Having worked long enough handling marketing for a FMCG giant in India , the first thought that came to my mind after the monumental discovery that we were expecting twins was, ‘2 for 1 bonus’. One pregnancy - two babies! That’s a deal. Although a pregnancy and motherhood with multiples may have more hard work and planning, it truly is a two-for-one deal….at least for a few things.
While shopping for Twins remember 2 rules – Buy as much , as quickly as you can and secondly don’t buy too much .We learned from experience that we didn't really have to have two of everything. But let me also warn you here if are planning to compare your ‘must have’ list with the other new moms , your best friends’ , sis in law or a neighbor whom you feel is managing pretty well. It may not work. Not only are there specific products for twins in the market, there are many gadgets and resources you will require for a sane twin motherhood.
A lot of day-to-day twin management is trial and error - and we made our fair share of mistakes before figuring out what worked for us. If you are wondering why most of the free gyan on ‘baby shopping list’ from your friends doesn’t work ,remember - the first Principle for twinsanity is- Do things for them simultaneously – feeding , strolling, bathing …what ever possible.
When our babies had enough neck control, we simultaneously bottle-fed them while they were propped up on pillows side by side to save time. You can also plop them in their carry cots and do the same thing. We're still trying to master the art of bathing twins. When ours were infants, separate baths were more manageable. As they got sturdier, one pool party with seats in the tub works. Once they outgrew the seats, they have the freedom to splash... and get us completely soaked. If you don’t have a tub in your bath just give a bucket full of water at the right temperature and have fun watching them give a bath to one another.
Shopping for twins is fun but challenging! when I was shopping for my yet to arrive twin boys in Bangalore , I realized that baby shops are many, but there is probably more variety for pets than twin babies in even the top end baby stores.
Baby cots , Cribs or mosses baskets : In general, twins' anti sharing attitude doesn’t develop for several months after birth, so parents can get away with much more communal property while they're still infants. Take advantage of that time by buying only one and letting them share. One big ticket item that can be shared for several months is a baby cot. They'll actually enjoy the coziness of sharing the space while they're little infants. My boys shared their baby cot for at least 3 months. In fact my Doctor (whom I swear by) mentioned that studies show that putting newborn twins in the same cot helps them adjust to their environment by regulating their body temperatures and their sleep cycles. And you don't need to worry that they'll wake each other up - twins who are used to sleeping together won't disturb one another. Choose a solid sturdy cot with a range of positions for the mattress, you will need to have the cot mattress fairly high at first and then lower it when your children can stand up.
I don’t know about you, but my twins were the first babies I ever cleaned and fed. I still remember how it was actually a revelation to me that I would have to do this …endlessly. Breast feeding for most new moms even with singletons is a round the clock activity. But certainly breastfeeding twins is perfectly possible, of course - it is quite a strain on the body, certainly at first. Once you decide you want to breast feed your twins, there is the practical question - do you feed together or separately? You don’t really have a choice because if you plan to feed them separately you may need more than 24hrs in a day …… I decided to feed the boys together and always did so; even waking up a sleeping boy if his brother was ready. Pick up a feeding cushion to keep the babies in the right position (most ‘Mothercare’ outlets have them), I used the 'double football’ hold to feed them- which is with one baby under each arm with the legs behind.
Most importantly, invest in a breast pump. This was a real eye opener for me. I had found the perfect solution to my fatigue and trauma of being confined to a single position for hours. Now I could give my boys my own milk and also manage 3 hrs of continuous sleep. My husband, starved for his little piece of mommydom, gladly volunteered to respond to their bedtime hunger wail at about 10 pm. This ensured I latest get an undisturbed sleep from 8:00 pm until midnight. Ready for next round. I used an electric breast pump, it’s faster and more efficient. Most baby shops stock a variety of these – Medela , Mothercare , Pigeon …
By about 6 months I began to transition the boys to formula. To be honest, I couldn’t wait any longer to introduce formula. And found myself with an hour or two of leisure time. They did absolutely fine and are completely healthy. When I finally fully transitioned them to formula at about 9 months, I had a small celebration with my husband – some baileys with a vodka after many many months.
With Bottle Feeding your twins you do have to be slightly more organized. You will need a good supply of bottles , a bottle brush , a thermos and of course a good sterilizing system. Again, many around you with young babies may tell you that they didn’t really use a anything more than bottles, brush and the milk powder.
With about 6-8 feeds per baby can you do this each time ….and in shortest possible time … remember ....you have 2 babies howling with hunger.
Making each Feed means you will need to
1.Sterilize your bottles. Pre boiled bottles can’t be kept for over 45 mins
2.Make the bottles quickly – fixing the teat and the top.
3.Boil and cool the water to right feeding temperature.
4.Mix the formula.
5.Test the temperature on back of your wrist.
