This is it. You just saw the ultrasound for the very first time with 2 little heartbeats. In my case, we saw 2 little sacs without heartbeats on our first ultrasound. The hormones from 2 babies were giving me a serious case of stomach pains, so we found out early at 4 weeks. When the 2 little sacs appeared, and the tech said “well, look at that…” We really had no idea what we were looking at. No idea that our life was forever changing x 2! Maybe yours is too, congrats! If you just found out that you’re pregnant with twins, you’ve probably feeling a little panic, and excitement, while questions are starting to pile up in your head. Here are answers to the questions on your mind when you first find out you’re having twins.
Is My House Big Enough?
“I guess we’re gonna need a bigger house,” was the first thing I said when I found out we were having twins. We were living in our small, but comfortable starter home when we were trying to get pregnant. Initially we were planning to move when our second kid was born. We fast tracked things with twins! I imagined the gear for two babies piling up in the tiny space, tried to picture how it would fit. I know some people make it work with what space they have, but we decided that it would be easier to move to a new home pregnant rather than with 2 babies. We put our house on the market less than two months after finding out I was pregnant with twins. Picture the space to store your stroller, swings, rockers, and cribs. Do you think you might need more space or will you be comfortable where you are?
Now I Need 2 of EVERYTHING!!!!
2 carseats, 2 cribs, 2 swings, 2 bouncers, 2 highchairs, a double stroller, you are likely starting to FREAK OUT at all the gear you are going to need. The good news is, you don’t really need 2 of everything. The most important one is 2 carseats. There are many other work arounds to avoid spending a fortune on all the gear. We rotated between jumpers, exersaucers, play mats to avoid having doubles, and purchased some things second hand! Create that registry when you first find out you’re pregnant with twins! We used Amazon because it was sooo easy for people to have things shipped prime for free and you can add anything from any website onto it!
How Many Diapers Will I need??
Sooooooo many diapers. Definitely tell the person throwing your shower that you want people to bring diapers to your shower for a chance to win something. Add diapers in a variety of sizes to your registry. Sign up for any coupons you can! Ibotta, Checkout51 and pampers were lifesavers for us! Once the babies are here, sign up for Amazon Mom subscribe & save! You’ll earn 20% off on diapers and they get delivered right to your door so you don’t have to drag babies out to the store! We did 2-3 boxes of diapers and a box of wipes each month!
Will I go Back to Work?
I always imagined going back to work after my first kid was born, then bumping down to part time work once number 2 came along. Once I knew I was having twins, I knew there was no way I wanted to go back to work full time. Looking at things from a practical standpoint, full time childcare is expensive. Now double that figure, and subtract it from your take home pay. The amount of money I was left with, didn’t seem worth it to not see my kids all week. I decided to quit full time work, work 2 days a week at flexible jobs as a physical therapist & adjunct professor at a local college. I needed a bigger income boost, so once they were around a year old, I started a work from home job selling children’s books to families, schools & libraries, which has been a HUGE financial blessing to our family.
How will I manage 2 babies?
I don’t really think I thought too much about the actual day to day operations of managing twins while I was pregnant. I knew 2 babies would be tough, but I imagined I would figure it out. My husband stayed home for 2 weeks with me, and then I was left to my own devices, for better or worse. The good part, was we figured what worked and what didn’t pretty quickly and started to develop a rhythm for getting things done. You’re a twin mom, which means you are essentially a super mom that is meant for managing 2 babies & you will figure it all out. It may not be easy, or exciting at all times, but you will figure it all out one way or another.
Will I Be Able to Nurse Them Both?
Nursing even 1 baby is difficult, but is definitely possible with 2! I actually nursed my twins for 20 months! Twins can present a variety of challenges with nursing. Premature births can lead to difficulty latching, producing enough milk to feed 2 babies can be tough, or even just figuring out how to position 2 babies for nursing can be stressful. I found that with loads of mother’s milk tea & lactation cookies, I could boost my supply somewhat. We used nipple shields to help with tough latches, and I had the best nursing pillow to help get tandem feeding conquered. We supplemented with formula from the time they were born as needed. In the end, it doesn’t matter if you nurse, formula feed, or do a mixture of both. Do what works for you.
How Will I Pay For It All?
The expenses are big with twins. Start making a plan now to save money when you first find out that you’re having twins. Depending on insurance deductibles, you many be paying the cost for 2 births & care for 2 babies for hospital bills. I started saving money each week into a savings account dedicated to just medical expenses for once the babies were born. Create a registry for the completion discount or better yet, let someone throw you a shower! Shop second hand for clothes or gently used baby items, ask friends if you can borrow their baby items. Stick to the basics and don’t go crazy.
How Will My Body Change?
I still find it unbelievable that 2 humans grew inside me. I’m not a small girl, but I was not prepared for the sheer size and weight of my belly. It was so heavy holding my belly up that I ended up with a belly support band, and wore T.E.D stockings on my feet to deal with the swelling. I was short of breath as the babies compressed my diaphragm, and thank goodness for my amazing pregnancy pillows that helped me actually sleep a few hours between trips to the bathroom! When you’re pregnant with twins, you will be exhausted, and uncomfortable. Some people require close monitoring from a specialist. Your OBGYN will fill you in on all that.
Will My Babies Be Premature?
Being pregnant with twins does put you at a higher risk for premature birth. I was determined not to let that happen, and read books (here’s my favorite) to help me feel better prepared and work towards a healthy full term pregnancy. 38 weeks is considered full term with twins, and I celebrate that I made it to 36 without complications. I even managed to stay working as a physical therapist full time until 30 weeks, and half days until 34 weeks!
Now you’re prepped for the initial shock to finding out you’re having twins! When you’re ready to read some tips on getting through the early months with twins, jump in here. Just remember you are tough, strong, amazing and were chosen to be a twin mom for a reason! You’ve got this!
p.s. if you want to see #twinlife in action, come check me out on instagram or visit my Pinterest board dedicated to everything twins!
[…] the early months with twins was a bit of a struggle. Not to panic anyone reading this who just found out they have twins on the way. haha. You have 2 babies constantly demanding your attention, and while you work […]