Policy Reforms to Support Parents of Multiples

With all the additional challenges that come along with birthing and raising two babies at the same time, we asked twin parents to share what policy changes would actually make a real difference!

Having twins or multiples comes with unique challenges—both before and after birth.

With lots of talk about government-backed changes that are necessary to improve outcomes for pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing, we were curious to see what support matters most to parents and parents of multiples.

So recently asked twin parents…

What changes would you like to see in parental leave and governmental benefits to better support twin families during twin pregnancies, after birth, and beyond?

And here are the policy changes parents of multiples said would make the biggest difference:

“Parental leave should be different/longer if there’s any NICU stay, for parents to bond with their babies at home before they go back to work.” — Abbi

“A cost of living wage increase per child. Plus extending leave with a taper back into work starting with half shifts and so on. Automatic daycare discounts for multiples. A free night nurse or nanny for the first year.” — Olivia

“In 🇨🇦- double the Employment Insurance money to support double the care!!!! And for sure maternity leave starting AFTER NICU stays. We are lucky to have 12-18 months at home with our babies, and NICU time should not count towards it.” — -luckylamb

“Paternity leave at the start should be longer for multiples. That first month is mad. I couldn’t have managed if my husband only had 2 weeks off. Thank god he had annual leave stored up.” — Lizzie

“Leave should be based on number of babies and not the pregnancy.” — Brittany

parental leave for twins: when to start? — Read the article here!

“Dad should get to be on leave to help the mom with the twins. Should have special parking stalls for twin parents. Shopping carts should all have space for 2 to sit on the upper back portion of them.” — Hall-clan-of-6

“Double the leave. Separate NICU time (for all families). A child support stipend no matter income level. A healthcare stipend for pregnancy. Leave for pregnancy during the 3rd trimester. Handicap passes for pregnancy. Stroller stipend. Diaper stipend. Clothing stipend. College support. Daycares with lotteries guarantee if one multiple gets in, they all do. Twin specific birthing classes/parenting classes.” — Eleanor

Additional suggestions for reforms to support parents of multiples

“I’d like a maternity leave for each baby – i had a c section and then my boys were in the NICU for 3 weeks. I was a new mum, I had no idea how it would go. And the maternity pay is a joke.” — Em

“Additional parental leave available for both parents & changes to daycare waitlist policies to help twins secure spaces together.” — Jenna

“More leave , especially for when the twins were in NICU. Twin 2 being considered also as oldest on child tax benefits, and significant discounts for taking twins to the same nursery.” — Chisom

“Also can there please be more twin specific support for baby classes funded by the local council – trying to go to baby sensory/baby massage/rhymetime/baby swimming etc with one adult and two babies is nigh on impossible and having volunteers on hand to support parents with multiples would open so many more opportunities that are otherwise inaccessible or overwhelming.” — Catherine

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“There should be more maternity allowance – the statutory amount, for multiples. I’m not saying companies should necessarily provide double/triple the pay but if you had two babies a year apart ie 2 under 2, you’d have benefitted from 2 paid maternity periods, whereas we are expected to cover two babies costs in one maternity pay period. It’s ludicrous. Also nursery funding needs a serious look at.” — Rose

“Maternity/parental leave should absolutely be extended if you are having multiples.” — Mackenzie

“Leave entitlements should be per baby not per birth occurrence. How does it make sense that 1 baby = 1 adult but 2 (or more) babies still = 1 adult! Even one to one is cutting it close but multiple babies to 1 adult is wild! Also why is everything designed for twins is quadruple the price?!?” — Emma

“Extended paid parental leave for BOTH parents. With two newborns (often preemies), two or more adults are needed around the clock to care for the babies. Mom is often also recovering from a c-section at the same time, which takes longer than recovery from a natural birth.” — Laura

“A woman gave birth to more than one baby, don’t treat her as if she is recovering from a single pregnancy and expect her to go back to work in 6-8 weeks.” — Dale Ann

More suggestions for policy reforms to help twin families and families with multiples

“While women a woman is pregnant if they need to take time off from work for complications, hospitalizations, or bed rest, that time off should NOT be deducted from their maternity leave. By doing so a woman may be left with even less time to recover, adjust, and bond with their babies while also having two infants (some born prematurely) exposed to daycare earlier than they should be. This really should be for any pregnant woman regardless of how many babies are being carried.” — Sarah

“Nursing help for premature infants at home with extra needs that may not be able to attend a regular day care.” — Tiffany

“NICU leave separate from maternity leave. My “maternity leave” was spent in the hospital with my twins while they fought for their lives. By the time we came home, I had 4 weeks left of leave to actually just be a Mom and enjoy my babies.” — Cassidy

“Handicap parking.” — Mary

“Additional “free” sick or personal day time to cover the numerous appointments without using all of my sick days, and separate leave for NICU time with maternity leave time starting once both babies are discharged. We are lucky enough to not have to use daycare, but daycare assistance for twin/multiple families is needed. When we were figuring out what to do for childcare the thought of putting two infants in daycare with these insane prices was just unfathomable.” — Abby

“I had to finish work at 30 weeks and therefore had used 6 weeks of maternity leave before the boys were even born. Maternity leave needs to be longer for multiples. Also child benefit should be the same for both children, not reduced for the second one. They both need car seats, Moses baskets, cots etc at the same time.” — Allison

Final thoughts on government benefits for parents of twins and multiples

Based on the responses we saw, it sounds like these are the top areas where twin families and families of multiples are desperately craving additional support:

Leave time based on number of babies, not number of pregnancies
Additional leave for NICU time
Additional leave to accommodate extra complications and recovery (i.e. time off for bed rest/extra appointments prior to delivery, more time for C-section recovery, etc.)
Additional leave overall for both parenting partners, not just the birthing parent
More supportive discounts for childcare (10% isn’t cutting it)
Support with transitional care for preemie babies who have extra medical needs that make it hard to attend a regular daycare
Considerations for handicap parking / shopping carts that can safely accommodate two newborns/infants
Policies to ensure that both twins are able to get enrolled in the same daycare at the same time (regardless of lotteries, waitlists, etc.)
More access to twin-specific parenting and birthing classes
Support for parents attending locally-funded classes (like baby sensory classes) – i.e. volunteers who can provide an extra set of hands for parents managing 2 or more newborns/infants

caring for you and two twin pregnancy class — Register for our next live (and free) Caring for You and Two twin pregnancy class to feel more prepared for your first month with twins.

What can we do to help make these changes be put into policy?

Follow along with and support twin and multiples advocacy organizations like Twins Trust (based in the UK), Multiples of America, and Raising Multiples
Talk to representatives and policy makers in your local area or region. Telling people about your unique story and challenges puts a face to the reason WHY these changes are needed.

Want to see even more responses?

Check out the original responses from this Facebook post or this Instagram post!

Feel like you’re in the trenches of early twin parenthood?

Join the Twiniversity membership and come get support at our live monthly meetings! You’ll also get access to exclusive resources inside of our twin parenting Learner’s Library.

Or if you’re struggling with specific challenges like sleep or lactation, you can also get twin-specific support: