Congratulations! Your twins are here! … Now what do you do with them? Coming from a Mama who has been there, here are some solutions for surviving the first weeks of twins babies.
The arrival of twins can be a real reality check for parents. Even parents who have older children take some time adjusting to their new twin babies.
Along with all the wonderful things about having twins comes just a smidgen of hardship.
Your biggest challenge will be the tandem crying.
Once you are on your own with your twins, it can be really hard to deal with two babies crying at once. You may even find it stressful not being able to care for them immediately when they cry. One mommy can’t hold two crying babies and soothe them as effectively as she can one baby. And no matter how you try to plan feeding times, inevitably they will get hungry at the same time. Until you are confident with feeding your twins at the same time, one will cry while the other is fed.
Some solutions for surviving the first weeks of twin babies:
Solution 1: The Art of Distraction
Parents of twins swear by baby swings and vibrating bouncy chairs. By setting the babies in a swing or bouncer, you can soothe both at once, or soothe one while you nurse/tend to the other. Another option is to play a Baby Einstein musical video. They may not be able to see the video at this young age, but the rhythmic sounds may calm them down.
Solution 2: Hit the Road
Car rides for most babies are very soothing. While every baby is different, many find the mellow hum of the motor to be comforting. Taking a short car ride may be just the trick a mom or dad needs to reclaim some of their sanity. If car rides don’t soothe your baby, you’re not alone. We had a screamer that earned herself the nickname “Screamy McHates-the-Car”.
Solution 3: Double Carriers
Check this bad boy out. Someone invented a way to hold two babies! This may be more of a “daddy” solution and not a “post-C-section mommy” solution. Strap those little ones on and go for a relaxing walk. Some fresh air would benefit both mommy and babies.
Solution 4: Get a Helper
My one and only word of advice for parents expecting twins is to get some help. We didn’t have family who could stay with us, but a friend would come over for a couple hours once a week. Just that extra set of hands was a tremendous help. If you are like us and are without family in the area to help you, check this post for some ideas on how to get help.
Solution 5: Look Inwards
If you are overwhelmed, stressed, or dealing with anxiety or depression, your babies may have trouble calming down. If you are having trouble reacting to your babies in a soothing way, look into getting some help for yourself. You may also try giving yourself a “time out”: Count to ten, take deep breaths, go outside or walk around the house.
For most parents, the first 4 or 5 months of having twins are the hardest. It seems terrible at times. You will want nothing more than to console and comfort your babies but you can’t at all times. Somehow we get th
rough those rough patches. Thankfully they were few and far between.
Surviving the first weeks of twin babies is the toughest thing you will have to do. Hang in there, it won’t be this way forever. After that, parenting twins will get a little easier every month.