Found out we are having twins!

[dangle90]

Hello! So recently me and OH have found out we are having twins. We are over the moon, but obviously nervous as well. It's still early days but just thought I'd pick anyone's brains who has had twins and can help us out with a few questions... so here goes!
What pram did you use from newborn?
What were there sleeping arrangements?
Any tips or anything else you can think of will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[dangle90]

There must be some twin experts here

[moggle]

There's a whole multiples board in the Being a parent section :-D
We found out on Monday we're expecting twins too! Just 7wks. From IVF so knew it was a possibility but had our heads in the sand... this wasn't in the plan! Already have DD (2.5) so will need a bigger car as well as one more of lots of things we thought we wouldn't need to buy again like car seat. Money is tight so we'll be trying to beg steal or borrow it all. Most of our friends have finished having babies so I'm hoping some will take pity on us!

I've been googling a bit this week... I read that they can sleep better than singletons as they comfort each other if they sleep together. How cute is that. We had DD in a bednest bedside cot which we loved, for these two we'll probably get a normal size cot and take the side off and attach it to our bed for them to sleep in next to me.

Have had a little look at pushchairs, I'm slightly annoyed that the one I spent ages choosing for DD because it would last two babies will be out of use. I would want one that'll last from newborn to toddler, and a side by side rather than a tandem. probably the out n about nipper double or double baby jogger city mini. But it's still early days for us.

[Iwantawhippet]

We used the mountain buggy. The narrowest side by side available. As newborns they lay flat in the seats, but you can get carrycots. Excellent buggy. They fitted in til 4 and looked squashed but never complained - by then they were walking mostly.

Sleeping- before they could roll they shared a cot next to my bed. I took the side off the cot so I could easily get them into bed for breastfeeding in the night. They ended up sleeping with me a lot too. We had another cot downstairs for sleeping during the day.

[Iwantawhippet]

On buggies, the mountain buggy is cleverly weighted so it is easy to go up and down the curb. It makes more difference for bigger children - we only noticed it when we tried a few with a 2yr old sitting in them.

[Iwantawhippet]

If you plan to breastfeed a twin cushion is great so you can rugby position and then you are hands free to play on Mumsnet! We used my breast friend cushion.

[ellesbellesxxx]

Our twins are three weeks old.. welcome to the best club ever!
We also have the mountain buggy... can't wait until they are big enough for slings when we are both there.
We have a cot bed in our room that they share then have borrower Moses baskets that they chill in in the day x

[dangle90]

Thanks moggle, I knew there were a multiple board somewhere but couldn't find it! Congrats to you! How far gone are you then? We are panicking and these will be our first so I bet you are with already having one!
And thanks to everyone else, there's a few more ideas for me there, I've been looking at the double nipper which looks good. I've heard twins sleep better together which is good as we were panicking about having to buy 2 cots.
I'm going to look into that cushion thank you that's a great idea.

[dangle90]

Congrats Elle's, how are you finding it? We only found out on Wednesday I'm still trying to get my head around it, well we both are!

[moggle]

Just 7 nearly 8 weeks here. Got another scan week after next. How far along are you?
Yes thanks for the cushion recommendation! I really enjoyed BFing DD and it was soooo much easier in the long run, so hoping to manage it to some extent with these two!
I was measuring the door this morning... I think the nipper or mountain buggy will be the only side by sides we can get through the front door so at least that makes the decision slightly easier!

[dangle90]

I'll be 11 weeks on Monday, got 12 week scan next weds. I've had no symptoms though what about you?
I've just looked at the mountain buggy it's bigger than the nipper, we have narrow doorways too.
Thanks Maria, id like to think we are organised, hence trying to get tips and ideas so early on. Some people would think it was too early but nice to be organised and have an idea x

[moggle]

I think the mountain buggy duet is just 63cm, the nipper is 72.
I've been pretty ill this time and haven't got much appetite, unlike with DD had no nausea. Spend most mornings lounging around in bed til I feel able to get up, luckily work have been fairly understanding! Hope it eases off soon!

[Ratbagratty]

Twins and multiple birth associan (tamba) is a charity with help, advice and clubs around the country. Good luck to all!

[dangle90]

Sounds like you've had it rough moggle! Hope your on the mend soon!
Ah tamba I signed up to that last night actually.

[roodienoodiefoodie]

We had an uppababy vista to start which was great as car seats clicked on and off but I didn't like it as they got older. Now we've got a mountain buggy which is a joy to push but a beast to get in/out the car.

Mine slept in one cot next to us for 6 months and then shared a cot til 8 months ish.

Mine have just turned two and there has been some really tough bits but they're so bloody cute together. On a morning they sit and chat to each other.

[roodienoodiefoodie]

And find a local twins group! My twin friends were a god send for advice and support. But I'd also suggest an nct group if it's your first. Going out with twins friends means they've always got their hands full whilst singleton mums have a helping hand!

