Advice on when to take paternity leave

[Wuffleflump]

We're really lucky that my partner gets 4 weeks paternity leave at full pay.

He can take this either as a 4 week block, or 2 x 2 weeks. When is likely to be most helpful?

He'll definitely take 2 weeks when we first get them (twins) home, but are the next two weeks when I'm most likely to want help? Because it's paternity leave it has to be pre-booked, so it's not like we can wait until they're being a handful and say we'll use the next two weeks.

He'll also be taking some of the shared parental leave later, so this isn't his only time at home with them.

Maybe 6-8 weeks? There's a growth spurt then, perhaps ask on the multiples board for twin advice? Congrats by the way!

I would agree with spacing it out. First 2 week absolutely, then I think you need some time getting to grips with your new role solo, too much time with dp at home might make you more anxious about flying solo.

At around 6-8 weeks I would say you will welcome the extra pair of hands, and it gives you something to focus on when the days are hard in the early weeks.

I would probably take them straight through the first 4 weeks. I think those would be the hardest, especially with twins, unless you have other help during the day (mum, sister, etc.). I know with my first, my dh took a full month of paternity leave (and we only had one). The first two weeks were his actual paternity leave, then he used another week of annual leave, and then ended up taking a 4th full week as unpaid leave because I got really ill with mastitis (like very high fever, hallucinating, body aches, not able to get out of bed sick). For me that really was the most useful time to have him around. By 6-8 weeks, I felt like I had the hang of it, was getting out to groups and classes and doing well. But the first 4 weeks I was just about hanging on to my sanity and it was so nice to not be doing it alone.

DH had a similar amount of time with DC1 and he took 2 weeks at the beginning and then worked 3 day weeks to use the rest of the time. That worked really well for me as it allowed me to get used to being at home with the baby on my own and see friends, but also gave me breaks in the week

Take the 4 weeks in one block straight away. Twins is tough (though amazing and eventually fun), to say it will give you time to get used to being on your own may work if you have one baby, but with 2 as a new mum take all the help you can get in the early days

Is there any flexibility in it? I had an EMCS with complications and DD was nearly two weeks old before we got home for the second time. DH took another 2 weeks holidays on top of his paternity leave as I physically could not have managed.

A friends DH took a fortnight then took three or four day weeks with the rest which was brilliant. Twins though. I'd be tempted to take the four weeks as a block.