keep an eye on your babies while you tend to your own needs for an hour.
Take a longer shower, shave your legs, dry your hair and put on a fresh t-shirt free from spit-up. It is not just about looking better, it is about feeling like a new person. You will feel refreshed and more capable of taking care of your children once you first take care of yourself.
Read also – 10 Things No One Told Me About Becoming a Mom
10 Show some grace
You are not going to get it all right all the time. You are going to commit mistakes. You are also going to have to divide your attention at times, which means one child may feel ignored for a moment. You are going to have to let them cry at times. You are all going to fall down, just get back up and start over again.
This is a long journey and you are going to have to show yourself some grace along the way. There is no such thing as a perfect mother. Go ahead and accept that now so you can move on and be the best mama that you can be knowing that it is enough.
So there you have it, the ten tips for twins. Are you a mama of twins? Is there anything we left out that’s helped you along the way? Be sure to share with the rest of us in the comments.
