Last updated on May 7th, 2024 at 08:56 am
The first day home with twins is filled with so many feelings. You may be excited and overjoyed, or you may be tired and worried. You’re probably feeling a mix of both! Here are five tips for your first day home with twins to make it a smooth transition.
1. Have a Place for Your Twins to Sit
When you get home on the first day with your twins, you will need to have a place to put them down safely other than their cribs or bassinets. You’ll soon see that you’ll often need a place to put them down to answer the phone, make a bottle, change a diaper, etc. Bouncers are great for this purpose, as they are lightweight, portable, and have a belt strap to keep them safely in the seat. You may want to have a few other options as well, such as a baby swing, Rock N’ Play, or pack-n-play set up throughout your house. It’s good to have variety! Make sure to assemble these items before you bring the babies home from the hospital. You do not want to have to deal with assembling baby gear with two newborns needing your attention.
2. Prepare Bottles, Burp Cloths & Bibs to Be Ready for Feeding Times
Want less stress on your first day home with twins? Prepare your bottles ahead of each feeding to make sure you start the feeding on time, which will keep you on schedule. You can even prepare all of your bottles in the morning. Just dole out the proper amount of powdered formula into each bottle and keep them on the kitchen counter. Add the water and shake right before you start each feeding. Keep a fresh stack of burp cloths and bibs handy in a basket wherever you typically do your feedings. You will never have enough of these to clean up spit-up, spilled milk, and random messes.
3. Have a Changing Area Ready
Make sure you are stocked up on plenty of diapers, wipes, Vaseline, diaper rash cream, and changing table covers before bringing the babies home. Prepare a designated diaper changing station in the babies’ room, such as a changing table or a changing station on top of a dresser, and make sure that all supplies are within reach while standing at the station. Have an additional changing pad and a stocked diaper caddy handy to use on the floor in the room where you’ll spend much of the day, such as the living room, so you don’t have to run into the babies’ room every time you need to do a quick change.
4. Have a Place to Track Their Feedings
Keeping a daily log of all feedings will help you to keep track of your every 3-hour feeding schedule, which baby is eating how much, and how many wet and poopy diapers your babies are making. Writing everything down can be tedious, but it really helps when you just can’t remember when was the last time you fed a baby. It’s also a great tool for your nanny, grandparents, and other helpers to know exactly where you are in the schedule, as well as for your pediatrician to see what you’ve all been up to at your next visit.
5. Get Some Rest Yourself
Accept any and all help that is offered. You will be recovering from giving birth and will need an extra set of hands, or two, to help care for your twins. This is where your partner will really need to jump in and take on more responsibility so you can rest, especially if you are recovering from a c-section. Don’t be afraid to give helpers specific jobs to help you get things done around the house (e.g. laundry, grocery shopping, walking the dog) and if they offer to come over and help, your answer should always be, “Yes! What are you doing tomorrow at 6:00 pm?” Give them a specific date and time to show up to make sure they do. Take advantage of the offers while you can!
Your first day home with your twins is sure to be exhausting, overwhelming, and a little (OK, a lot) crazy. This is totally normal! You suddenly have two new tiny people to keep alive and it’s going to throw a wrench in the works for a while. Just remember that you need to take it one day, one hour, one minute at a time if you have to. Keep moving forward and before you know it you’ll get into the swing of things and feel a lot more confident. You are not the first person to bring home twins; we’ve all gone through it and survived, and thrived, and so will you!
