The first question the radiographer usually asks when s/he sees the twins on the ultra sound is "do twins run in you family?" This is a very kind way to say "buckle up sister, you are going to have two newborns".
Premature birth
When you complete less than 37 weeks of gestation, your baby is considered a premature baby. This means that your baby will need some extra support after birth and will stay on on the Special Care Unit (SCU) or the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With twins you will have an increased chance (>50%) of having a premature birth. Sometimes this is because the babies come earlier themselves, sometimes because the hospital decides that it is better for the twins to come earlier.
When the twins come home
When you bring home the twins you might already have a routine that you established in hospital. Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, the hospital would have advised you to always feed both newborns at the same time. This might sound unhandy but as most twins still feed every three hours. After you feed the twins you will spend some time burping them. When you feed them at the same time you have a better chance to have some time off for yourself. In the time off you will be able to catch up on some sleep, have a shower and eat something.
How do I cope with newborn twins?
Let's be honest here. Having twins is a massive life change, but what it has in common with having one or three newborns, is you just have to let go. When you bring a newborn or newborns home, they are in control. They will decide when they need food, a clean nappy or sleep. Since everything is times two; two newborns who need a nappy, two newborns who need to be burped and two newborns who need a bath, it would be great if you can organise someone to help you. In the first few weeks it is much handier to have some extra help. Especially when the twins are being breastfed. Breastfeeding will cost you a lot of energy on top of giving birth and sleep deprivation.
Will it get better?
Yes. When your babies feed less frequently, when they establish a sleeping pattern and when you start to recognise what they want and need it does get easier. You start to feel more in control and you'll find that you will have more time for other things then just your twins. As soon as your baby starts to interact with you more, you will feel your pride and you will realise that you have worked so hard to make sure your babies are safe and taken care off. The twins will reward you with a heart warming smile and it makes it all worth it.
Tips for caring for twins
From our experience what we have seen is that the families who are very organised seem to cope the best. One of our families had a "changing station" in the middle of the living room. They always had a clean set of clothes, nappies, wipes, cream, cloths, changing mat, thermometer, pacifier and hats on that table and a bin next to the table. Whenever they used something, they immediately replaced it with a new / clean one. This way they were never looking or trying to look for something when they needed it. Besides it being handy because you can see where everything is, when friends or family came over to help out, it was also very clear to them where everything is.
Ask for help
We can't emphasize enough to ask for support. It is a massive job to have twins. If you ask your friends or family to come over for just a couple of hours, it can make a huge difference. They can bring a home cooked meal or do some dinner / lunch prep for you. They can help you with all the washing that needs to be done, with burping the babies or with feeding. If they can come once a week or a fortnight that would be great. You can make a schedule of who would like to help on what day at what time. You won't regret asking people to help out and most people love helping there loved ones out especially if it means they can get some cuddle time (at the end) as well.
Anna Harreveld with the Bollmann twins in 2022
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