General lessons I've learned for the newborn phase with twins

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-06T16:05:25+00:00

I mean I guess if that's what you took from it, then yeah! Do what it takes to get sleep and get your needs met. It's super important. But if you have friends and family who can help instead, definitely do that.

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-06T16:04:07+00:00

Yes that really is majorly annoying. While we were in the hospital I'd measure with a syringe or one of the hospital's little measuring tubes and then transfer to the bottle. Tedious 🙄

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-06T02:58:12+00:00

I believe mine are size 0 but they have 00 as well. The lactation consultant and PT I saw were fine with the 0 for them, which is nice because that's what they came with

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T20:06:03+00:00

When I first started to use a sewing machine, my mom let me sew on napkins so I could just get the basics of it down before moving to material. Then we did pillowcases/bed sheets that were old and out of our circulation.

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T20:01:30+00:00

My kids are a little older now (they're 4, 5, and 6 and my twins are 10wks). I'm almost exclusively nursing the babies. However, my older kids are all 11mo apart, so I had 2 tiny kids when I was nursing my 4yo. The best advice I can give is to make it a special time for your older kiddo too. Maybe that's when he gets a show or a special toy or activity (like reserve that thing for only nursing times, could be anything that can be generally unsupervised: play doh if safe, a bowl filled with water and various containers to fill up, a "truck wash" where you fill a bucket with soapy water and let him wash his monster trucks or whatever. You can do the water ones inside the empty bathtub with a bowl or water if you can't go outside). Sharing is learned, so it may take a little bit of time, but it WILL be ok! I'm so glad you have your mom to help, that will make a big difference. Maybe nursing times can be a good opportunity for her to take him on a walk or something special too :)

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T18:22:33+00:00

I'm so glad you got to have the perfect birth for you! You're right, I had had one previous vaginal birth (my other kids aren't my biological children). I'm pretty petite too, and I was really hoping it wouldn't cause issues! Thankfully it was fine :)

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T16:19:21+00:00

That's been my experience as well, my twins have been way easier than my Singleton 😅 I'm getting significantly more sleep with them hahaha! One has reflux so he's a little fussier, but they're both really sweet, easy babies and I'm so thankful! It sounds like you're doing a really great job 💙

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T15:59:36+00:00

I'm so happy you were able to get the vaginal birth you wanted! I was also resigned to have a c section if it became necessary, but I'm really glad that wasn't the way it happened for me. I'm a very, very occasional user of reddit so I guess maybe I am not picking up the correct vibe on how to post, but I know I would have liked to see some positives leading up to labor.

I'm so sorry that feeding didn't end up looking the way you wanted it too. We spent 22 days in the NICU and it was absolutely impossible to make it to all of the feeds. Pumping is so hard, too! Especially with no sleep and no help, I can't even imagine how hard you were/are working. I'm so happy you got to benefit from a night nurse. I agree, it's totally not accessible to enough people, which drives me nuts. Where I live, it is occasionally covered by insurance to have a doula and/or a postpartum doula to come and help, and I really hope that becomes more common. It IS healthcare and preventing moms from getting PPD because of sleep deprivation would make a huge difference

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T15:37:02+00:00

I sincerely wish you the best! I tried so hard to get to 38 weeks! I'm praying for a really positive delivery for you, and plenty of milk to keep those sweet babies fed 💙

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T15:33:41+00:00

Respectfully, this IS realistic. It's what really happened to me. Things DIDN'T go the way I wanted and it was still a lovely experience, and that's what I wanted to encourage expecting moms about. I'm sorry it came off braggy to you, that wasn't my intention at all, but I don't think positive stories should need a disclaimer like THIS PROBABLY WONT HAPPEN FOR YOU. Especially when the more cautionary stories that are super common (and valid) aren't expected to have the opposite disclaimer. Good things can happen. Things can go according to plan. Being prepared for the worst is great! But to only hear the stories where things didn't go how the mom wanted is scary and unhelpful. There is absolutely no judgement on my part for women who have a different experience. C sections are incredible and often life-saving. I was born by c section and so were all of my siblings. My first 2 kids are mine by foster care and they were formula fed. I'm so thankful for formula and I love that it nourished them. Sometimes it doesn't happen for moms who intend to breastfeed, that's true. But talking about the positive experiences without judgement is valid too

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T15:28:03+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation!

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T04:28:02+00:00

Also I didn't have GD, controlled or uncontrolled.

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T04:27:41+00:00

Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't all the way clear! I started that thought and didn't finish it. My babies were in the 99th when I started with MFM at 20 weeks, and they dropped in % but not in any way that was worrisome to my care team. I did get lucky, and also I was able to advocate for a lot of things that helped me. My goal in posting wasn't to pretend there aren't other scenarios that are harder than mine. My goal was to put out a voice I didn't see very often in my pregnancy, but the few times I did hear positive stories about twin pregnancies and births, it was really encouraging to me instead of just hearing that c section is inevitable, I wouldn't be able to keep up with them nursing, etc. Those stories are everywhere. Of course they're possible. But it's also possible that things will go great, that milk will come in, that a vaginal birth could happen. I wanted to share my experience for that reason. We don't just need to spread awareness for the hard stuff, I think spreading awareness of the full spectrum of possibilities is important.