[dangle90]

Thanks for the advice roodie. We don't even have a clue about 1 child so we know we are going to have our work cut out with 2. Find mumsnet a god send as we don't really feel we have anyone to ask questions ect in RL

[roodienoodiefoodie]

You'll be grand. It's like being part of a little club having twins, I regularly get chatting to complete strangers just bonded by our twins.

I would say the biggest bonus is if your partner can help over night at the beginning. The first few weeks are hard and tiring but my husband was great at helping to feed/settle ours.

Any questions feel free to ask. It can feel overwhelming but honestly it's a crazy but amazing journey

[ellesbellesxxx]

Three weeks in we are very tired! But no more than any of our nct buddies. In hospital they got us into a three hour feeding routine which is full on but we can crash in between feeds. Also the twins seem to like it as most of the time they wake up dead on three hours. Hoping to stretch It to four hours soon!
We are so besotted with our babies and although life is v different we wouldn't have It any other way! X

[April241]

Congratulations! I have (almost) 9 month old twins, boy/girl.

What pram did you use from newborn?

• We have the Bugaboo donkey twin, we used the carrycots till they were about 4/5 months then moved to the buggy seat. I love it, it's an expensive pram but it's excellent. We also have a Bonito Bebe buggy that we use for shopping/trips away etc as it's more compact for the car.
  

What were there sleeping arrangements?

• My two slept in the same cotbed from day one, they shared a bassinet in hospital so wouldn't sleep apart. We had it beside the bed with one side removed and I used to make nest around them. I'd roll up a towel or blanket, fold it into a U shape and it put it under the cot sheet then they'd lie inside it. They lay side by side width ways on the cot till they got too long then they lay at end each feet to foot. They went into their own cots at 4.5 months because they figured out how to wriggle and they were forever banging heads and waking each other up.
  

TAMBA are excellent, lots of advice and the discounts are fab, we got £155 off our pram and also a discount when we got the carseats and isofix bases.

At the beginning they fed 3 hourly in hospital but took an hour to finish (15-25ml at a time!) so I had midwife help me through the night (I bottle-feed). Our son dropped his weight so went onto 2 hourly feeds but picked up quickly. I used a notebook for the first month as we couldn't remember who'd been fed what and when and the MW's were keeping a close eye on their weights.

Other things we found really useful are sleeping bags rather than blankets, you can get Gro-Snugs which can be used from 5lbs and then they go into the Gro-Bags.

Asda do fabulous prem clothes, mine were 4lb 1oz (dropped to 3lb 7 in the first few days) and 5lb6oz (dropped to 4lb 10) when born but the tiny baby stuff was still huge on them, we went to Asda and picked up a load of things for 4lb babies and it was still too big but they got a lot of use out of them. They have poppers all down the sides of the vests and sleepsuits so they lie totally flat and you're not folding tiny arms and legs into the clothes. Pampers do micro nappies which we used for a fair few months, I think they were about 3 months old at least before we moved in size 1.

Ewan the sheep really helped for soothing them at first and also white noise apps like the wind/rain and hairdryer along with lots of skin to skin. I use to tuck them inside my pyjama top!

I had a few different changing bags before settling on one and it's the Storksak Noa, they come up on eBay sometimes but they hold a ton and have a separate organiser that I use for nappies, wipes etc, I also have a backpack if we're using the other buggy for shopping etc.

Our twins are our first children and it's been utterly amazing, it's hard work but you don't know any different if you don't have a singleton so you just get used to it. I love being a twin mum, it's amazing, wouldn't trade it for anything!

[dangle90]

Thank you all so much for the info.
I don't think we will be able to afford the bugaboo. It is nice to hear people say how amazing it is also. Did you guys have many more scans then?

[Ohhshiney]

This is reassuring to read as I'm 36 weeks tomorrow with twins!
I had scans at 12, 20,24,28,32,34 and have one for 36 weeks booked ( I also had a 16 week scan but that was private) the rest were all NHS x

[dangle90]

Congrats shiney! How's your pregnancy been? That's a lot of scans isn't it!! Hope I have that many! What area do you live if you don't mind me asking? Suppose it may be different in different areas. X

[Ohhshiney]

Well I don't have any pregnancies to compare to but it's not been too bad horrendous all day nausea at the start but other than that it's gone really well. It's brilliant having loads of scans and seeing the position of them every time as it keeps changing. I live in Suffolk. I'm definitely ready for them to come now thou, only now getting all the fun side effects like stretch marks, piles, swollen ankles and this bloody heat lol
Good luck to you I hope your pregnancy goes well x

[dangle90]

Bet it's been awful for you in this heat!!
I hope everything goes smoothly for you. So far I haven't had any sickness been really lucky.