11 Brilliant Newborn Twin Hacks to Simplify Twin Life
Bringing one newborn home can be a shock to the system. If you have TWO newborns?? Who knew those cute little twins that sleep up to 18 hours a day could be so exhausting?? That’s why we compiled 11 brilliant newborn twin hacks to help make your life easier.
Because if anyone needs them – it’s twin moms!
Before we dive in, I like to share other twin tips to help you along your journey:
Taking care of newborns twins can be challenging, but with a little bit of creativity and some helpful twin hacks, you can make the experience more so much more manageable – and dare I even say fun!
In this twin blog post, we’ll share some unique newborn twin hacks to help you navigate the early days of parenting twins.
Let’s dive in!
1. Set up a twin feeding station
Whether you plan to breastfeed your twins or bottle feed them, setting up a dedicated twin feeding station can be a game-changer.
This could include a large comfortable chair (extra large for twins) or a couch, a nursing pillow for each baby (or a twin nursing pillow like the TwinZ feeding pillow), and a basket of snacks and drinks to keep you nourished and hydrated.
Having a dedicated space for feeding your babies can help you stay organized and comfortable, which can make feeding your twins more enjoyable.
2. Sleep near your twins
Personally, I’m less of a fan of a twin bassinet that you’ll only use for a few months. Instead? I’m a big fan of having two cribs and a bed in the same room.
You can do this in their room, in your room, or in a spare room. But having your newborn twins close to you at night can be comforting, and has been proven to decrease the risk of SIDS.
A twin bassinet or co-sleeper can be a great way to keep both babies close to you, without taking up too much space in your bedroom. You can also use a divider to separate the babies if needed. This can help you get more sleep and make nighttime feedings easier.
3. Keep a Twin Tracker
Keeping track of your twins’ feeding schedules, diaper changes, sleep times, and other important details might seem easy – until it’s 3am, you’re bleary eyed, and can’t remember which baby was changed when.
Enter: the twin tracker.
You can use a notebook or a digital app to track each baby’s needs – but at TwinWinning, we made a free printable template that you can easily use to track twin details over time.
The best part?
It allows you to share details with your partner and/or caregivers. This can give you great peace of mind…and dare I say, even a little sleep coverage every now and then! So go download the free Twin Winning™ twin tacker template today!
4. Try Tandem Feeding
Feeding two newborns can be time-consuming – but have you considered tandem feeding?
Tandem feeding involves breastfeeding both babies at the same time and can be a huge time saver.
Try using a special nursing pillow that supports both babies. This can be a great way to save time!
5. Create a Sensory Bin
Newborns are naturally curious and love exploring their environment. Creating a sensory bin can be a great way to stimulate your babies’ exploration into this new world they’re learning about.
6. Join a twin parent support group:
Maybe like…the Twin Winning Facebook group?
Joining a twin parent support group can be a great way to connect with other parents of twins, share tips and advice, and get emotional support during the challenging early months.
So, head on over to the Twin Winning on Facebook and join us!
7. Accept help
I know, I know, accepting help is hard for us. But twin are A LOT of work.
All those people who say “let me know if you need anything!”? They’re really serious.
Give them something specific to do that fits their skill set and will help make them feel great.
Have a friend who likes cooking? “Oh it would be so wonderful if we had a few meals around the house. I just have no energy for cooking.”
Have a friend who loves baby cuddling? “Oh my goodness – Even having someone over for a couple hours to nap sounds life changing right now.”
Have someone who naturally runs a lot of errands? “I find picking up my toddler from her activities the hardest part. If someone could take care of that for a day even, it would be so helpful.
Truly, friends & family can help with so many things – so don’t hesitate to give them a specific opportunity to do so.
8. Keep a stash of pre-made meals:
With newborn twins to care for, cooking can be the last thing on your mind.
Having a stock of pre-made meals that you can quickly heat up when you’re hungry? Game changer.
If you can get these ready while you’re still in your twin pregnancy, score.
If not? Try batch cooking, or even loading up on Costco’s pre-made frozen meals. This phase of life is temporary, and typically gets easier as your twins grow.
9. White Noise
Picture this – you’ve laid your twins down and actually got them in their cribs asleep (cue happy dance!).
You tiptoe out of the room and…a noise startles them.
It happened to me too many times, and I would stand there like a deer in headlights.
Be it a car door, a sneeze, or even just you knocking into something on you way out of their room, eyes pop open and there goes quiet time.
A sound machine can work, but I like a fan more. Not only does it cover white noise, it also ensures great airflow throughout the room – a factor that can decrease the risk of SIDS.
10. Keep a baby bag packed and ready to go:
There’s nothing like getting both babies ready, dressed, fed, diapered, and finally ready to go – then you walk out the door and realize the diaper bag isn’t packed.
While you were trying to grab diapers, change outfits, find socks, pack bottles, wipes, water, soothers, blankets, etc., etc., etc. – a baby spits up, or poos, or gets hungry, or a million other things.
Keeping a bag packed with all the essentials means you’re out the door in a jiffy…or at least not in hours.
11. Be flexible
Taking care of twins can be unpredictable.
Many, many times you’ll need to change your plans or routines on the fly.
Being willing to go with the flow and adjust as needed?
Now that’s what twin parenting is all about.
Twin newborn hacks for the win
Having newborn twins isn’t always a walk in the park – but there are so many ways to make life with twins easier.
Try incorporating these 11 brilliant newborn twin hacks and see which are the most helpful to you.
And let me know at hello@twinwinning.com! I love hearing from our Twin Winning moms and sharing your wins back with our community of other twin moms what works best.
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