Holy Shit, I’m Having Twins (or Multiples)

Twins!?

So they heard a second (maybe even a third) heartbeat. Shocked? No matter if you conceived spontaneously or had a little help, when a multiple birth is confirmed, it probably knocked the wind out of you (and your partner for that matter). I’m right there with you, even though it was YEARS ago, when they found that second heartbeat in my belly, I was floored. I sometimes still can’t believe I have twins. I wish I was kidding. Often I look at them and think “How the hell did I get here? Are their parents ever going to get home? Can I skip adulting today and just watch Netflix and eat pop tarts on the couch?” Yeah, no such luck. SO, I’m here to get you ready and even excited about your upcoming bundles of joy. Let’s do this!

#1. Take care of you.

Realize that you need to take care of YOU first. Typically people who read articles like this might tend to be a tad bit “Type A”. That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean that you might be doing too much most of the time. STARTING TODAY, you are YOUR priority. You should be drinking a gallon (yes, a gallon) of water a day, resting when you can and making sure that you are eating enough. If you are in the early stage of pregnancy, morning sickness may be your arch nemesis, if that’s the case, speak to your doc about possible solutions, but don’t just accept it. If your gut is saying “This isn’t normal!” trust it and call the doc. This might sound weird, but I’m a fan of overreacting when it comes to twin pregnancies. Don’t worry about your doc hating you or getting sick of you, I’d rather you let them know how you feel 100% of the time than underreact once! Speaking of which…does your partner have your OB’s phone number in case they have a question or need to call on your behalf? They should. Make sure they have it today. Ok. Good. Glad we got that out of the way.

#2. Priorities.

Start thinking about what your priorities are and what you are most worried about. Are you worried about delivery day? Are you worried about them coming early? Are you worried that your home is too small? Are you worried that your car can’t fit two car seats in the back WITH an adult sitting there too? Figure out what needs to change in your world, what you actually have the power to change, and make an old school written list. Your partner should do the same. Their priorities may or may not match up, but having twins is a team event, so you should compare lists and figure out how to divide and conquer.

#3. Budget time!

It’s NEVER too early to start researching gear and coming up with a budget for it. You can spend upwards of $5,000 for your twinnies but you can REALLY keep costs down by figuring out what you NEED vs. WANT. You need car seats, a stroller, crib(s), mattresses, bouncy seats, a swing, bottles, a good pump, and honestly a few more things. But you can skip things like wipes warmer, diaper pail, formula mixer and a bunch of other stuff. With twins, you have to watch your bottom line. Colleges aren’t getting cheaper. Harvard has NEVER lowered their tuition cost. Ever! Come up with a realistic budget and go from there. It’s smarter to do that then just go on a spending frenzy and freak out when your credit card bill comes.

#4. Get the deets!

Call your insurance company and find out what you are entitled to have covered under your plan because this isn’t a typical pregnancy. Sometimes costs like lactation experts, nutritionists, visiting nurses’ etc might be covered because of the bonus bun in the oven! You won’t know unless you ask.

Editor’s note: Not sure what to ask? Join a Twiniversity online class. They give you a running list during the 4-hour class (2 hours in 2 parts). They won’t leave ya hanging.

#5. You’ll need some help!

Ok, so every Tom, Dick and Harry is saying “I can’t wait ’till the twins get here. If you ever need a babysitter I’m ready for the job.” Yeah, start writing down those names. People love to offer to help, but folks don’t always step up to the plate. For the first few weeks, you’ll have tons of offers for help, but then…the shine leaves the apple and you are flying solo. Consider your options for paid help. You might be able to afford more then you think, but you should SEE if it’s even an option now. Perhaps play with your nursery budget. Squeeze a few dollars out of there and put it towards some help during the day or even a few nights. Find out what the going rate for help is in your area. The best way to do this is to join your local twins club. They will give you the skinny on how much a nanny/baby nurse or even a Mother’s helper is going for in your neck of the woods.

No matter what happens, I’m making you a promise right here and right now…you will be fine! It’s stressful, yes. I agree, but mamas have been birthing twinnies for a few years now, and you are about to be one of the lucky chosen few.

Still worried?

Natalie’s site, Twiniversity.com, is filled with articles just for twin parents. With daily content, twin exclusive giveaways, even live chats with her talking about double feeding, double pumping, double diapering and even double the stress! She’s helped literally hundreds’ of thousands of families around the globe. She sure knows her twin stuff so check it out.