The joy of being a parent doubles up when you have twins, but at the same time it also requires double the work. Raising twins is tough, not only for first time mothers but also for experienced mothers. Planning a bit in advance and knowing the challenges that one may face in bringing up twins can help new parents be better prepared for sleepless nights and the exhausting days ahead.
Schedule
It is important that twins have a schedule so that you are not always over your head. If both the children have the same schedule it becomes easier to manage them leaving some time for you. It may take a little extra effort initially, but they would soon adapt to it.
Breastfeeding
One cannot deny the importance of breastfeeding new-born babies and the various benefits that it has, but breastfeeding twins can be really tiring and stressful for new moms. The best way to breastfeed twins is to feed them together, one on each breast. It will however take a lot of patience and proper coordination to be able to feed both children together. This not only saves a lot of time but also eventually gets comfortable for both the mother and baby. Mothers who may find it difficult to breastfeed both the babies together can choose to express milk and bottle-feed one while they breastfeed the other baby.
Respiratory problems
Most twins are born preterm and are underweight. Some twin pairs may face respiratory issues which is common among twins. It is however not necessary that both the preterm twins will have respiratory problems. Twins may have to spend some time in the hospital for extra care and also for you to focus on the babies completely it is best to take help and shoulder the extra responsibilities to someone.
Ask for help
Bringing up twins has its own share of joy but is equally demanding. Sleep deprivation and postpartum depression is something that every new mother goes through. It is important that you ask for help from your near and dear ones or hire someone and delegate some responsibilities to them so that you get some time for yourself and also both you and your partner feel less overwhelmed.
Born as twins, but different
Twins are different from each other and have their own strengths and weaknesses. It is important that they are not compared. Encouraging them to be separate and make new friends is important because that helps them socialise and also makes them capable to take independent decisions.
Parenting gets easier
Once the twins turn two, it becomes easy to parent them. Unlike singletons, they always find company in each other. Twins also develop much better sleeping and eating patterns.
Raising multiples is hard work but watching your twins grow is an out of this world feeling. It is exhausting initially but worth the happiness when you see the little ones bond so well with each other. It is also important that the new parents do not get lost in this marathon of feeding, bathing and changing diapers but also enjoy the beautiful journey of parenthood.
