Twins and Multiples - Tips and Tricks
Anyone who is a twin, has had twins, or knows a set of twins (or any multiples!) knows that there is a unique bond between these special sets of siblings. We asked members of our Beautiful Births and Beyond community to share their experiences as a caretaker, parent, or part of a set of multiples (twins, triplets, etc.) to give a little insight into the world of #twinlife.
Whether identical or fraternal, the nature of the word “twin” suggests that these babies are a copy of each other in many ways. While that may be true, it’s important to remember that each twin is their own individual as well as part of a pair.
“Your twins most likely will not like all the same products (ours like different pacifiers) so try everything to see what they like. It’s helpful if they like the same bottles at a minimum.” - AW (Parent, Client)
“We always tried to let our boys express their own interests and explore what extracurriculars they wanted to do at school growing up. It was pure luck they both ended up loving theater, and made drop off and pick up easier on us for sure!” - DE (Parent, Facebook)
“I always hated it when [my parents] dressed my sister and I the same. I never wanted to wear dresses, didn’t want to keep my hair long, didn’t want to wear pink or frills. Turns out I’m transgender, so that probably had something to do with it, but even if I wasn’t my sister and I were always so different. Let your twins be their own person is my biggest advice.” - TT (Twin, Facebook)
Young twins, especially identical twins, are often tough to tell apart. This allows some parents to get… shall we say, creative… in how they distinguish their children apart.
“I was always dressed in red. My brother was always dressed in blue. To this day, those are the colors we’re associated with. It doesn’t matter that we’re nearly 30 years old, everything we own is either red or blue, right down to our vehicles.” - MH (Twin, Facebook)
“My mom painted our toenails different colors when we came home from the hospital to tell my sister and I apart during the first few weeks.” - KS (Twin, Instagram)
“My sister and I look NOTHING alike. We have cousins who look more related to each of us than we do to each other. My mom never had a hard time telling us apart.” - HH (Twin, Facebook)
Twins means two of everything - two bottles, two binkies, two sets of soccer cleats, two prom dresses, two college tuitions. However, these parents found some hacks that help ease the blow of double doing for your sanity. (And your wallet!)
“Ask around. You absolutely have friends who have baby clothing, car seats, strollers, cribs. Baby showers are nice but when you’ve got multiples, you don’t always get everything on your list. You do not have to have the matching car seats on your registry if your friend has one their kiddo has outgrown for free.” - MS (Parent, Email)
“You do not need two baby bathtubs. There’s no space for both of them in most bathrooms, you will rarely if ever bathe your twins together. One bath tub, one baby at a time.” - AW (Parent, Client)
“There are never enough burp cloths. Burp cloths can be anything. Old t-shirts cut up, shammy cloths, dishrags. The world is your burp cloth when you’ve got two (or more) babies spitting up. Don’t spend money on burp cloths.” - SS (Parent, Instagram)
While there are some things you do not necessarily need to buy for twins, there are definitely some products that help with adjusting to having not one but two or more little lives in your orbit once they arrive.
“Bottom zip onesies are a godsend for sleeping. They have great options at Old Navy. Helps to keep the babes asleep while you diaper change if need be.” - AW (Parent, Client)
“Keep the babies on the same schedule for feeding, naps, sleep, etc. It makes it way easier to plan your day. If you have to wake a baby up to feed, that’s okay, especially at night.” - BW (Parent, Client)
“If you can, get car seats that grow with your babies. They might be a high cost up front, especially if you have multiples, but you will not need to purchase them again until they’re out of car seats.” - MY (Parent, Facebook)
“The Twin Z pillow is a must for twins. Tandem breastfeeding? Check. Tandem napping? Check. The amount I use this thing it is absolutely worth every penny.” - AW (Parent, Client)
Have more questions about multiples? Reach out to book a consultation today!
