Mom Tips for Twins
In a poll on Instagram I asked you guys what you would rather have a blog post about Twin Tips, or Must Haves! You guys voted Twin TIPS! I am not a Twin guru, and for sure don't claim to be one, the knowledge I have is small, especially because I only have one year down, and many to go, but I will share with you my simple tips, in hopes that it may ease at least one of you amazing woman, who are about to embark on the greatest, scariest, most amazing, exhausting, miraculous adventure of your life! With that said lets get to the Twin TIPS! Included are some of my must haves, because at the end of the day it is all kind of the same!
11 SUPER USEFUL TWIN TIPS
1. Everyday you wake up, remind yourself that the life you knew before is no longer your life, this is your "New NORMAL!" You may think this is an interesting tip to give first, but it is truth. If you are having kids around the same time as your friends, remember your normal will be vastly different from their normal. I am not saying that their life isn't being rocked, I am just saying times yours by 2!
2. The Uppa Stroller and MESA car seats have been my whole life!
3. The Twin Z Pillow was a game changer, it’s how I fed them 99% of time!
4.They slept in Rock n Plays for four months, because I could feed them in the middle of the night at the same time without moving them, I had them right next to each other.
5. Sound machine this is the one I use, its life saving... get one!
6. I have had them sleep together since day one in same room not crib. They have to learn how to sleep with the sounds of the other one, but not necessarily flinging arms hitting them. Frankie can be screaming her head off, and KoKo is out cold or visa versa, I had to be so strict with them, so different from Jonesy, but it has made it as bearable as it can be. I just told Justin today that twins rock, but let me be completely honest they will rock your world, before they really rock, it’s so weird I’m even choking up about it thinking about it.
7. Every dr nurse, pediatrician, gave me and Justin the same advice don’t get a DIVORCE within at least five years.... I don’t know why they say that because their isn’t a chance in you know what I would ever get a divorce with twins because you need each other more than ever. I have had to lean on Justin more than I have ever had to. We both had to get up in the middle of the night in the beginning when they were waking up twice in the night, it started out it would take about an hour from top to bottom when they woke up in the middle of the night, so I would take the first shift feed, change, diaper, and burp. I did them at the same time, but I have heard other moms don’t. Up to you. I eventually got it down to about 25 min at each feeding, and I was feeling real good.
8. Most importantly don’t rock them. They have to learn to lay down, and go to sleep. Many nights I was home alone, Justin was gone, and when you have two screaming babies you can’t bounce them both, probably one of the hardest things I have felt about having twins. When you are alone, and they are both about to loose it, and it’s only you. I would get such a weird feeling..... Just know if you feel yourself getting to that breaking point, your babies are much safer in their crib, then both of them in a very stressed out moms arms! Put them in the room walk away and give your self a time out, its what they need, but most of all what you need.
9. We made the twins formula every night, for the next day! This seemed to help so much, and eliminate a lot of unwanted stress during the day! This is the formula I used, and these are the bottles I used. I bought enough bottles for one day of feedings, and every night after the twins last feeding I would wash them all, let them dry, and make the formula for the next day.
10. I was super strict with the twins schedule, I got off one night and let them eat at different times, and I paid big time for it that night. We were up every hour on the hour, because they were off. It was so important to me to feed them at the same time, and nap them at the same time, so that never happened again!
10. I really struggled in the beginning with bonding with them, I felt like I never held them, cuz I was constantly doing something for the other one, i.e. change a diaper, burp, or feed. There isn’t that special time like there is with one newborn. Just know that it is normal and it will come. I am completely in love now with the girls and everyday gets better. When I think they are one it breaks my heart, and at the same time I want to shout for joy, because we have made it!
11. This was way more twin tips than you guys probably wanted, but most the people I talked to before I had twins couldn’t give me the real life details, because most of them were older, and have twins that are my age, they gave me tid bits like it’s hard, and your life will change forever, and trust me it did and has, but because mine is so FRESH I feel like I want to share it all with you guys to make it as easy as possible for you. You can have all the gadgets in the world, but in the end the thing that is going to make this go as smoothly as possible is make a schedule, be strict and stick to it. It has given me peace in this AMAZING trial! And yes I say trial because it is trying, but also the best most miraculous thing that has ever happened to me. I love all you Twin Mom's, and hearing your stories, struggles, and triumphs too! What a wonderful time we live in that we can be so open and communicate through these times of change in our lives. Again I know this is way more than you guys asked for, but I would have killed for someone to tell me the Truth and facts!
xoxo,
JayCee