Taking care of one baby is overwhelming enough. Therefore, if you are expecting twins be prepared for double distress. They say ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. For twins, you will need two villages. The best way is to prepare in advance. Once you enter the third trimester, start preparing for taking care of twins. Here are a few things that you can do in advance before the twins arrive:
Things to do before the babies come home
Finish shopping
Do not keep the shopping list pending till the last minute. In India, many parents are superstitious about buying things for their babies before they arrive. However, if you are expecting twins, the practical thing to do would be to buy everything before your labor begins.
Buy moderately
Even though it is advisable to buy in advance, do not pile up a lot of stuff. Buy moderately. Buy the essentials only such as clothes, nappies, diapers, and blankets. Do not buy feeding bottles, pacifiers, strollers, and sterilizers in advance.
Buy online
In the third trimester, going shopping physically will be difficult. Try to buy most of the stuff online. Or else, you can ask your partner or best friend to go shopping on your behalf.
Arrange for a caregiver
It will be helpful if you arrange for a caregiver for your twins. Do not try to do everything on your own. Hire a good nanny. Interview them and ask them to join as soon as the babies arrive. If hiring a nanny is not possible, ask family members or friends to come and assist you in the initial few weeks.
Things to do after the babies come home
The real fun starts after the babies arrive home. Here are a few things that you should do to cope in the first few weeks:
Dress them differently
Most parents of twins find it cute to dress their twins in identical costumes. However, avoid doing this in the first few weeks. Most babies look alike as infants. It can get even more confusing if you have identical twins. As a new parent, you have probably not yet identified the subtle differences in your identical twins. Therefore, you may end up being confused with the babies. Especially bathing and feeding time can get chaotic. Therefore, make them wear different clothes in the initial few weeks until you identify their differences.
Know the difference
Identical twins look the same; they also have the same genetic structure. However, that doesn’t mean they are not different. Often new parents of twins consider twins as one baby. However, even identical twins have their differences. One of them may be calmer, may sleep through the night, may get hungry more frequently, or may fall sick more often than the other. Take your time to understand the unique trait of each baby. Once you identify the unique character, it will be easier to manage them.
As a parent of twins, try to sync their schedule. Make them eat and sleep at the same time. Buy a twin pillow to hold them together at the same time. Syncing their routine will ease your life amazingly.