Don’t think twice before picking up a bottle sterilizer. Milk bottles are a fabulous breeding ground for bacteria and therefore it is very, very important that your babies’ bottles are sterilized before each use. Even though your mom and mom in law may recommend boiling bottles after each use, its practically not possible to do so with 8-10 feeds a day. These come in basically 2 types. Steam ones- just plug into the mains and operate in a similar way to your oven or a kettle .These sterilize the bottles and if the bottles are not removed can be used for many hrs post sterilization. These are very easily available at any baby shop or even a lifestyle or shoppers stop. I can safely recommend, after personal use a Mothercare 6 bottle sterilizer . The other option you have is a Microwave sterilizer. These simply slot into your microwave and sterilize fairly quickly. I was a bit uncomfortable depending on another electrical good to be used simultaneously for bottle sterilization.
While Choosing Bottles make sure you choose bottles which will hold at least 7floz (200ml) of milk, whilst at first your babies will not be able to drink this amount of milk at first, they soon will, therefore getting the bigger bottles from the start will save you money in the longer term.
Teats come in a range of shapes. Different babies have different preferences so you might have to buy a range of different teats before you hit on the correct one for your baby. Also don’t be too alarmed if your twins prefer two different types of teats.
Another tip would be to purchase a spare thermos or a flask and only use it for storing water at the right temperature for milk feeds. It saves the annoyance of your boiling and cooling water.
A good place to carry out a double feed is by placing your twins in their carry cots or chairs and sitting in between them holding a bottle in with each hand. Another way is to create pillow props on your bed and once again sit in between them holding the bottles with each hand. Now, there are items in the market available for hands free feeding which may be of some assistance when bottle feeding your twins. As with all aspects of parenting twins you need to practical, flexible and creative...
As a mother of twins I’m often asked, how do I manage to get out of the house with 2 babies. Most moms with one baby express great surprise and think with 2 babies it would rather be an extreme experience. But being in a city away from much family support, a job and a pretty hectic social life ensured that we frequent not only the big bazaars but also go menu tasting to new restaurants in the city.
Even in a country like ours where car seats are not mandatory, they are your best friends if and when you decide to take your twins out to travel within the city. Its best you pick up your carrycot cum car seat as early as the first month. All baby shops, lifestyle outlets and even shoppers stop will have a variety of these. The carrycot can be strapped securely on the back seats to turn into car seats. If required you can comfortably drive your car or choose to sit in the front seat with your husband. Though I didn’t have that luxury as I usually sat between the 2 car seats entertaining my boys with some live karaoke music that played on FM radio. But guess what you can still surprise your friends at the wedding with your still fresh uncrushed saree.
Incase your babies have fallen asleep during the drive, you can simply un strap the car seat and pick up the carry cot each . The babies feel more comfortable sleeping in a carry cot than changing hands not only between you and your husband but many others. You must be aware of those ‘aajaa aajaa baby’ aunts at the parties.
These will last you till the twins are about 1 year , by then you can go into standard car seats with a harness strap going over and shoulder and between the legs . Most car seats have many strap position option to take you from year 1 to 6.
The Other equipment that I thank inventors and manufacturer for is the twin stroller. For twins, strollers can be a huge convenience and a real benefit, and can make a huge difference to your day to day routine. We put in as much thought into choosing our double stroller as we did into selecting the make and model of our new car! And for a good reason. Your mobility depends on it. Without one -- or with the wrong one -- moving babies from place to place can be a logistics nightmare. The right double stroller makes for happy babies and happy mommy’s.
Double strollers are available in not all but many baby stores such as Mothercare and lifestyle baby. I came across 2 basic configurations: Tandem strollers (front/back) where the seats are arranged in a line with one behind the other.The other model, usually called side- by- side strollers, where children sit next to each other, facing the same direction.
We picked up a side- by side stroller for our babies so that they can be seated alongside each other and better interact as they grow and they also enjoy the same view from their seats. I have used my side by side wonder every day for the past 2 years. During one of our international holidays I tried my cousin’s tandem stroller and was happy about my decision to pick up a side by side option. As the kids get older, this is an important factor as it will reduce the fighting and bickering that might take place over who gets to sit in the back seat ….and have the liberty to kick the one sitting strapped in the front.
Pick up your stroller when ever you are ready to step out with your twins, as most strollers have many reclining positions for the little bundles to be in lying down position.
When choosing Double strollers, always check for
1. It is suitable from birth
2. The back has a few different positions.
3. Ask the assistant in the store to show you how easily it will fold up and how heavy it is to lift up to the height of the car.
4. Do take a tape measure with you and measure it folded up, to Double check it is going to fit into the car boot.
We have used our strollers not only at for taking the babies for their evening stroll, but for all our holidays, at airports, shopping malls and big bazaars.
My latest discovery and a wonder tip is that the stroller is also great to put your twins to sleep simultaneously. Most mommys’ with one baby may not understand the complication of putting twins to sleep , you definitely need two rooms and two people to do so . Here your stroller is your best friend again. Post dinner, strap your duo in the stroller and take them out for a nice stroll, it will not only calm them down, you will be surprised how quickly they fall asleep.
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