Im 19 yrs old, and am 18 weeks along with twins, and was wondering if anyone has any advice for me. I am scared as all hell, as this is my first pregnancy and its doubled, so really anything will help heaps. thanks

Hi Randomfreak, and congratulations!
Will you have much support when the babies are born? My mum came most weekends so I could catch up on some sleep and clean the house.
My biggest piece of advice would be, don't think you have to have everything new. If people offer to pass on clothes, accept! Same goes for bedding, baby swings etc etc. Probably the one thing you need to really love is your double stroller, as you will get lots of use out of it and it needs to be light enough to get in and out the car etc.
Was there anything you wanted specific advice on?
With things like feeding, you'll have time in hospital to chat to midwives and lactation consultants to see how breastfeeding goes. They can also explain bottle feeding to you if that is the way you want to go.
Try not to stress too much, I had a 1 yr old and a 3 yr old when my twins were born, and my twins were by far my easiest babies, and I did actually sleep in those first few months.
Feel free to ask as many question on here, we are a fairly helpful bunch with lots of different parenting styles, so you will get lots of advice

hi randomfreak! congratulations on your twin bump. i too had twins for my first pregnancy and didnt find out til 19wks... so i know how your head is spinning. try not to stress too much. definately ask all the questions in here- its a great spot to get all the answers!
maybe join up your local mutliple birth association-- its good to meet mums [and twins] and they will be able to give you lots of local tips and information.
definately borrow things from friends and invest in a good pram. sometimes the local MBA assoc will have a stash of things to lend you or has a newsletter with some bargains for multiples.
try not to worry about the logistics of things too much. if u have support from family and friends that is a great help.
sorry gotta go, kids are squeaking!pm me if you have any questions....

Congrats!

My twins were my first and the pregnancy and then twins part was a surprise. But I think having them as your firsts means you go in with no expectations!

Good family support is worth its weight in gold when it is helpful and EB answered heaps of my questions, so hopefully it will help.

I agree with PP suggestions - multiple births association, accept all things that are thrown at you =)

But my best piece of advice is to do your best to relax into it (understandably by easier said than done) - both the pregnancy (argh... ) and the idea of the twins - it will seem a whole lot more scary than it actually is!

All the best!!

Congrats!!!! My twins were my first and the advantage is you dont know any different!!!!! I would also recommend contacting your local Multiple birth group as they were a god send for me.

I really loved having a double stroller (it meant I could get out each day) I would also get two swings and two rockers/bouncers. That way one can swing while you feed the other- I would also stock your freezer full of meals now so you dont have to worry about cooking when they are are first born.

I would also recommed trying to get into a routine as soon as you can and def try and get out of the house each day.

Pls feel free to PM me if you have any other questions

Good luck

Congratulations on your twinnie bump!

It is really overwhelming at first, but I second the advice of PPs - try to relax into it and not stress too much.

Accept anything that is offered second-hand - saves $$$ big time.

Definitely 2 bouncers, at least 1 swing in case one baby is more unsettled than the other, plenty of bottles(if you are not breastfeeding), and definitely buy heaps of nappies AND wipes when they are on special now.

It's important to feel comfortable with your twin stroller, as it will become your lifeline to the outside world. I was really lucky in that friends of mine put the word out and I got to loan both a side-by-side and one-in-front pram/stroller for a week to see which I preferred. So glad I had that chance as made a decision that really suited our needs with our then toddler.

Make and freeze meals well in advance, accept any offers of help from friends and family (even if they just hold the babies while you have a shower.

Can you get a cleaner for a bit in the beginning? I had a cleaning service cone once a fortnight to do my floors and bathrooms. Forced me to get out of the house and meant I didn't stress about housework iykwim...

The very fact that you are considering all this now, and asking other multiple mums for ideas is the best start!

thanks everyone, i just moved to a new town and not many friends here, but i have family here and they're great support. no-one i know has any second hand baby stuff, so im thankful that vinnies and the salvos have cheap stuff lol..

i think that mostly covers my worries, besides the actual worrying part, which is easier said than done, but im not telling yous anything new huh? lol

thanks again everyone

P.S. also anything else you think that i should know(even if i do know), please dont hesitate to tell me anyways

Hiya,

I have found that reading the Multiples section on this board has answered a lot of my questions and made me think of things I hadn't thought of as well, which has been really helpful. The Multiple Births Association also has a forum, which is useful as well. The forums are especially good if you live in a regional area.

We have been getting most of our stuff second hand (check out the Gumtree website). Also, it depends where you are, but some of the areas have "Baby and Kids" markets, which are awesome. Maybe too awesome, as we now have way too many clothes!!!

There is a "expecting Multiples" pregnancy support thread - where everyone is expecting multiples, so feel free to come and say hi: http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/forums/ind...howtopic=881188

Good luck - its an exciting time.