2007GuideToTheFirstYear

WIL AND TAYLOR, AGE 3 DAYS
When you first gaze upon your
newborns’ faces, you see
the most beautiful, wonderfully
made miracles in the world. They’ve
spent months preparing for their debut.
Researchers now know that brain development
begins in utero. Before birth,
babies are sensitive to light, sounds and
temperature changes—and they’ve been
sucking their thumbs for weeks. Even the
twin bond begins in utero. Ultrasounds
have shown them with limbs entwined,
hugging each other in the womb.
Caring for twins in the first days can
be perplexing, exhausting and stressful.
It's “twinshock.”
Your postpartum plan
Develop a postpartum plan in writing.
Think of contingencies and alternative
solutions. In the fog of sleep-deprivation
and the bliss of motherhood, an unwelcome
surprise can be difficult to manage.
In her book, Mothering the New Mother
(Newmarket Press, 2000), Sally Placksin
suggests having a list of phone numbers
on hand postpartum: a lactation consultant,
new parents’ support group, housecleaner,
friends and neighbors who have
offered to help.
Clean and organize
Do as much as you can in advance of
the births to reduce household workload.
Freeze meals—casseroles are good. Other
easy meals: salads, soups, sandwiches or
pancakes for dinner. Have your local grocery
and restaurant delivery phone numbers
handy.
Along with baby gifts, ask for meals
for your freezer or a gift certificate for
Welcome
Home
Bringing home twins marks the start of a new lifestyle…
full of questions, challenges and joy.
housecleaning, postpartum massages,
or donations for a doula.
Stock up on nonperishables:
paper plates, cups, plastic utensils
for a break from dishwashing.
Lower your housecleaning standards
postpartum. Getting rest and cuddling
/ nurturing twinfants are priorities.
Clean out clutter. Organize your
house so items are near where you use
them. Use a laundry system that allows
you to sort dirty clothes when you take
them off.
Wash new baby clothes in advance
(they can contain chemicals that irritate
baby’s skin), but don’t wash everything.
You probably have more cute outfits than
your babies will ever wear, so set some
aside to exchange for bigger sizes or store
credit (leave the tags on!).
Set up diaper-changing and babyfeeding
areas on every floor of your house
so you’re not running up and down stairs
all day. Each area needs burp cloths, a water
bottle, breastfeeding pillow for nursing
moms, books, a journal and whatever
“comforts” you need while feeding babies.
Tasks volunteers can do
• Wash / sterilize bottles & feeding
implements
• Feed babies—especially night / earlymorning
shifts
• Bathe babies
• Play with / bathe older children
• Do grocery shopping
• Prepare meals
• Wash dishes, clean kitchen
• Clean the house
• Take older children to school
• Run errands
• Wash laundry, fold clothes
• Watch babies while you rest
• Help take babies to doctor
Plan to sleep
Don’t underestimate the power of sleep
deprivation. Feeding and caring for twinfants
is an around-the-clock job. Newborns
eat every two to three hours, yet
adults need a seven- to nine-hour stretch
of sleep to function well.
Sleep deprivation increases your
levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. This
can lead to feelings of hopelessness and a
shorter fuse. Sleep whenever your babies
do! It's crucial. You may have a hundred
things to do, but your body needs rest
to make up for lack of night sleep. This
is especially important for your recovery
from childbirth. Ask others to come over
and watch your babies while you nap.
Once breastfeeding is well established
or if you are formula-feeding, consider
letting someone else handle some
nighttime feedings. Start looking for
ways each parent can get at least five-hour
chunks of sleep—the amount required to
get your body into a restful state. Maybe
you and your partner can split the night
in half. Some couples even trade off whole
nights. Sure, when it’s your night it’s exhausting,
but at least you know that half
the time you’ll get a full night’s sleep.
Limit Visitors
Spread out visitors as much as possible.
Maybe dad is home for two weeks to help
and, after that, grandma comes. It’s okay
to set time limits on visits or say you won’t
be seeing visitors at all until after a certain
number of weeks. Answering the door
in your bathrobe also gets the message
across quickly that you’re too tired for socializing.
Your postpartum experience is
yours—do what’s best for your family so
you have a wonderful ‘babymoon.’
Melanie Bowden lives in the Salt Lake City
area where she is a lactation consultant to
mothers of multiples.
22 GUIDE TO THE FIRST YEAR © 2007 TWINS Magazine. To subscribe: call 1-888-55-TWINS or www.TwinsMagazine.com