Whenever they venture out into the world for a walk or to shop for groceries, mothers of multiples can anticipate questions from well meaning strangers. In most cases, people just want to say hi and get a glimpse of your precious bundles of joy. Having twins is a crash course in how to deal with questions that are too personal.
Let’s face it – having twins is hard work. When your twins are crawling away from you in different directions
or when complete strangers are chasing after you to inform you that you have your hands full, it is easy to lose sight of the true joy that comes along with being a parent to multiples. Even though most of us know deep down how lucky we are and that we wouldn’t change it for the world, here is a little reminder of some of the benefits of having twins:
Tummy time is even more important now that it is the pediatric standard to put your babies ‘back to sleep’.
Morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer; while morning is the most common time to experience feelings of nausea, morning sickness can be experienced at any point in the day – especially if you are carrying twins. Researchers aren’t entirely sure what causes morning sickness, but there is a general consensus that morning sickness is at least partially related to hCG, (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone produced during pregnancy. During a multiple pregnancy, hCG levels are higher than in a singleton pregnancy which explains why episodes of morning sickness tend to be elevated in twin pregnancies. This leaves many moms asking how to cope with morning sickness.
During the first year, your baby’s digestive system is in training. It is maturing and they may have allergies to certain foods that you have yet to realize, or some foods may cause choking hazards. Given these parameters, parents have a lot of questions, asking what can’t their babies eat in their first year?
Black or green tea, which prevents absorption of iron;
Honey, which can harbor spores of Clostridium botulinum, which cause botulism that your baby is too young to fight;
Getting out of the house with infants can be a challenge. It takes lots of preparation and a carefully orchestrated strategy to leave the house without forgetting something and with everyone still smiling. Traveling with babies is the same, but with more stuff. You have to consider whether your destination has the equipment you use at home, specifically cribs, high chairs, bouncy chairs, play mats, toys, and anything else you may need on a daily basis.
To give your child the best chance of healthy teeth, you need to make sure to get into the habit of cleaning your baby’s mouth every day. Healthy habits lead to good dental health for your child. Here are some ways to keep your baby’s teeth healthy.
If you are planning to get creative and make baby food, it may be a good idea to try the bottled variety first to make sure that they like it. It is recommended that babies try vegetables first before they develop a preference for the sweeter fruit. We have some tips on introducing baby’s first foods.
Naming twins can be double trouble for parents who are already having problems picking out just one name. You never realize how many people you don’t like or have memories of until you try to name a baby. Likewise, it can be hard to pick who to honour with a name when you have so many special people in your circle. It can be hard to know how to name your twins.