So you’ve read every pregnancy and newborn book, you’ve
baby-proofed your entire apartment and you’ve washed all the onesies you
received at your baby shower in eco-friendly laundry detergent. But wait! There
are some common mistakes new parents of multiples (and singletons, too) often
make that you can avoid with just a little bit of forethought:
Running Out Of Supplies. No one wants to make a midnight drug store run for formula,
diapers or nipple cream! Making sure that you have at least one week’s supply
of staples like these will make your life easier. Twins will go through more
than 120 diapers a week in the beginning, so be prepared! Keep spare tubes of
diaper cream, bottles of baby wash and lotion—and even Tylenol for you.
Confusing The Babies. (Parents of singletons, don’t skip
this!) Keep a log of who ate, how much, and when; who slept, how long, and
when; and who had a dirty diaper and when. Sleep deprivation plays some tricky
games on you, and keeping a log enables you to keep track of how each child is
progressing over the course of each day. Also, if your kids are taking any
medications or vitamins, this is the best way to make sure they get their
proper doses.
Mixing Up Your Priorities. Making dinner for your boss who
is coming over to visit the babies is not a priority. Keeping your bathroom as
clean as an operating room is not a priority. Catching up on old episodes of
“How I Met Your Mother”…okay, that may have made my priority list. But you get
the point. Keep chores and errands in perspective and don’t worry about doing
anything for anyone (except the babies, of course) for a while. Not much is
expected from parents of newborns, so take advantage of everyone’s low
expectations—this is your chance to use your Get Out Of Jail Free card!
Hesitating On Help. When your fifth cousin calls to
congratulate you on the birth of your babies and says, “Please let me know if
you need anything,” don’t chime back, “I will, thanks so much for offering!”
Instead, say, “You want to help, how wonderful! How’s Tuesday at 3?” Take
advantage of help from family and friends who offer. And when they come over,
they don’t have to hold the babies the whole time—let them empty the dishwasher
or fold the laundry. Family and friends will flock to help in the beginning,
but after a few months your home may feel like an Old West ghost town. So put ‘em
to work while the shine is still on the apple!
Neglecting Your Marriage. Don’t forget that these babies
didn’t just make themselves! Check in with your partner every day, and don’t
forget to kiss each other goodnight (even if the sun is up because the babies
never slept). You chose to have babies with this person for a reason; try to
remember it as often as you can.
A mom of twins herself, Natalie Diaz is the
founder of Twiniversity, a free online community for parents of multiples. For
more info, visit twiniversity.com.
