An Expectant Mum’s Guide To Twins

Expecting a child is a beautiful surprise, but carrying twins is an even bigger one. While having twins means you can expect more love in your heart, it’s easy for an expectant mum to feel nervous about welcoming two babies into the world. To ensure that you won’t have double the trouble when they arrive, here are some key things to help you welcome your twins into the world.

Get Hospital-Ready

Carrying twins is a special journey, which is why it isn’t surprising that delivering two babies will also be a unique experience for you. In fact, the NHS reports that twins are usually born prematurely with the average delivery date around the 37th week of pregnancy. To this end, you should consider already preparing your hospital bag just in case your twins decide to make their arrival into the world a little earlier than you expected. If you need some help fleshing out your checklist, here are some things you should pack in your hospital bag:

• Your birth plan and maternity notes
• Nursing bras if you opt to breastfeed
• Dressing gown and slippers
• An outfit for going home
• Bodysuits and sleep suits
• Lots of nappies
• A blanket for each baby

It’s important to note, though, that twins tend to come out much smaller than the average baby due to their early arrival. In this regard, look for additional smaller pieces of clothing when you’re shopping for your hospital bag. Additionally, you can prepare for your labour by calling your hospital ahead of time to make the necessary arrangements for a twin delivery.

Don’t Get Double of Everything

Having two babies often means having two of everything, but that’s not always the case. When it comes to twin baby gear, you’ll find that it sometimes to better to equip yourself an individual item that can be shared between your two babies. Case in point: You don’t actually need two pushchairs, as you can get a buggy that sits both of your children at the same time. The double tandem pushchairs featured on iCandy demonstrate how many models allow your children to sit in front of each other, instead of side by side. This can be especially useful for narrow hallways and pavements, making your life much easier as you go out and about. For items like these, you should always remember to prioritise quality above all, as pushchairs are subject to so much wear and tear. It’s best to treat yourself to a really good one instead of having to deal with one that is painful to push or is too bulky or badly designed. Moreover, other essential pieces of equipment that you’ll can you rotate between your twins are a changing unit, a nappy bag, and a bathtub. But of course, it goes without saying that there are some items that you simply must have two of, such as cots and high chairs. Another good suggestion would be having two easily adjustable car seats like Joie’s i-spin 360 model.

Be Prepared for Breastfeeding

With two mouths to feed, producing breast milk will be a heavy task to carry out. Fortunately, using a nursing pillow can be of great help. A pro-tip? While a double-breast feeding pillow is helpful, Jaime Cameron previously shared here that your twins won’t always be hungry at the same time. To this end, you can also consider investing in a supportive feeding pillow such as this one from Dreamgenii. This is because recovering after a twin pregnancy can take a little longer than usual, so your back will need as much as support as possible — whether by using a pillow or heating pad — to help you produce milk with ease.

Be sure to take extra care of your nipples as well, as breastfeeding twins means they’re more likely to become sore after each feeding session. On that note, you can stock up on a soothing nipple cream to treat sore skin. You should also have plenty of breast shells to wear, so your sensitive nipples won’t rub against against your nursing bra or clothing.

There is no question that having twins is a little more work for mothers. We hope the above tips will be useful and make your life as a mother of twins as easy as possible.

For more tips about twins and new motherhood, check out our blogzine.