Coming home from the hospital with a new baby is daunting, but coming home and coping with twins can be positively terrifying
The idea of leaving the help and support of your hospital and learning to cope on your own is even more scary if you have had more than one baby.
KidStart have teamed up with Emma’s Diary to explore how you can make life a little bit easier for yourself.
Creating your own routine
Dividing your time and attention between two or more babies can feel overwhelming. Caring for more than one baby of the same age is a lot of work and you may need to find different ways of coping to parents of a single child.
If your babies have been in neonatal care, they may already be in a routine and it’s probably worth sticking to this when they come home.
However, you’ll need to adapt the routine as they grow up and their needs change. Try to create a routine that is based around the times when your babies feed, sleep and are awake. Working around these times will help you to settle into a rhythm that works for you and your babies.
Do remember, too, that as well as family and friends, your health visitor, GP and children’s centre are there to support you.
Survival tips
- – Accept all offers of help from family and friends so you can rest and spend time getting to know your babies.
- – Newborn babies don’t need to be bathed everyday, so you could just bath your babies two or three times a week instead.
- – Keep one set of nappy changing gear in the living room and another in the bedroom.
- – When you cook a meal make extra portions and, if you have a freezer, freeze them to have another day.
- – Keep visitors to a minimum. Ask your partner, friend or relative to act as a gatekeeper for visitors – too many can be tiring.
- – Arrange clinic appointments for as late in the day as you can. This will give you more time to get yourself and your babies out of the house.
Getting help and support
The Twins and Multiple Birth Association (TAMBA) offers professional support and a range of services to families with twins and multiple births. By joining TAMBA, you will become part of a supportive and friendly community of families who face unique problems and challenges that other families don’t.
TAMBA also gives you information about Twins Clubs where you can meet other parents whose experiences are like yours and get practical support.