The statistics show that 1 in 65 pregnancies end up in multiple births, meaning that, statistically speaking, there’s a realistic chance that this might happen to you. To make things even crazier, there’s yet another piece of data claiming that the twinning rate has risen 50% in the last 20 years. If one of the parents comes from a family that already had twins, the chance rises even higher. All in all, a future dad needs to have a contingency plan when expecting twins. While some may believe that all you have to do is take double of everything, things are not always so simple. So, here’s what you need to consider when preparing for the hype that comes from expecting twins.
-
Scheduling becomes more important than ever
First of all, previously we’ve mentioned that not all things will double with the arrival of twins. Unfortunately, chaos isn’t one of them. This is why it’s incredibly important that you establish a routine. Sure, you won’t get much sleep or be able to eat much other than frozen food but with a proper schedule, you can make all of this easier to bear. Keep in mind that your children will try to change your patterns, which is why it’s one of your most important duties not to allow this to take place. Getting them on the same sleep schedule at night and the same nap times during the day needs to become your number one priority. In fact, it’s even worth getting a nap log in order to make this more effective.
-
You need to be a team, now more than ever
Even though this should go for an only child, as well, when you expect twins you need to be more of a team than ever before. Some parents prefer to take the approach where they each take care of one child, thus sharing the amount of work, whereas others like to take turns so that at least one of them can get a couple of minutes of peace. Which of these methods suit you and your partner the best is left for you to decide. Either way, you need to do it all together.
-
You need all the help you can get
Although you may believe that you’re capable to do it all on your own, this is probably not the best course of action for your sanity. You need all the help you can get, so if anyone friend or family member offers to clean your place, prepare a meal or watch the babies for half an hour, this is an offer that you can’t afford to miss out on. Keep in mind that you still need some me-time (and so does your partner) so make sure to take any opportunity you can to use the most of it.
-
You don’t really need two of everything
The next piece of advice is here to help you overcome a misconception that, when expecting twins, you need two of everything. Sure, you need two car seats, high chairs and in demand chairs but there are also some items that they can use at the same time. We’re talking about things like nursery furniture, diaper bag, twin strollers and similar items. Then again, there are some items, like changing table or a baby bath that they’ll use one at a time. In other words, getting informed and making a proper plan can save you a small fortune in getting unnecessary duplicates of items.
Of course, when it comes to formula, diapers, vitamins and similar supplies, you’ll need to stock up. Here’s where the consumption literally doubles up, which is why buying in bulk may be the most cost-effective solution. As for the clothing, the number of items depends on how often are you willing to wash their clothes. In other words, it’s situational, as well as a matter of personal choice. Still, this takes time and time might just be luxury that you won’t have.
-
Choosing names
One of the hottest topics when expecting twins is choosing the names for them. Some couples agree that it’s a one-name-per-parent model that they want to go for, while others try to make consensus on both names. Nonetheless, there are some considerations that you should probably take when choosing names. Being too “matchy” is not a good idea, seeing as how you want your kids to grow up as individuals and not have them bearing the twin complex for the rest of their lives. Nevertheless, choosing names that have a kind of flow might be an interesting idea.
However, you don’t want too big of a discord either. We’re talking about a traditional name for one baby and an outside-of-the-box one for the other. Also, keeping one kid’s name short while giving the other baby a multi-syllable name may also seem a tad unfair.
In conclusion
At the end of the day, this is a challenge that you’ll have to prepare for mentally. What this means is that you need to get enough sleep, spend as much me-time now (since you might not get to do so in a while) and consider all the benefits of having twins. For instance, you get to have all your sleepless nights done in one go, establish a single routine and go through the entire ordeal once. Also, there’s the issue of knowing that they’ll never be lonely that’s quite reassuring for every parent.
