With all the joy and excitement that babies bring comes the part that every parent has to go through – management and survival. Life with twin infants is like twice the pressure and stress. Before we dive into the list of things on how to survive the newborn twin phase, we want parents to remember that this is more of a skill that gets better with practice and time.
There are no certain rules or shortcuts to parenting, but following some guidelines and ideas that experienced parents have learned might make your journey a little smoother and easier. And like Winnie the pooh said – It is not the destination or the journey, it is the company.
Try to Maintain a Schedule
Even though you have two infants at home, you don’t always have to have twice the work. The easiest way to cut down on some work is to maintain a schedule for both of the babies. Try to feed both of the babies at the same time.
You can try to get a double bottle feeder to warm and breastfeed them both. In the same way, try to put them to sleep at the same time so that you can relax or take a nap while they do. Following a schedule will bring some consistency to your life and you will have more extra time for yourself or the household chores.
Another tip to save your time would be to pump your breastmilk ahead of time while your baby twins are taking their naps. There are double breast pumps made specifically for twins!
Pack Smartly not Frequently
Packing for a newborn baby is a nightmare and it is highly likely that you will forget something important. And the rule of thumb is to be better safe than sorry here. Pack everything you need to after every time you get home.
For instance, if you used the wipes, pack new ones as soon as you get home. This small practice will not only keep you covered once you go out but also save you time and last-minute rush.
A bonus idea here is to keep extra supplies in your car or your personal backpack so that even if you forget to bring something, you can always reach out and get one wherever you go.
Easy Meal Preparations
As crazy as it sounds, you will barely have time to prepare your own meals with infants. Meals are something that has to be prepared way ahead of time so that you don’t have to rush for food in 10 minutes.
For easier meal planning, you can primarily depend on frozen food items. Cut some veggies and fruits, put them in a ziplock bag, label them, and put them straight into the freezer to use later. That way, you can have healthy and frozen food to cook in 5-10 minutes.
For easier meal planning, you can follow these cheap yet useful planners to make mental plans ahead of time.
Spending Time with Your Babies
Although parents are supposed to be with their babies all the time, it is recommended to spend time with your toddlers in specific ways for their proper growth. For example, talk to your babies in a soft tone, look into their eyes and smile, hold your child gently, and stroke. It helps both the parent and the newborn to build a deeper and stronger connection.
A great way to do that is by keeping both of the twins in a portable crib. While cooking or watching TV, you can bring the babies to other rooms and talk to them while working. To learn more about bonding with your newborn twins, check out this article – https://twinstrust.org/let-us-help/parenting/under-1s/bonding.html
Organizers are Your Best Friend
One thing that newborn parents are frustrated with is how messy their house is. This is a reality that you will have to accept while having children in the house. The only issue is finding things at the right time. As you won’t have time to look for things, your best friend will be the organizer. There are various organizers available online to keep your baby’s diaper, food, and clothes in one place. We suggest getting some simple yet spacious ones as you will need multiple spaces for your twins.
Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help
As parents, you may feel like others won’t get how hectic your schedule is. While that is true in some cases, most people will be more than happy to look after your cute little angels for a day while you take some rest.
So whenever you feel like you need another adult to help you out, try putting your parental worries aside and call family members or friends who live nearby. Chances are they have been eagerly waiting to help you out.
Even if it is something like holding your babies while you make dinner, or asking them to cook lunch for you, those extra couple of hours will make you feel refreshed.
Find a Community
Parenting gets a lot easier once you have other parents around you to share your struggle stories with. Especially when you feel like you are completely alone on this ride, seeing other parents going through the same problems as you are will make you stronger and more patient.
You can try to look up clubs at your nearby church or daycares, put up a post on your neighborhood page, or find other parents in your block to talk to and connect with other parents.
If that seems like a lot of work, there is another easier way to connect with other parents – social media. Some parents share their stories on Youtube and other social media accounts to help out others. Kayla Kendrick is one of the YouTubers who shares her life with twin babies. Check out her day-in-life video here
Take Care of the Hardworking Parent
After all the survival techniques, our last advice is to invest some time in the parent who has been nothing less than a superhuman with the newborns, that is YOURSELF! Parents often forget that they have their own schedules too.
Remember that your children will need a healthy and strong parent to keep them safe. So while you constantly take care of your little ones, try to order your favorite meal or put on some makeup every once in a while to be mentally and emotionally content.
Conclusion
Life with newborn twins can be confusing, exciting, and tiring all at the same time. And like we said, there is no easy way to parent. With proper guidelines and suggestions, parenting can be more about enjoying the time with your children and less about worrying about them all the time. Creating a routine that works for you and your newborn twins will bring the consistency, fulfillment, and joy that you had been looking forward to while being pregnant. And before you know it, your toddlers will be 6 months old and things will only get easier with time.
