Wife pregnant with twins..
Discussion
Monkeylegend said:
littlegreenfairy said:
Look after your wife. Her body will take a pounding over the next 9 months.
That's good to know OP, because once she has given birth she won't be interested, so make the most of it.Congratulations, I would also stock up on sleep over the next few months as well.
She'll have times when she'll feel a stranger in her own body. Just make a cup of tea, cuddle up with her and let her know you're there.
DJFish said:
Snip.
Don't be afraid to trust your instincts.
A lot of very good advice but to me the above is one of the best bits.Don't be afraid to trust your instincts.
We had our first 26 years ago, just the one not twins!
We got home from hospital and the first thing I noticed was that babies don't come with an instruction manual.
You just have to go with it and trust your and your wife's instincts. Sometimes you will get it wrong but most of the time you will be right.
The twins will be hard work but they will give you back much more than they take.
But I must add that children get harder work as they older! Make that most of them being babies, trust me as babies they are easy a lot compared to later years!
milner993 said:
your the second person to recommend this, the first pram we were recommended is a bugaboo donkey twin £1400 I might add 
surly a pram cant be worth that much? Its not made of gold!
We got a Bugaboo Buffalo - it has suspension and all sorts. Yes it was expensive but it seems worth it so far. surly a pram cant be worth that much? Its not made of gold!There will be some local "baby stuff for sale" places/groups - look on facebook. Buy as many baby grow things from them as possible - cheap and cheerful and frankly baby is going to pule/poo on them anyways.
Nappies - you have to try about 3-4 different types until you find the one that "works" for your children.
We have an Amby Hammock - seems to help them sleep better, supposed to be more "natural"...
Work on the basis that for about 3 months after birth, you have no social life. Your life will be revolving around your children.
Don't tell people (except anyone who is moving in to help you look after them) for at least a week. You will need this time to adjust to having them and basically just learning how to look after them.
Everyone has their opinions as to what is "right" in terms of babies, looking after them etc. There is no right answer, whatever you feel is for the best, is.
Monkeylegend said:
littlegreenfairy said:
Look after your wife. Her body will take a pounding over the next 9 months.
That's good to know OP, because once she has given birth she won't be interested, so make the most of it.my other half had a natural birth and it changed our already pretty good sex life for the better- not an unusual occurance according to mumsnet!
Samcat said:
Congratulations, we've got twins, they've just turned 9. They weren't our first children so we at least had some idea what to expect. As said already; buy two of everything and everything takes at least twice as long to do, my wife couldn't breast feed so at least I could help with the feeding.
My only advice is; get a routine and stick to it.
When your wife delivers she is going to be knackered for a few weeks, so get as much family help as you can, don't be afraid to ask.
Find out if there is a twins support group in your area, we took ours along and made some good friends, I'm not a very group help type person, but its great to hear people with the same problems and concerns as you.
Although its hard work enjoy yourself with them, take them for walks in the double pushchair/pram, young ladies love twins!
My girls are five, this is sound advice.My only advice is; get a routine and stick to it.
When your wife delivers she is going to be knackered for a few weeks, so get as much family help as you can, don't be afraid to ask.
Find out if there is a twins support group in your area, we took ours along and made some good friends, I'm not a very group help type person, but its great to hear people with the same problems and concerns as you.
Although its hard work enjoy yourself with them, take them for walks in the double pushchair/pram, young ladies love twins!
SpeckledJim said:
Let them sleep when they want, but don't shut-down the house when they sleep. They don't need silence and pitch black and you'll make a rod for your own back if that's what you give them.
This, a million times this. When kids want to sleep nothing will stop them, you can hoover round them if you wish. However, whatever you do they will get used to, so if you make the house silent as the grave because juniors are asleep that is what you will always have to do later on.Also, farm the kids out on the Grandparents on occasion. We did and the children got used to us leaving them with other people, my BIL didn't and their kids were a nightmare later on when he wanted to have a night out or weekend away with his wife.
PugwasHDJ80 said:
not always true
my other half had a natural birth and it changed our already pretty good sex life for the better- not an unusual occurance according to mumsnet!
I wasn't actually talking about your sex life. It isn't always about that.my other half had a natural birth and it changed our already pretty good sex life for the better- not an unusual occurance according to mumsnet!
I meant her entire body will go through so much just carrying the babies. She'll ache in places you didn't know you could ache, feel beaten up from every angle, struggle to breathe normally and every day tasks become quite a feat of humanity.
We have twins. It's all we know, one at a time must be a piece of cake.
Buy a front and back pushchair/stroller, not a side by side. Side by sides don't fit through many doors. We bought an i-Candy Pear, with the cots (no need for separate moses baskets), and the Isofix seats (that fit in the pushchair). When it's time to sell, it makes good money on the 'bay.
Tamba is largely a waste of time.
Get them into a routine, and fixed meal/bed times, it's the only way you'll both cope.
