Twins...Help!

M.,

Everything is going to be fine...take a breath cause I know its a shocker! :)
I am a mother of twins (8yrs old girl/boy) and have a 13 yr old as well. My oldest son was 4 when the twins were born. Im not going to lie...it is going to be a lot of work and I hope that your husband is a huge help to you because you will need it! Just to let you know...if the twins are fraternal then this is a gene that is somewhere in YOUR family. Fraternal twins are hereditary since your body is the one that is dropping more than one egg. Identical twins are a fluke...it just takes your egg splitting into two (or more). So when it comes to the twins...it doesnt have anything to do with the father unless he has passed this hereditary gene to his daughter. The last set of frat. twins in my family was my Grandfather's Aunt! This gene just snuck up and bit me ha ha! Its an amazing thing! When you have the twins....accept any and all help offered to you! This is the biggest piece of advice I can give you! Also be prepared for a lot of attention when you leave your home...its the closest thing to experiencing a celebrity life style :)
I still look at my twins and think their amazing. Its an interesting pregnancy as well...but again...its amazing! There will be frustrating times as well as very tired times but remember its only temporary...thats what got me through. Not everyone can have twins so just know how lucky you are to have them. Also as they get older you will realize the benefits of twins....you knock out numerous things at once and then your done!! :)

I am now a single parent with my three kids so for me sometimes times get tough... but you are fortunate to have your husband to help you. Be very excited but take your naps now! :)

Also another thing....when people hear that you are having twins...everyone seems to know someone that had twins and they will tell you scary stories about "oh they were to small to leave the hospital" and "they had health problems cause they were born early" .... just dont listen to these stories. Everyone is different as I found out! Im a small person...5'3" and weighed 115lbs when I got pregnant with my twins but my twins were born weighing 7lbs 9 ozs and 7lbs 14ozs!! They were born about 4 weeks early and were as healthy as could be...everything was fine.

I hope I have been of some help....let me know if you have any questions, Im an expert at this twins thing ;)

Take care and enjoy what your about to experience cause its a beautiful and amazing thing :)

~A.

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Hi. My twins are 2 years old. Because you already have a toddler... you are in for a treat! Best advice... get LOTS of rest now. STOCK UP on diapers. If you have a shower... ask for diapers. Keep them in the same crib for a little while. It helps them bond. Keep their finger nails cut! They will scratch each other often and badly! Don't buy TWO of everything, except crib and high chair (which you already have one of). Suggestion: have ONE exersaucer, ONE jumperoo, ONE swing, ONE smaller swing. TWO of those mats with the toys dangling overhead (they can do that at the same time), TWO bouncers (you can bounce one baby in it with your foot, while you are feeding the other), TWO boppies. I STILL use the boppies (as pillows). This way, you can lay them BOTH on the couch OR on the floor. I also set up a blanket on the floor with all of their toys and the two boppies face to face when they were starting to sit up. They LOVED this arrangement. GOOD LUCK!! Don't let them bite each other- they'll try. Teach them to hug each other after every argument. You'll lose lots of weight chasing them around the playground :)

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I have twin girls (4 months old) and a three year old son. The hardest part is the three year old! We are very fortunate to have very good little girls. They are breast fed and sleeping thru the night. I was shocked as wellwhen I found out I was due with two and did not want twins-let alone GIRLS (think highschool!) but we are blessed. You simply do everything ...TWICE. Diapers, baths, etc...I also work full time so it is challenging but also a lot of fun. The hardest thing is trying to go out and do something quickly (post office, the store for milk, etc...) it is not easy to lug two babies around for a quick trip. Hopefully you will have someone around to help you with that sort of thing. Take advantage when family and friends offer because you will probably hear a lot of promises to help but very few people will actually make good on those promises. Also, when you are out in public with the babies, you will get A LOT and I mean A LOT of attention. Everyone stops you to look and poke at your babies. Especially old ladies. My advice is to keep them covered up, with the canopy on the stroller closed and make sure people stay back. You do not want your little ones catching everyone else's illnesses! Good Luck, you will do great!

P.S. You DO NOT need TWO of everything. Car seat, Crib, High Chair...YES! Swing, Bouncer seat...MAYBE! Everything Else...NO! The babies can share or take turns.

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Look into hiring a postpartum doula. There are ones who specialize in multiples and can help you with juggling them, as well as breastfeeding them both if that is what you desire. Check www.dona.org for one in your area. You can also ask around for ones in training for less money, but with multiples you may want one experienced with them.
Good luck, and you will do fine.

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I know it can be shocking at first but it is definitely doable. I have a 2 year old son and 2 1/2 month old twin girls right now. It went from being easy to being hard to being easy again. And I know it will have it's ups and downs as the days and weeks progress but it is so amazing when I look down at them sitting in their chairs and they both just follow me as I walk across the room. Nothing can compete with that! You will feel overwhelmed on days and you will feel like you can't do it but then there will be days when it's a snap. Just take it one day at a time. If you ever want to talk or ask questions, feel free to e-mail me. And I do second joining your local multiples group. It's awesome hearing stories from people who have actually been through it because let me tell you, if you haven't had twins you can't know what it's like!!!

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