So you have twins, or just found out you have two (or more) buns in the oven. Well, get ready—it’s going to be one heck of a ride! Here are some tips to help you acclimate to your new lifestyle—though singletons (what we call parents of non-multiples) may find them useful, too.
Get ready to play 20 Questions.
If I had a nickel for every time a stranger asked me, “Are they twins?” I would have enough money for my twins and your twins to go to college! Considering that I have boy/girl twins, it’s even stranger when people follow up with, “Are they identical?” My all-time favorite is when I’m asked, “Did you use IVF?”
You will go through 500 diapers a month!
Yup, you read that correctly! Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s Club, Target—visit all the superstores and, if you’re shopping online, use coupon codes (retailmenot.com is a great place to search for them). Plus, keep diapers stored in their original boxes in case you need to exchange them for larger sizes.
Write it down.
It might sound silly, but you can easily confuse which baby did what and when. So keep a daily feeding chart like the one found at bump.com. These are super useful in keeping track of who ate how many ounces, who pooped at 2 p.m., and if Baby A took his vitamin today.
Sleep while the babies sleep.
Ha! I’ve tried this on a daily basis, but there are never enough hours in the day.
So I amended this statement to: “Finish your chores before the twins’ bedtime.” If you have bottles to wash, calls to make—try to get it done during the day. I assure you, once your kids go down for the night, the last thing you’ll want to do is pay your Con Ed bill.
Don’t forget your spouse.
Through all the chaos of having twins, your partner might get overlooked more than you like to admit. Make date night a priority, even if it means watching “True Blood” in your pj’s.
Scheduling is your friend.
If you always saw yourself as a “go with the flow” type of mom, you’ll quickly find that getting your twins on a schedule is more important. It helps you plan your day better, and your kids will thrive on it too. You can begin putting them on a schedule at around four or five months, but it’s never too late.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Even if you hired a baby nurse or nanny for around-the-clock care, you might find yourself hesitant to ask for assistance. New moms want to be superheroes (and they are), but if someone is around that can give you a hand, take it!
Remember, you can do this! It’s the 2 a.m. feeding and one of your twins just puked all over you, the dog is trying to “help” you clean it up (making you gag), your other twin decides to make crying an endurance sport, and your spouse is away on a business trip. Take a deep breath: One day you will laugh at nights like this. Always remember, tomorrow is a new and better day, and you’ll have your kids’ whole lives to remind them of this evening!
If you’re a parent of multiples, consider joining The Manhattan Twins Club, a 25-year-old nonprofit serving NYC families. It offers monthly meetings, special events, 24-hour online support, and boasts over 900 parents of multiples. Visit ManhattanTwinsClub.org for more info.
Natalie Diaz is the director of the Manhattan Twins Club, founder of Twiniversity.com, and the new twin expert for New York Family magazine.