If you send them to a private school, don't forget you'll get a sibling discount. :-)
Twins run in my wife's family. Her sister has twin boys, and has just had a third singleton. Their gran was one of two lots of twins born to the great gran in 1900 ! Imagine they must have thought great gran was a witch or something popping out twins after twins !
Best of luck OP.
Buy a front and back pushchair/stroller, not a side by side. Side by sides don't fit through many doors. We bought an i-Candy Pear, with the cots (no need for separate moses baskets), and the Isofix seats (that fit in the pushchair). When it's time to sell, it makes good money on the 'bay.
Tamba is largely a waste of time.
Get them into a routine, and fixed meal/bed times, it's the only way you'll both cope.
If you send them to a private school, don't forget you'll get a sibling discount. :-)
Twins run in my wife's family. Her sister has twin boys, and has just had a third singleton. Their gran was one of two lots of twins born to the great gran in 1900 ! Imagine they must have thought great gran was a witch or something popping out twins after twins !
Best of luck OP.
It hardly the most important thing, but regarding the calpol, don't buy it. It's free from the pharmacy. My wife asked me to go and get some and said it was free as long as you give them the child's name and date of birth. I didn't believe her because as a working person I have never received anything for free from the state, I even took my wallet with me because I couldn't believe I would get it for nothing. But she was right and I've done it several times since.
Two at the same time must be hard but also very rewarding and you get to get it over with quickly instead of 2 years down the road having to have the conversation starting 'I'd really like another one'.
I've got a 6 year old and a 3 year old and that can be pretty mental sometimes.
Two at the same time must be hard but also very rewarding and you get to get it over with quickly instead of 2 years down the road having to have the conversation starting 'I'd really like another one'.
I've got a 6 year old and a 3 year old and that can be pretty mental sometimes.
I'm sat up on the night shift with our 1 month old... They do like a snuffle.
RE: Twins
Emphasise their individual identities. My best mates were twins and looking back I can see their parents went to great lengths to enable them to forge their own personalities. Society (schools, friends, relatives) will try and make them 'the twins', because it's easier.
I remember phoning and saying to their Mum, "is James or Adam in??", her reply was "which one are you calling for and I'll check?". It kind of went over my head a little as I was only ten but it sunk in over time.
They ensured different classes at school as well, and NEVER dressed them the same.
You get the idea, they can have a special bond but don't inadvertently make them weird.
RE: Twins
Emphasise their individual identities. My best mates were twins and looking back I can see their parents went to great lengths to enable them to forge their own personalities. Society (schools, friends, relatives) will try and make them 'the twins', because it's easier.
I remember phoning and saying to their Mum, "is James or Adam in??", her reply was "which one are you calling for and I'll check?". It kind of went over my head a little as I was only ten but it sunk in over time.
They ensured different classes at school as well, and NEVER dressed them the same.
You get the idea, they can have a special bond but don't inadvertently make them weird.
milner993 said:
Crush said:
Out n about twin nipper is the pushchair you need, don't bother with anything else 
your the second person to recommend this, the first pram we were recommended is a bugaboo donkey twin £1400 I might add surly a pram cant be worth that much? Its not made of gold!Number one recommendation; routine, routine, routine.
We went for the mountain buggy duo, which is narrow enough for a standard doorway, but still side by side and been really impressed with it.
Did I mention routines?
One thing I've not seen mentioned is car seats. The rules have changed recently so this might be an out of date recommendation, but get a maxi Cosi seat with the clip in base (we got our bases second hand for £20-30 each). They can be isofix or strap in, but once the base is in you simply clip the car seat onto the base and pull a handle to release. It will save your back.
And routines, stick with them, they will keep you sane.
Enjoy it, the time flies by way too fast.
21 month old and 6 month old identical girls here...
Mountain Buggy Duet / Duo - I think still the only side by side pushchair that fits through doors. Ours was £250 second hand and in great condition.
As mentioned several times... Aldi nappies and wipes are better than Pampers in our opinion. Huggies wipes are the devils work.
Formula is not going to harm your baby... but it will make them sleep for longer (takes longer to digest). But on the flip side... breast milk is free.
Some kind of cushion / pillow that you can rest them both on to feed them at the same time.
If you use formula... dream feed them. I.e. if they feed through choice at 9, say you go to bed at 11 basically top them up.
Video baby monitor - so you know if you need to go in or not (more so for when they're older obviously).
And... best of luck!
P.S. sleep.
Mountain Buggy Duet / Duo - I think still the only side by side pushchair that fits through doors. Ours was £250 second hand and in great condition.
As mentioned several times... Aldi nappies and wipes are better than Pampers in our opinion. Huggies wipes are the devils work.
Formula is not going to harm your baby... but it will make them sleep for longer (takes longer to digest). But on the flip side... breast milk is free.
Some kind of cushion / pillow that you can rest them both on to feed them at the same time.
If you use formula... dream feed them. I.e. if they feed through choice at 9, say you go to bed at 11 basically top them up.
Video baby monitor - so you know if you need to go in or not (more so for when they're older obviously).
And... best of luck!
P.S. sleep.
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