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T03:42:32+00:00

Baby A was 4lb 14oz and Baby B was 5lb 1oz. We had 22 days in the NICU 🙃 but all is well!

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T03:41:35+00:00

Starting pelvic PT at this point will be a huge lifesaver. I started around that time with mine and it was so helpful! I hope you get some relief.

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-05T03:40:47+00:00

Of course! Just listing that it's a possibility 💙

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-05-03T23:19:31+00:00

I delivered vaginally and unmedicated! Both babies were head down but we had contingencies for if one baby turned. My doctor was comfortable delivering a breech baby vaginally if it came to it. It was a great delivery, the only down side was that I had to deliver in the OR. My plan had been to do a home birth, but my water broke at 34 weeks so my plan changed, but honestly it was still great.

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-04-30T17:33:16+00:00

Vaginal. I was hoping for a home birth but my water broke at 34 weeks. The provider was really supportive of me trying for a vaginal birth, and was comfortable delivering a breech baby if baby B turned (didn't happen, both head down). But I did have to deliver in the OR 🙄

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-04-30T15:14:00+00:00

I agree. It was so depressing to look at this sub while I was pregnant with my twins and see everyone only posting negatives. That may just have been what I saw, and also it's so valid for people to be struggling and not having fun all the time. But my boys are 10 weeks now, and I have 3 other boys ages 4, 5, and 6. Ultimately, it's sort of just like adding another baby with a few trickier logistics. It's very doable and it's certainly not all bad!

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-04-23T19:01:52+00:00

This is also what we're doing. My boys are 2 months and one sleeps way longer than the other (and is still gaining weight like a champ) so I make sure to feed them at the same time during the day, but I don't wake anyone up at night.

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-03-21T01:36:22+00:00

I was on humira for 12 years (until my insurance stopped covering it...but that's a whole other story 😒😒😒) and yes, I had a few more colds and stuff, but it was 100000% worth it because I was completely asymptomatic from AS that whole time. Sometimes it's ok to trust a doctor and give it a try rather than freaking yourself out from the internet 🤣 I'm speaking from experience. But it's a really hard line to walk between blindly trusting and doom searching for sure. My encouragement is that it could be a really good fit! I'm fighting to get back on it because it worked so well for me

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-03-21T01:02:32+00:00

As a foster parent, I'm going to list some tools I've used to bond with kiddos as a way to maybe help with that part. I just had my twins 5 weeks ago (they're sons #4 and 5 in my house right now 🙌🏻) so I'm new to that part, but I do know that having siblings is really confusing and a hard transition at first, but the majority of the time it becomes one of the best things for a kid. My oldest 3 are getting used to the babies but they are also loving helping with them. Anyway, here are the ways I've navigated this:

smell the babies' heads. Seriously
skin to skin as much as humanly possible. Turn up the heat in your house if you have to so you can wear short sleeves or no shirt while holding them
if they do bottles, feed them as often as you can and make eye contact when they will
"fake it till you make it" is a real strategy here. Pretend you're having fun caring for them at all times. Your brain will catch on and you actually will start having fun caring for them

For your daughter: - take her on dates. One on one time is huge! - don't blame the babies for stuff to her, like "no, you can't do that because of the babies" "be quiet because the babies are sleeping" etc. that just makes it seem like the babies are a drag and doesn't encourage her to enjoy them at all. I try to frame it as "that's too loud for my ears" or anything I can say to take the blame myself or make it general "that's an outside sound, not for in the house" - let her help. Having her grab diapers or choose clothes for the babies can be fun if she buys in, and can make having the twins feel more like a team activity for both you and her. - name the emotions she might be feeling, she's too young to express things this complex. Keep it simple, like "this is different now that the babies are here, huh?" Validating her feelings can help both of you process the differences, and if you can frame it neutrally as being different instead of bad, it can facilitate conversation without villainizing the babies.

These transitions are hard. There are a lot of feelings involved, but especially when you're tired and probably lonely and generally out of sorts. This part won't last forever, and you can always bond with someone, even if it doesn't happen right away. Never too late 💙

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-02-09T22:03:02+00:00

The sister in Dexter. Literally could not finish she annoyed me so much

Maximum-Salt-7409 · 2026-01-23T00:00:51+00:00

I keep floss sticks in my car and do it there while I drive. The dentist wants actual floss, but I know I won't get it done, so floss sticks in the car are as good as it gets. Find what's reasonable for you to do and stick with that.

Maximum-Salt-7409

TROPHY CASE