In this Article
Caring for a newborn baby can be a highly stressful job. Not only is the mother recovering from the delivery but she also has to make sure that the newborn is fed on time, is well rested, and is growing in a healthy manner. However, the stress more than doubles when there are not one but two newborn babies to be taken care of. Mothers have to juggle the schedule of not one but two babies.
Is It Normal to Experience Difficulty in Dealing with Twins?
Coping with just one newborn baby can be extremely difficult. Most new parents get rest only when their baby sleeps. In fact, the time that the baby sleeps is used to do chores around the house, take a shower and most importantly get some much-needed sleep. With twin care, the difficulty only doubles. New parents find it hard to get the help they require and must juggle responsibilities along with the baby’s sleeping and eating schedule.
It is perfectly normal for parents to have a difficult time coping with newborn twins and taking care of them can be a daunting task. Keeping that in mind, it is best that you arrange for help with either family or friends or even professional help or a combination of all three. It is essential that you realise that even your physical and mental health is taken care of in order to allow you to be effective.
Top 10 Twins’ Baby Care Tips
There are many steps you can use to help cope with looking after newborn twin babies. Making these simple changes to your schedule will give you greater peace of mind and allow you to recover faster. Here is how to care for newborn twins:
1. Sync Schedules
Syncing the sleeping and feeding schedule of both babies will allow you to get some rest when both babies are napping. Paediatricians recommend that the best way to do this is by waking up the other baby when the first baby wakes up for feeding. While everyone will tell you that you must not wake up a napping baby, this is the only exception to that rule. You can use a twin feeding pillow in order to make it easier for you when feeding the babies.
2. Use A Double Stroller
With twins, it will be hard for you to manage to carry them around when they need to be. A great alternative could be using a double stroller. Do not think that you will need the stroller only as a leisurely activity. You can use it as a great device to put your babies to sleep. Another great advantage of a stroller is that you can also use it to carry all the supplies your babies will need. Familiarise yourself with the workings of the stroller and learn how to fold and unfold it.
3. Get Help
Now is not the time to beat yourself about needing help. Looking after twins is a huge task, and you should encourage more people to help you. Get family or friends to stay with you for an extended period of time. You can also hire help who can help you with certain aspects of baby care, or you can use the help to just help you manage the chores around the house while you only concentrate on your babies.
4. Join a Group
One of the best resources out there is other parents who also have twins. These parents will have various strategies for coping with their twins, and some of the strategies might even work for you. It also helps tremendously to know that there are other parents who are also having the same coping issues that you are and this will help you feel like you have a larger community supporting you.
5. Buy Online
Having twins means running through basic baby supplies like diapers and wipes and powder at lightning speed. Buying online not only lets you plan for a regular supply but also helps you avail better discounts that could result in potentially substantial savings. Sync up your calendar with your purchasing date so that your delivery is on time.
6. Don’t Buy Two Of Everything
A common mistake most parents of twins make is buying two of everything. However, each baby is different and might not enjoy everything the other likes. Some babies do not like swings or other toys. This will help you save money in the long run and will also help you keep an eye on your babies.
7. Alternate Holding Time
Babies love to be held and cuddled, and this is an extremely important step in the bonding between the mother and the babies. However, holding two babies all the time can get tiring very quickly. Instead, let one child play in his crib or on the floor while you hold the other baby. You can alternate when the baby playing starts getting fussy.
8. Gender Neutral Clothing
This is a particularly useful tip when it comes to boy-girl twins. Having clothes that are gender neutral allows you to dress up both babies in any outfit. This allows you to have a more relaxed laundry cycle and you will never have to worry if both babies’ clothes have been cleaned. You also will not have to worry about sorting the clothes for your babies.
9. Don’t Separate Them
Once your twins are old enough to sleep through the night, you might want to make them sleep in separate rooms so that if one child wakes up in the night crying, the other baby remains undisturbed. There are chances that if you do let them sleep in the same room, they will get used to noise in the night time and will soon learn to sleep through any noise. However, this may take considerable time, and there is no guarantee of the results.
10. Relax
What most parents forget is that they need to take time out in order to be able to relax. Dealing with twins can be difficult, to put it mildly, and you can find yourself spiralling if you don’t take a break. Relaxing allows for the parent to completely rejuvenate so that they are more focused at work and with the babies. Parents can alternate their relaxation time between them or can relax together after ensuring that the babies are properly supervised by family or friends.
Having twins is twice the joy and blessings and also twice the amount of stress levels and sleep deprivation. You can use simple techniques to help you wade through the logistical difficulties of raising two babies. You should always ask for help whether it be the help of a babysitter for a few hours or a full-time nanny or even having one of your parents move in with you for the first couple of months. If you are feeling particularly fatigued or stressed by the situation, then you must talk to your physician. It could be that you might have some deficiencies that can be fixed easily and it will make you stronger and more resilient.
