Two vs. One – Comparison of Twins to a Single

How different is raising twins from raising a singleton?  As a first time Mom to twins, I often wondered what would be different if I only had one baby.  Here are some of the differences that I have noticed about my twins vs. my single baby.

Care:  It is a lot easier to care for one.  The level of exhaustion with newborn twins was over the top.  It took both of us in the beginning and we literally had 45 minutes of downtime between the end of the feeding process and the start of the next one.  With my single, there was no need to wake my husband for help and there was 1.5-2 hours of downtime between the end of a feeding and the start of the next one!  After the sleep deprivation boot camp that twins put me through caring for a single baby was barely a blip on the radar.

There are A LOT less diapers to change.  With twins the diaper trash was emptied every couple of days.  With our single we only have to empty once a week.

A lot less laundry!

You can travel lighter.  All of what you need will fit in a normal sized diaper bag.

Sleeping arrangements – the twins were in the same crib, always slept in their own room and were put down awake.  Putting a single baby in a big empty room and walking out was much more difficult!  Not to mention the twins woke up and ‘talked’ to each other while my single screams.

Scheduling:  Most twin moms agree that keeping your babies on a schedule is crucial.  There is nothing worse than TWO unhappy/crying babies.  I find that my single baby has a much more flexible schedule, mainly because it is not as overwhelming to hold and comfort/quiet one crying baby as it is two.  I can hold or wear one all the time and still get things done.

Sharing:  Twins start sharing in the womb.  They never have Mom all to themselves.  They have NO idea of what it is like to be ‘alone’.  The twins have always shared Mom with each other, they have had to wait their turn or share their time from the very beginning.

A single baby has the entire womb to themselves!  They have NO idea what it is like to share.  They are alone.  They must learn to share!

I think the best illustration of this is story time.  When I started reading to my twins there was one on each leg (or each lap as they see it).  When we started to read to our single he had the entire lap to himself.  When one of his sisters comes to share in story time he will literally try to push her out.  Our twins never even thought to try and get rid of each other.

Attention:  I do not recall my twins following me around the house wanting me to pick them up constantly.  They were more ‘independent’ even if it was as a team or perhaps because there were two.  My single on the other hand follows me around constantly asking to be picked up.

Do you have 1+2 or 2+1?  Do you agree or disagree with these differences?  Have any to add?  Please post your comments below.  We’d love to hear from you!