Raising Twins: Tips to Prepare Yourself Meet -Your New Dynamic Duo

Finding out that you have a baby on the way is joyous news. Finding out that you are expecting twins—that’s really something to prepare for! You might wonder: how do I raise twins? Raising one child is challenging enough; what should I expect with twins? Thankfully, you are not alone. Statistics show that in the US, about three of every 100 pregnancies result in twins or triplets. This number has been consistently rising through the years. The number of parents who will be faced with the challenge of raising twins is on the rise too. Here are a few pointers for preparation: Early birds. Since premature birth is higher with twins, prepare yourself six months in advance! Stick to a schedule. Much has been written about raising babies, but not much info is out there about twins. The key is to work around a fixed, reasonable schedule. For example, feeding and napping time will have to be set at the same time. If you stay consistent, your babies will adapt. It will be less stressful for you if you keep them on similar schedules so you can accomplish activities for two in just one go. Figure out feeding tactics. It will take coordination, patience and a lot of getting used to if you choose to breastfeed your twins at the same time. There are several ways that you can position your babies when nursing them this way. You can place them in front of you, their legs overlapping. Be sure to keep their bodies turned towards you, with their chests against your chest, and not facing up. This is to make sure that they are receiving enough milk. You may also do so one at a time or you can also breast-feed one and then bottle-feed the other. It will depend on what you and your babies are most comfortable with and your babies’ hunger patterns. Perfect match. Twins share everything! An exciting aspect of raising twins is you get double the fun in dressing them up, especially if they are identical twins. But avoid dressing them exactly alike all the time. This will help promote individuality. For twin girls, for example, they can both wear pink dresses but have two different hair accessories! There are so many lovely baby hair clips available in the market these days. You can easily choose which ones fit better with each twin’s personality. Look for hair clips that are non-slip, as they stay put even on fine, wispy hair that most babies have. Same and yet different. They may be identical twins but they are also very unique individuals. Embrace those differences! Just as you wouldn’t compare any two siblings, it doesn’t do to compare twins to one another. That’s even true for little things, like baby gifts. Make sure you don’t shower one with more gifts than the other. While it may look adorable to dress them identically as little tots, it’s in their best interest to be separated as they grow up. This will help them develop independence, allow their individual gifts and talents to shine, and foster their own sense of self-worth.