Twin parents share the honest truths about what they did NOT prepare for with their twins. This is a must-read for anyone trying to get ready for twins on the way.
Preparing for the birth of your twins fills you with all the feelings. Joy. Overwhelm. Fear. Excitement. Sadness. Anxiety. Shock. Delight.
Whatever part of the spectrum you’re straddling right now, your feelings are valid. And there’s definitely been another twin parent who has felt exactly how you’re feeling right now.
As you inch closer and closer to their due date, we want you to feel ready for twins (as much as you possibly can) while also acknowledging that there may be some things you simply can’t prepare for.
Nevertheless, we tapped into our amazing twin parent community to spill the tea on what real twin parents felt the most unprepared for with their twins.
We recently asked twin parents to fill in this blank:
As an expecting twin parent, the number 1 thing I admittedly did NOT prepare for was…
And here’s how they finished that sentence…
What a blessing it is
“How much my heart would burst with love every time I looked at or thought of them.”
“That it would be so manageable and fun.”
Caring and feeding for two at once
“Breastfeeding/pumping for two.”
“Not being able to enjoy holding one twin because I felt like I was “neglecting” the other.”
“Being ready to relax two babies at the same time who never stop crying in the newborn stage.”
“Having a carrier that holds 2 INFANTS. The Twin-go we had doesn’t work until they’re bigger.”
“A backup plan if breastfeeding didn’t work out.”
Sleep
“The sleep deprivation.”
“My lack of sleep.”
“Managing their sleep.”
The pregnancy/delivery challenges
“Bed rest.”
“That I was going to have a C-section. I was devastated when I found out I couldn’t do it vaginally.”
The NICU/coming home situation
“1 twin in the NICU and 1 twin with us.”
“Not bringing them home with me when I left the hospital. 3 weeks later. Was hard but good.”
“11 weeks in the NICU”
“Early delivery and NICU stay.”
More/double of everything…
“How many duplicate forms I had to fill out.”
“The amount of wipes you go through.”
“The cost”
Did you know we have a FREE Facebook group just for expecting twin parents? Hurry and join today to find support from expecting twin mamas who get it!
Emotions/being on the same page with my partner
“Loneliness.”
“How to explain to my husband to have boundaries for his family.”
“How to feel re-connected to my partner when we were both operating from pure survival mode and sleep deprivation for months on end.”
The bottom line with feeling “ready” for twins?
Every twin pregnancy and twin family is unique, and what may help someone else feel ready or not may be very different for you. And that’s totally okay.
The truth is that we only know what we know before getting thrown into the world of twin parenting.
So do what you can to prepare and learn what you need to ahead of time, and trust that you will figure the rest out as you go. And give yourself some grace because the fact that you’re still reading this shows just how much you care, and those twinnies of yours are so lucky.
And if you’re looking for next-level resources + support to feel ready for twins? Check out these resources:
We have several ways you can feel more prepared for welcoming your twins:
- Come to our live trainings! Each month we host anywhere from 1 – 3 live workshops on topics like twin sleep, delivery day, breastfeeding, pumping, building a twin registry, the fourth trimester with twins, and more! Check the “free resources” tab at the top of our site to find a class that speaks to your needs.
- Take our comprehensive On-demand Expecting Twins Course which has over 100 video modules taking you through the most vital information to prepare for twins.
- Take our On-Demand Breastfeeding Twins Class or schedule a twins lactation consultation!
- Enroll in Twin Sleep School, a comprehensive on-demand course created by Twiniversity founder and IBCLC Natalie Diaz and Kim West, aka “The Sleep Lady.”
Want to read more articles about preparing for twins? Check these out too:
- How to Prepare for Twins: The #1 Thing That Helped Twin Parents Feel Ready
- Does it Matter How Much You Prepare for Twins? A Twin Parent’s Perspective
- What Catches Twin Parents Off Guard in the Fourth Trimester
