There a so many baby books in print and even more internet resources touting “The Best Way” for parents to feed/sleep train/play//soothe/swaddle/diaper/stimulate their babies, but I’ve somehow never heard a parent of twins say, “Wow, with all my free time and energy I found reading these chapters on infant care so helpful.”
In this spirit of cutting to the chase for our parents of twins, here’s a crash course in topics not found in baby books that will actually help you in those early months with two newborns.
How the heck do people get twins on the same schedule?
There is no magic to this and don’t let any sleep advice-for-hire person tell you otherwise. Getting babies on the same schedule it is just a matter of always offering milk/formula at the same time until the babies’ feeding times sync up. It may take several days or a week but keep at it and the babies will eventually feel hungry at the same intervals.
On a side note, parents of twins who have been on the same schedule for years will tell you that potty training is so challenging because toddlers usually have to go to the bathroom at the same time which is good…but also bad.
That’s nice, but you assume I can feed them at the same time…how am I supposed to do that?
The ideal situation is for there to always be two people on hand come baby feeding time. For breastfeeding moms, get very comfortable in bed and allow the babies to nurse football style while cozied up next to you on each side. Your partner or support person will help with getting babies positioned, burping, and making sure you have all the snacks and drinks you desire!
If you’re alone and caring for the babies, you can do it! Nursing moms can tandem feed and bottle-feeding folk can place two Boppy pillows on the floor, one on each side, and offer the twins’ bottles at the same time. You’ll be burping them at different times, and it will feel like a 45 minute to an hour’s worth of Baby Macarena. This is normal.
Now that social distancing is a thing and I’m not really supposed to leave the house, how am I supposed to stay sane?
First off, you can go for a walk with the babies in a double stroller as long as you’re staying at least six feet apart from others. To be extra safe and keep away strangers who want to take “just a peek” at the babies, invest in one of the snap and go type strollers where the twins’ car seats snap right into the stroller. This way you can push the canopies all the way down, completely shielding babies’ faces.
While FaceTime can’t take the place of face-to-face, lots of parent support groups are being held virtually right now and for parents of twins, having the reassurance of someone who’s been there/done that is crucial no matter how the message gets through.
Twins bring double the joy but also double the advice, and with so many baby experts out there, just remember that you’re the expert in your babies. You got this!
