Welcoming two babies at once when you’re a first time parent is exciting but also incredibly overwhelming. Here are some key resources that can help you with being both a first time parent and a twin parent!
When you’re a first time parent, there’s so much to be excited about. And at the same time, your life as you knew it undergoes a complete overhaul and you suddenly find yourself learning completely new skills.
Add to that a whole extra baby, and your experience of being a first time parent can be all the more chaotic and overwhelming.
If you’re a first-time parent of twins (or will be soon), and you’re unsure about what to expect as you navigate life in this unique world of two at once, you’re not alone.
Life with twins is a special journey, and you are a special human for taking that journey (even if it’s one tired step at a time).
Inside this article, you’ll see a collection of helpful resources geared towards twin parents who are also first time parents as well as see what other first-time parents of twins shared as being the biggest struggles.
Top 5 resources for first time parents of twins
Resource 1: For those who are still expecting…
If you have twins on the way, and this is your first time entering the parenting world, it’s really helpful to mentally prepare for some things before your twinnies arrive.
Twiniversity’s free live classes are a great way to not only learn about important parenting topics, but to also connect with other twin parents who are about to welcome twinnies into the world too!
Here’s a glimpse at the live classes we offer throughout the year:
- Twins Delivery Day Boot Camp
- Caring for You and Two: Your First Month Home with Twins
- Breastfeeding Twins Boob Camp
- Pumping for Two
- Twins Sleep Class (newborn and 6 months+ – each class is $20)
- Twin Ready Registry
Twiniversity Tip: If you want to take your preparation up another notch, explore our on-demand classes and twin lactation counseling! (Note: We accept insurance from many major providers and can also supply a Super Bill for those we don’t take.)
Resource 2: For better sleep…
One of the biggest challenges that twin parents face–whether they’re first time parents or seasoned parents—is adjusting to the sleep schedules (and lack of sleep).
While there’s no true way around losing sleep when you’ve got two infants on hand, you can ease the struggle with some helpful approaches.
Grab yourself a copy of The Newborn Twins Sleep Guide co-authored by twin expert Natalie Diaz and sleep expert Kim West.
Twiniversity Tip: If you want to prepare beyond the first 5 months for twin sleep, also check out Twin Sleep School, a comprehensive on-demand course walking you through all the twin-specific sleep challenges!
Resource 3: For guidance on getting through Year 1…
Feel more confident in navigating your first 12 months as a first time parent of twins with our First Year With Twins timeline. These twin parenting tips come from experienced twin parents from around the world–all who’ve been there, done that, and are ready to share their tips and tricks with you.
Inside each week’s timeline, you’ll see:
- An overview of what to expect for that week
- A sample schedule for that stage
- Common concerns and challenges for twins at that many weeks old
- Developmental milestones to watch out for at that stage
- Personal advice and tips from twin parents with twins at that week
- Questions to ask your twins’ pediatrician or healthcare provider at that age
- Helpful products that make a difference at that age
Resource 4: For keeping your babies safe…
Googling and You-Tubing all the research on CPR, first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing can be super overwhelming and time-consuming on top of all the other things you have to get in order as a first time parent.
The Complete Baby Safety Course is your one-stop shop to get all the training you need to keep your children safe through all stages—from baby through early childhood.
With over 30 instructional videos and 23 pages of handouts, you’ll feel so much more confident in keeping your twinnies safe as a first time parent of twins!
Access the course here!
Resource 5: For building your village…
When you become a parent for the first time, you quickly realize just how vital it is to have a village supporting you. The sad reality is that for some of us, that village can feel non-existent—whether you live too far away from family or can’t afford the level of help and care you’re truly craving.
And even if you do have a decent amount of help, sometimes you get stuck feeling like no one around you quite understands the unique hurdles you’re facing as a parent to twins.
That’s why Twiniversity has created supportive ways for twin parents to connect with each other. Inside the Twiniversity membership, you get access to monthly support meetings (in addition to a library of twin parenting resources).
Need some twin parent friends? Get the support you need with a Twiniversity Membership. Benefits include a monthly twin parent club meeting on Zoom, access to a private Facebook group just for twin parents, and a video library of twin parenting lessons. Visit Twiniversity.com/membership to join today!
Twiniversity tip: You can also search our Twins Club directory to find a multiples club near you or join our free First Year With Twins Facebook community!
In case it helps to have some honest words from other twin parents who’ve been there…we recently asked our twin parent community…
What was the biggest challenge you faced as a first-time parent of twins?
And here’s what they had to say:
“Constantly playing ‘Where’s the other one?’ I was cuddling with my daughter on the couch and then two minutes later, I thought “what is her brother doing?” Dear reader, he had climbed up and was eating his weight in Hershey’s kisses.” — Erica
“Managing both at a time.” Feeding at one time, pooping at one time, etc.” — Meghan
“Everything. But I’m still surviving. They’re almost 9 now.” — Becky
“Sleep, and lack there of. They are 9 and it is still a challenge.” – Holly
“Currently in our 2-year-old era, and it’s been the hardest so far but wonderful! Wouldn’t change a thing.” — Nora
“The way too early birth (7 weeks too early), the long stay in the NICU (5 weeks), the sleepless nights, the problems when the boys started fighting. Then it was the school problems with twin 2. I‘ve made the best out of it. I started my magazine, ZWILLINGE, wrote books about raising twins and worked as a publisher. My twins are 42 and both are fathers of 2 children (no twins) and everything is fine. Meanwhile I‘m publishing books about knitting.” — Marie
“School and puberty.” – Pa Co
“None of the advice given to new parents really works for twins. Sleep when the baby sleeps? My other baby doesn’t sleep when the baby sleeps.” — Melissa
“Long NICU stay and sleep.” – Cassidy
“Going off to different colleges!” — Tricia
“A long NICU stay. Mine also discharged with feeding tubes and one on oxygen. ‘Sleep when the baby sleeps’ didn’t work; they wouldn’t sync cycles at all and were 2 very different babies. And my village disappeared. No support for hubby and I at all.” — Angela
Want to read more about the first year with twins? Check out these articles too!
- Top Ten Twinfant Parenting Struggles
- First Year Expenses With Twins: The Inside Scoop From Twin Parents
- Life With Twins: The Early Years Ranked By Difficulty Level
