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Advice for expectant mother of twins - your pearls of wisdom please MNers!!

12 replies

HenriettaHippo · 26/02/2008 13:50

My friend has just found out she's expecting twins, her first children. Any fab MNers out there with any advice, like -

  • how to manage to bf twins?
  • best buggy - better to fit through doors, or have a long buggy? Or is there another clever option?
  • any other essential equipment she might not think of?

Thanks very much!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Neenzandhertwinbeans · 26/02/2008 17:08

Hi, I am expecting twins and I have found the La Leche League book Mother Multiples: Breastfeeding & Caring for Twins or More really helpful because it goes into a lot of detail about how to cope if your twins go in special care and you want to BF them.

It also has all the top tips for breastfeeding as you would expect from La Leche League. You can BF them together or separately, I think it is a case of seeing what works for you.

Carol Cooper's book Twins and Multiple Births: The Essential Parenting Guide from Pregnancy to Adulthood is a good catch-all book about twin pregnancy and bringing up twins.

And I have found (whisper it quietly!) Gina Ford's A Contented House with Twins an interesting read - because she sets out routines for twins at certain ages so it gives you an idea of what you might expect from your days!

I am sure your friend will be just fine with all the equipment and stuff - it is pretty straightforward and obvious once you get into it. Tell her to check out ebay to save some money! I bought both my cots second hand for £90.

www.twinsuk.co.uk/ is an interesting site which has lots of info plus this t-shirt which your friend just HAS to get... www.twinsuk.co.uk/product.php?id=100416

HarrogateMum · 26/02/2008 17:12

HI Henriettahippo - my DTs were my first children and although I only managed to breast feed them for a short period of time, it was possible to do them both at the same time using the "rugby ball" hold! Basically you have their bodies under your arms and a head in each hand against your boobs if that makes sense!!

I had a Maclaren Twin Traveller - it wasnt the greatest but it was probably the narrowest of the side by sides and also the one with the highest handle and as I am 5 foot 11 I needed it or I would have been permanently stooping.

Other useful stuff.......hmmmmmmmmm just two of everything as they grow up as they fight over toys/books that they other one has!! Cant think of any particularly useful equipment when they were babies other than hte normal stuff that everyone has.

HenriettaHippo · 27/02/2008 12:33

Thank you very much! She was wondering whether there were any books out there about twins, it's good to know there is something available!

Brilliant t-shirt!

at Neenz's quiet whispering!! I didn't know there were 'contented' guides for twins!

OP posts:
chopster · 27/02/2008 12:43

Tell her to come and join us on the d'ya threads.

bfeeding - the rugby hold like hm said, with tons and tons of pillows. V shaped pillows are a great investment, for sleeping during later pregnancy, then for resting babies on while feeding. Grow a nice thick skin to ignore all the comments about how it is 'impossible to feed two'.

best buggy - jane powertwin if she drives a lot, nipper if she walks a lot.

For babies, jsut tons of the basics, because you get through so many sheets, sleepsuits, cardigans, socks with newborns, and you don't always manage to stay on top of the laundry. Forget 'proper' clothes, you won't have time or inclination.

Forget anything like cribs, or huge great high chairs with bells and whistles on, or changing tables - you need compact stuff and as little as possible when you have to fit two of everything in. You won't want to keep on traispsing off to a bedroom for changes 24 times a day neither!

Cook loads in the weeks beforehand to freeze for the early weeks. Arrange delivery of meals from any friends who want to help. Stock up on good books to read while stuck on the sofa feeding. A thermos for tea on standby since can't get up and walk around like when feeding singles.

Make the most of the pregnancy and last few weeks pretwins. Go out as much as possible and get lots of rest while at home!

HenriettaHippo · 27/02/2008 15:21

thanks chopster, very practical.

I've already told her to join MN - then she'll just need her thermos and a keyboard, and maybe a head antennae to hit keys so she can type and cuddle two babies at the same time!!!

OP posts:
MarsLady · 27/02/2008 15:35

All she needs is to get onto the regular multiple threads. LOADS there!

Oh and tell her we said CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! It's wonderful parenting twins.

kateri · 27/02/2008 19:28

Just as an alternate experience: I think it was the "contented" guide that encouraged me most in believing that breastfeeding twins would be possible, and found the book very pro-BF. (I'm still breastfeeding my twins after 7 months, so something must have worked! I never bothered with all the expressing before feeds, though.)

I also liked the routines - not that we ever really stuck to any of them - just because, as a totally inexperienced first time mum, they gave me SOME idea of what to do, especially in terms of how much sleep they needed during the day in order for them to sleep at night. When you have no clue where to start, someone telling you what to do can be enormously comforting! You soon find the comfidence, as you get to know your babies, to say "screw that, I'll do things my way now". But initially, the idea of the routines was comforting.

I'd recommend the book as something to read along with lots of other contrasting books, and take the bits of advice that best fit you and your babies.

Other advice... er... pack the hospital bag early, and don't start maternity leave too late. Am too babybrained to think of more right now...

Judy1234 · 27/02/2008 19:50

They were my 4th/5th not first so much easier.

Always breastfeed them at the same time. Don't buy bottles.
If one wakes to feed in the night always wake the other and feed them both one on each side.

Eat wel in pregnancy. Don't be forced to have an early C section. Mine were born vaginally at 40 weeks big and very happy.

We had a very light Mcclaren double buggy I think after a few months with a bigger thing which was too hard to fold. We bought two slings and back packs and never used them as usualyl out one adult with 2 babies.

galaxymummy · 27/02/2008 21:20

Try visiting twinsonline.org.uk for more useful info
and tamba
galaxy

sackvilledukins · 29/02/2008 19:24

Well thanks for all that fantastic advice - this is 'the friend' (15 weeks today) - will definitely check out the books - and keep an eye on MN

Thanks again

MarsLady · 29/02/2008 19:34

sackvilledukins well don't waste time honey. Come join us on the d'y ever threads. We promise not to scare the living crap out of you! Well not too much anyway!

ashten · 20/04/2008 11:54

If the b/f doesnt work out. Podee bottles are fabulous. Allowing handsfree feeding of 2 at once.

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