Twins - the juggling act

In my years as a nanny I've had the privilege of caring for these gorgeous twin boys. They were energetic, fun, thoughtful and at times mischievous. There is only a small minority of people that intentionally make plans to have more then one baby at a time but when it does happen it can be such a great surprise and in the same time the questions start... how will I be able to juggle the feeding? will I breast feed? the bathing? the attention? the crying? and what about all the extra equipment that I will now need. There is a lot to be said in needing to be extra organised when your dealing with two instead of just one! But there is help out there and research should be your priority.
There is a great web site that gives you lots of advice on caring for twins and is a great place to start if you know that your going to have to starts juggling soon. Look at Parents.com, it should answer some questions and lead you in the right direction for further research.
Here is a list of things that I personally think should be top priority in the planning process

• Firstly even before the arrival, you need to organise the logistics of everyday life, including having a car with two baby seats, two bassinets/cot, double strollers, double the amount of bottles (if not breast feeding), breast pump and nappies. In general you have to prepare the room and think about where the babies will sleep, how you will transport them and the clothes that they will wear
• The birth plan - are you going to try to deliver naturally, with the help of drugs or have a cesarean?
• Are you going to breast feed or you going straight to formula is another important aspect to think about. Breast feeding is quiet achievable, all it needs is great organisation and planning. There  are great books on the subject of breast feeding twins and if in Australia, you can get help through the Breastfeeding Association. 
• In my opinion when having twins, setting a routine and then being able to follow through with it is vital. I have been lucky, the twins that I did care for had a routine set out for them by their parents before I arrived and it just made the day easier. The boys slept at the same time, ate at the same time and followed a plan. They were happy and so were the parents and I. There are many great routines out there for twins which have been trailed and tested. I love the Tizzie Hall books and routines, also for a more strict routine try Gina Ford, might be a bit harder to follow but will get you sleeping more! I also think that if your not keen on a routine set by others, you can set your own routine. Babies are creatures of habit and love routines, so as long as you set one that fits around your life, they will be happy too.

And always remember that there are heaps of positives of having twins... double the hugs, double the laughs, double the fun and double the love. And don't forget that once they get older, they will have a friend for for life and a playmate inside and outside the house. xx