[newyearbaby]

If your DH has read the booklet you mentioned, you are already one step ahead of me. I gave my DH a booklet about Twin Pregnancy when I was 8 weeks, and he still hasn't read it!!!

So as punishment he gets to hear every single complaint I have. In thorough detail.

[stella777]

I think visiting the NICU and meeting with your local AMBA to talk to other twin parents are 2 great ideas. Does your hospital or anywhere offer multiple birth antenatal classes? I live in a regional area and nothing like that is available here, but if you are in a major city you may have access to some kind of classes.

You are already one step on us as the twins were our first and we were clueless as to how much work it took to keep one baby going, let alone two

DH helped with the night feeds every night unless he was working at night. I was initially tandem breastfeeding so I made it his job to change nappies halfway through feeds (our boys were sleepy feeders and changing halfway helped wake them a little) and help with burping. When we started bottle feeding we were initially both getting up and feeding a bottle each, which as they got a little older progressed to taking it in turns to get up and feed one after the other so we each got a few hours sleep.

You can always master 2 bottles at once too, with the aid of towels, boomerang pillows, bouncers etc.....whatever works for you. I used my car capsules for a short time to be able to feed both at once.

Good luck with the rest of you pregnancy

[joshuakalan]

When our twins finally came home, the best information we were both given was for DH to try and take on as many of the household jobs as possible.

I would not be overly worried about twin specific information. If the bubs' arrive early, the NIC nursing staff take over and you are very much kept in the loop. Nothing can really prepare anyone for twins.

Enjoy the ride!

[Becs]

We were both 1st time parents so learning curve for both of us. I'm a very practical person so not much fazed me other than visitors! Hated having drop ins both at hospital and home as I didn't have the energy to waste talking when i'd had little sleep.

Tandem feeding clicked in around week three for me(as in I could do it by myself). DH helped at night when needed so 1st few weeks he'd curl up and sleep on the nursery floor whilst the girls fed then help me put them back in their cots. My Mum stayed a few nights, then my sister etc so that was a massive help in the early days.

Rockers were my best friend. I had a couch set up in the nursery. Take bub1 out of cot and put in rocker.. repeat...
Have pillows set up either side of you on lounge. Put bub 1 on pillow... repeat. Attach bub one, attach bub 2. Burp bub one put back on(mine were VERY sleepy slow feeders) repeat with bub 2. Put one bub back in rocker other bub back in cot, then bub 2 in cot.

Get a couple of hours sleep then REPEAT

You get plenty of practice so you get good at it. Mine fed every 3- 3.5 hrs for 12 months! I stopped tandem feeding around 5 months or so as I couldn't safely feed them together they rolled around and looked at each other etc.

Don't really know how I would have managed with other kids too. That may be DH's job in your household.

I too think talking about NICU or SC is a good idea. I had an uncomplicated 38week fraternal twin pregnancy but my 2 spent a short time in SC with breathing issues. Not at all what we were expecting. The babies and DH were taken straight to special care when they were delivered(Csection) I was in recovery by myself for a while and didn't get to see my girls for a while. I held twin 1 late the 1st night and twin 2 I didn't see until I had drips and catheter etc removed the following day and I could be wheeled down to sit by the humidicrib.

Midwives had me on double breastpump in hospital and I really think that helped with supply.

good Luck..

[*CalamityJane*]

Twins were our first (and only) too. DH was sufficiently scared at the thought of twins to come to antenatal classes with me, and milestone US and OB appts (he didn't come to all as there were simply too many of them).

DH did get up for night feeds early on while he was on leave. As per PP, he would pass me a baby, nap on the floor until we were done, then put one baby to bed. By the time we had been doing it 3-4 weeks, the babies had good enough head control that I could easily manage on my own.

We didn't do any SCN/NICU tours. We spent 2 weeks in SCN after DDs were born and I'm not sure if a tour would have made it any easier. Perhaps if we had been high risk for NICU it might have been beneficial to do a tour.

[T2Mum]

Very helpful tips everyone! Keep it coming...

PS I think it has finally dawned on DH today that when the twins arrive he will pretty much be looking after our two older children by himself all weekend. When the penny dropped he wanted to reopoen the discussion about why we decided to have a third child!! Ummm, I think it's a bit late for that now!!

Anyway we have agreed that from now until the babies arrive he will practice looking after the two eldest on weekends. Stay in there babies - I think Dad needs a bit of practice time!!