Are you wondering how you’re going to survive the first year with twins? It’s ok, I was too, and somehow I made it, postpartum depression and all! Below I have gathered up some of my helpful tips for those early days, weeks, and months! You got this, mama!!
First Year With Twins
I included both because not everyone is able to breastfeed their twins. My twins had tongue and lip ties that weren’t diagnosed and fixed until they were 2 months old so I ended up exclusively pumping. This post does include my experience breastfeeding my first child, storing milk and pumping parts at work, exclusively pumping for twins, how to reduce clogs and mastitis, and more!
When it comes time to wean from pumping or breastfeeding, there are certain things you can do to help decrease the risk of painful clogs and mastitis. This is what worked for me after extensive research!
My singleton pregnancy was great but the birth story was quite traumatic, as was my twin birth story. I’ve found that having these traumatic birth stories can make it difficult to fully allow myself to be happy and celebrate their birthdays, even if I don’t outwardly show it.
Surviving the first year with twins is often just that, surviving. It’s hard having two babies at once, especially if they have any medical problems like mine did. Here is what we came up against, how we navigated through it, and our thoughts looking back years later.
My oldest had just turned 2 when our twins were born and we knew we had to upgrade from my Honda CRV to something with a third row. Here is where our extensive research led us and what we drove away in.
Our twins would throw up after almost every feeding, often projectile vomiting, despite our best efforts. After numerous doctors visits we finally got in touch with a pediatric dentist who diagnosed them with tongue and lip ties. The difference in our lives after they were revised was amazing.
Having two babies crying at once sadly becomes a normal reality when you have twin babies. Here is a blog post I wrote about my daily, sometimes hourly, struggle when my little guys were under a year old and needed me at the same time.
We didn’t sleep train our first child but by the time the twins were born, we hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for almost 5 years. We did a more gentle version of sleep training using this book starting when they were 8 months old. This book has continued to help us with sleep throughout the years.
Another glimpse into what life was like when my twins were babies, right before we moved to a bigger home, and my oldest was 2. Life was chaotic and I was struggling with undiagnosed postpartum depression. This comes from deep within my twin mama heart.
Here are some ways we prepared our oldest for his twin siblings. Years later I’ve asked him if we did a good job and he says we did. haha!
One of our twins had a flat head, plagiocephaly, and torticollis. After months of trying other methods, we took him to get sized for a pediatric helmet, a.k.a. CranioCap®. We were apprehensive at first but the results were well worth it!
Leaving the house with twins can be a daunting task, especially when you’re not sure what you need to pack in a diaper bag for twins. Below is everything we packed in a diaper bag for our twins and I never felt unprepared.
More Twin Pages, Posts, and Fun!
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As a mom of identical twins and a son two years older, I have gained invaluable experience in the realm, and chaos, of parenting. With a Master's Degree and Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology, I spent years as a school psychologist, helping children navigate through their educational and emotional challenges. Now as a stay at home mom and professional blogger, I combine my areas of expertise to help you in your parenting journey.