Pregnancy

Come along to meet other twin/multiple mums at our regular meetings or check out our Events section as you would be welcome to attend any event that we have organised. Making friends now will be really handy once the babies arrive, as you may have picked up some useful tips and advice, and you may have some new friends who would be happy to help. Getting out in the first few weeks is quite difficult, particularly if you have had a Caesarean and are not permitted to drive.

If you are due any time between January and April, make sure you do your Christmas shopping early. Trying to get around the shops at that time of year is a nightmare even when you are not carrying two children in your tummy!

Try to rest as much as possible, particularly once you start getting bigger. This is for well-being, as well as for the babies.

You will probably find standing at the kitchen worktops quite difficult, as your bump will be at exactly the wrong height. Either purchase a little step stool, or get your husband/partner to take over some of the catering activities. If you can, prepare some meals and freeze them ready to take out and use when you come home with the babies, that way you can have a well-cooked, well-balanced meal whenever you want.

Beware of lying flat on your back (particularly at scans) – the weight of your babies may affect your blood circulation and make you feel very light-headed. Do not feel embarrassed about asking for some pillows so you are not lying flat at a scan.

Equipment

Talk to other twin mums to get some ideas of the pros and cons of different equipment, before you purchase a lot of things that you regret. I made mistakes on my car seats, a buggy, and, believe it or not, my car!

Cot beds are an excellent long term investment if space is an issue in your house. A child will climb out of a cot at roughly 2 years of age and you will then need to find an alternative sleeping arrangement for them. At the age of 2 it is unusual to be able to put your children into bunk beds so you would have to have 2 single beds which would take up a considerable amount more room than the cots. Children can stay in a cot bed until the age of 4-5 and by this time they can safely move straight into bunk beds.

The v-shaped cushion can be a useful investment – initially can be used to support your back during pregnancy, it then moves on to being a useful support for babies for bottle or breast feeding, and then can be used along the edge of the fireplace so that no hard edges are exposed when your babies are crawling around!

Bathing two babies can be tricky, particularly by yourself. Either plan to try and bath them with your partner/husband, or purchase two solid reclining bath seats (available from blooming marvellous £14ish)- these can be used from birth and are able to support the babies in the bath so that you can be hands-free. I found a changing table which had a baby bath underneath to be really useful – as it meant that for those early months you didn't have to be bent completely double over the side of the bath or on the floor but could bath the babies one after the other at waist height.

Baby sleeping bags are a really good idea once the babies are a few months old, as they can't wiggle around and throw the covers off, leaving themselves exposed and cold. If you think you are going to go with sleeping bags, don't invest in too many blankets as you won't need them!

High chairs that recline are great for bottle feeding two babies at the same time in the early stages when they can't sit up by themselves – they are also ideal for weaning.

Birth

Don't leave hospital until you are ready and feel able to cope. You can normally ask for another night if they are not too busy and you feel you need a bit more time.

Make sure you get enough photos – there is always so much to do when the babies are born, it is easy to forget to pose for the camera.

If you have a C-Section, don't be afraid to ask for help- especially at night. The day of and after your operation, the midwives will lift your babies out of their crib for you to feed them. You won't be able to do this so take advantage of the help.

Breastfeeding

If you are breastfeeding your babies – drink at least one pint of water per feed. This sounds a lot but it really works to encourage a good milk supply.

The only way to ensure your milk supply remains stable is to look after yourself. Eat well, get as much rest as you can, look after your babies and try not to do too much else!

Hire a breast pump. The smaller ones that you can buy are not nearly as effective.

Be prepared to feel like you have been velcro'd to the sofa! Talk to someone in the twinsclub who has breastfed their babies – their advice and support can be invaluable. The V-cushion helps and it takes a lot of time to get yourself comfy when doing “two at a time” – use lots of cushions – I found I needed one as support for my lower back. I also found it impossible to be able to feed both babies together comfortably in bed so be prepared for trips downstairs to the sofa (or feeding station as it was called in our house!) during the night. Most Mums would recommend waking the second baby up for night feeds together, otherwise you will miss out on valuable sleep.

Every midwife will have a different opinion on everything- especially breastfeeding- listen to it all, then do exactly what works for you. Don't get upset if breast feeding doesn't work for you. Some Mums do it for months, some for a week. Anything you manage is brilliant.

Babies

Be prepared to feel exhausted, it will get better. We have all gone through it and come out the other side feeling fine! Your hormones will be working overtime and you will burst into tears for many reasons, for example:

• Both babies are crying and you don't know why
• You feel guilty for picking up one and not the other
• You look at them and they are both so lovely!

Accept ANY help offered. If people want to come, ask them to bring a meal with them – then they can hold a baby while you get something to eat. Remember, they should make you a cup of tea, rather than the other way round. This is one time when guest rules don't apply!

You won't need separate cots for a couple of months. Most twin mums find that the babies don't wake each other up, and initially definitely benefit from close proximity to their sibling. It also means it is possible to get them into your bedroom for the first few weeks, if you want to.

Do EVERYTHING together. Feed them, change them, wash them, dress them etc. If one needs feeding and the other is asleep, wake him up! If you don't, you can be sure you'll be up again half an hour later to feed the other one.

When your babies can sit up, sit them on a duvet so that if they fall backwards they have a soft landing.

If your babies are getting frustrated being at home, a quick trip around a supermarket always worked for me. They also quite enjoyed being in the trolley baby seats (I put a blanket underneath them) as they had an excellent view and there's so much for the babies to look at. You nearly always bump into someone you know and a chat with another adult can be really therapeutic!

Do not be too keen to move your babies on to the second stage car seats. The baby seats can be lifted in and out of a car and put on the ground with the child still strapped in and secure while you get the other seat out. When you move to the next seat, if you children cannot stand up yet, you will end up having to put one child on the ground while you get the other child out! This can be a real issue if your children are crawling and it is winter!