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Well, this is certainly NOT my regular type of blog post, but those of you who follow me on Instagram will be aware that our family has recently and unexpectedly expanded by 2!  Our baby grubs are now 4 months old, and we’re just starting to find our feet after a whirl wind start to the year.

*****EDIT – I started this blog post when they were 4 months old, I’m just wrapping it up now…the babes are now over a year and a half old ha ha!!!***

The following is more of a random sampling of tasty twinny tidbits that we’ve stumbled upon as we’ve negotiated the last few months/years (in a somewhat-jumbled-no-specific-order-format!) Plus some fun photo printables – because before you know it, you’ll emerge from your sleep deprived haze and your snuffly little babes will have transformed into quirky non-stop toddlers and you’ll struggle to remember those early months – so take lots of photos!!

1)   Don’t get to hung up on milestones – e.g people kept saying it would get easier after 6 weeks, then 6 months, and then a year, which it does in some ways, but new challenges just keep coming. It’s a marathon not a sprint this baby raising business, so pace yourself and try and treat yourself gently!  If you’re struggling, ask for help, and keep asking until you get it. It really does take a village to raise multiples, so get yours involved.

2)   Everyone offers to fold your laundry or empty the dishwasher in those early days, but some of the things we found most useful (apart from hot meals of course!) included: offers of walking our poor attention deprived dog; putting out the recycling/rubbish, mowing the lawn, returning our library books, picking up or dropping off our older son at daycare (or lavishing him with some special one on one attention) and offers of accompanying you and the babes to appointments or shopping. **People who continue to offer to help after those first few crazy months should be treated like gold – hang onto them with both hands!

3)   Brace yourself for a bit of randomness…… The ups, downs and unexpectedness of multiple pregnancies; random baby routines that JUST KEEP CHANGING (just keep repeating “this is the new normal!”) random people who you haven’t seen in years that suddenly pop out of the woodwork to ‘meet the twins’; random phases that the kids go through (stuck to you like velcro 24-7 for some unknown reason/breastfeeding like newborns although they’re a year old/waking at 3am for 2 weeks/making weird squealing noises etc) just keep repeating “this too shall pass!”……. the random expenses that you were not expecting (we were well prepared for the extra expenses of car seats X2, nappies and double prams, but were not expecting things like the sky high power bills over winter as we had to run heaters all night 2 separate rooms as our little fusspots kept waking each other up when in the same space)

4)   Find a twin/multiple tribe that matches your parenting style and understands the specific challenges that twin parents have. It’s very hard to prepare for the unexpected, and having a (fb) group of people you can hit with your duo logistics is invaluable (e.g. during tandem feeding, how to you burp one while the other is still feeding/asleep?  How do you escape from under 2 schnoozing newborns without waking one?  How do you get 2 babies to settle for a nap when they keep waking each other?  How do you get from your coffee group and back into your car safely if neither child will go in the pram?)  BUT on the other hand…. too many opinions are not helpful!  Listen to advice, but do what works best for your family. Tandem feed? Feed individually? Wake them both to feed? Pump after each feed to build your supply? Introduce a bottle/mixed feed/EBF/formula feed …..everyone has an opinion, and there’s no right/wrong answer…. just what works best for you.

5)   Ease the drama of unexpected guests by keeping a preloaded tray of bikkies and instant fancy coffee sachets by the jug, then you don’t need to move should your guests need some refreshments (**I mention coffee sachets specifically, because if you’ve run out of milk, you can still enjoy a coffee. There were many times in those early months where my darling husband would text after work to ask “Do we need milk?” to which I’ve replied “Hell yes, but don’t you dare stop off to grab any, just come home right now!!” *cue children screaming in the background, toddler breaking something and the cat hungrily meowing*.  You can also easily make a sachet coffee one handed while juggling a babe/breast feeding – click on the jug, grab a mug, open the sachet with one hand/your teeth, pour in water, put the mug down somewhere so you can later rediscover it lukewarm/cold/old ha ha ha

6)   It’s definitely trickier to get out the house in the earlier days, so chances of developing cabin fever are higher!  I got around this by starting my own coffee group – it was an awesome routine that I really looked forward to every week.  The deal was that I’d provide coffee and get out of my pyjamas, and everyone else would bring the snacks.  This was also a great way of getting well wishers and visitors out of the way in one morning block!

7)    YOU NEED ONE OF THESE DOOR SIGNS!  {Click here to grab your FREE download}  I have yet to come across a more vulnerable feeling than sitting practically topless in your lounge attempting to get 2 squeaky little cranky babes to latch on as you fumble with extra pillows etc, only to unexpectedly hear someone knocking at your door. Is it a door to door sales person? Jehovah’s Witnesses? Random well wishers?  Who cares – you don’t need any added extra stress right now.  If it’s anyone remotely close to you, they’ll have texted first or know the secret door knock 😉

8)   Learn to say “Yes please” and “that would be great thank you” as a complete sentence.  As rather independent people we’ve found this really tricky.  E.g:  “Can I pick up some milk on the way over?” – Just use one of the phrases above (no need to justify or offer an excuse or reason why).  Bonus tip – leave your vacuum in a prominent position in the lounge… that way, even if your house looks like a bomb’s hit, it will at least look like you were about to vacuum (and if someone says “can I finish the vacuuming for you?”  You can just reply “yes please!”)

9)   Freezer stockpiles are fabulous, but they actually require you to think ahead and defrost something.  I suggest having a good back up pile of healthy delicious takeaway pamphlets stuck to your fridge.  Better yet, find one that has an online ordering service and get the app on your phone.  That way you can order dinner silently while rocking your precious cherubs to sleep.

10)   Look after your own health, nutrition and well being as carefully as you do your babies (especially if you’re breast feeding)  THIS IS WAAYYY EASIER SAID THAN DONE, and something that those around you can support you with – encouraging you to rest/sleep/take time out, and feeding you healthy foods. My gorgeous husband used to make me a lunch box to keep by the bed for all those nighttime feedings, and once he went back to work, would set me up on the couch with a chilly bin stocked full of healthy snacks and water (perfect when trapped under 2 sleeping babes) and a tray which contained the TV remote, chap stick, phone, books, hair ties etc.  Also keep in mind that it took you 9 months to grow your little bundles, so try and not worry about working out/cutting back on the treats etc until they’re at least 9 months old (or according to my maths, 9+9=18 months ha ha ha)

Double trouble?  Sometimes….. but mostly ‘twice as nice!’  Don’t forget to catch your breath and really soak up the specialness of it all, take a million photos and spam everyone you know with cute little video clips!!

Grab your FREE download of all these little photo props here – just print, laminate & have some fun!

Enjoy your multiples journey xx