[mmxylorider]

The Background
Having become proud parents of twin children (girl and a boy) about 7 years ago, my wife and I can't help notice that the number of twin children seems to have increased.

I remember, during my schooling days couple of decades ago, there were probably a handful of twins in out school. Compare that now with another twin pair in the same section as my children.

So has anything changed or is it just that one tends to notice things that one has in the external world. More Xylos and more Estilos on the road - you know what I mean!

Anyway the context of this thread. I'm sure a good number of BHPians might have twin/triplet children and have their own way of dealing with issues specific to multiple birth. Let this thread be a way of getting and sharing information. This will be no substitute for professional medical advice but more of experiences in dealing with common problems.

[mmxylorider]

Initial Days
The best thing we did was register with a pediatrician who herself is a mother of twin daughters. This helped! Her advice during the visits were both clinical as well as experience based. Of course, some of the suggestions would border on being overly hard on infants, but raising twin children is different and I have only appeciation for her directions.

For instance, one of the first suggestions - Have the children sleep in a separate room. Our children started sleeping in their own room since age 5 months.
Another one, let the children get accustomed to each other's sounds. If one is crying, do not move that child or the other child out of the room.

Yet another one: During the initial 3-4 months, when the children would wake up every 3-4 hours, our Dr told us to feed both of them at the same time. If one wakes up before the other, feed that child, wake up the other child and feed him/her too. Same with diaper changes, do for both at the same time.

Looking back, I can see the benefit. Each parent can get at least 5 hrs of uninterrupted sleep.

[mmxylorider]

Feeding Habits

In case of twins, mothers milk in most cases has to be supplemented with Formula or like. Our Drs suggestion was to give mother's milk at least twice (morning and night) and remaining times formula.

An investment in a pumping machine was also recommended so that free time while kids are asleep could be used to extract and store and the father could feed that to the children.

It's also important to note that having home made food is recommended as opposed to canned/ready to eat/delivered food. The main point being sure of the ingredients. Preservative are a strict no no for the mother while the babies are getting mother's milk.

As the children grew older, and started eating variety of soft/mashed food, it was important to introduce texture and color in the foods given. Gerber's bottled stuff is quite good. In addition, vegetables - boiled and mashed was also recommended. No seasoning - absolutely no salt and sugar.

Different variety over the week will ensure that there is no special affinity to one single item and dislike for another.

Another point worth mentioning here is that, at Drs advice, we did not give our children any water till they were almost a year. The reasoning was that any liquid intake would be via milk/formula and nutritional. Water as such does not fulfill any nutritional needs which is important, more so in case of twins, since they would not normally be as healthy as single babies at birth.

[mmxylorider]

Other things

Use of feeding bottles: There are differing thoughts around using bottles, namely the problem that once they are used to it, nothing else works.
Use of pacifiers : same problem as above.

Well, it takes about 2-3 days to get them de-attached to these things. If parents are strong and do not give in. Needless to say, those 2-3 days will be difficult with lot of crying etc, but a long weekend does the trick. Tried and tested!

Multiple Birth Programs
A lot of companies (in the US and Canada, for sure) which are engaged in infant and child products have multiple birth programs. Registration in some cases is just a phone call or max a fax of the birth certificate with data masked.
The benefit is a constant supply of products from the company at no cost. for eg, I was getting a constant supply of 2 formula cans/month for almost 8 months. At then prevailing rate of 11$/can, it's a good amount of money saved with just one call. Google multiple birth programs for more details.

Eating Out

Plan out your dinner keeping in mind the sleep pattern. Call in advance and book a secluded table, away from the kitchen entrance. The door slamming is very noisy and annoying. Reach 30 mins in advance and feed the children. Enjoy your dinner while the kids sleep.

Air Travel

Infants upto age 2 can travel as lap-infants at no extra charge (not sure if this is still valid though). Most domestic flights do not have the bassinet facility available. The important point to note is that airlines will not allow both parents in the same row/same side of aisle. The reason is logical. There is only 1 spare oxygen mask in the set that drops down in case of emergency. In a 3x3 configuration, there are 4x4 masks. Both lap infants will make it a total of 5 lives in that sub row. The best seating is aisle seats for both parents in same row. You get the option of going to the rest room without any disturbance to fellow passengers.

Strollers

We had the side-by-side umbrella stroller, but we also got a couple of single umbrella strollers. It's easier to manoeuvre single strollers in say a mall and they are much more easier to fold and store. The other strollers are good in open spaces like a park.

[rajesh1868]

Thanks for the thread.We are 'expecting' Twins
Looking forward for more on raising twins

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by mmxylorider

Another point worth mentioning here is that, at Drs advice, we did not give our children any water till they were almost a year. The reasoning was that any liquid intake would be via milk/formula and nutritional. Water as such does not fulfill any nutritional needs which is important, more so in case of twins, since they would not normally be as healthy as single babies at birth.

I am surprised. depending upon the ambient temperature, they will lose water in sweat and it's important to replenish it. Especially in India when it usually gets hot most of the year. The water intake should be enough to keep the urine pale/colorless in general, not sure about infants though.

Water plays a very important role in circulatory system, temperature control, electrolytic balance and what not.

[mmxylorider]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

I am surprised. depending upon the ambient temperature, they will lose water in sweat and it's important to replenish it. Especially in India when it usually gets hot most of the year. The water intake should be enough to keep the urine pale/colorless in general, not sure about infants though.

Water plays a very important role in circulatory system, temperature control, electrolytic balance and what not.

Which is true especially places with tropical climate. However, also need to note that any formula preparation involves usage of water - so there is no intake of water in native form.
To my recollection, we did not face any issues related to lack of water intake or dehydration kind of thing.
Only when the kids started teething were we suggested to give small quantities of water (tap, not filter).

Again - either we trust the doctor or we don't.

[PGNarain]

Hi Xylorider, a very nice and interesting thread.

Though i am recently married and not planning for babies for some time to come, my wife is very enamored with the idea of twins, though i keep dissuading her, I always felt it would be too much of a hassle.

Your thread is indeed an eye-opener. Please do post more of your experiences and advice, will make sure my wife reads it.

Also, can we perhaps a few photos of the tiny tots perhaps!!

[AlokSriva]

Invaluable inputs mate. Though I am not sailing in the same boat

Originally Posted by mmxylorider

The Background
.. I can't help notice that the number of twin children seems to have increased.

I remember, during my schooling days couple of decades ago, there were probably a handful of twins in out school. Compare that now with another twin pair in the same section as my children.

The simple reason for this is an the increased adoption of fertility treatments in today's world.
Conceiving more than one embryo has its own probability in normal circumstances. However, this probability increases manifold in case of artificial/induced/lab conception. Hence a higher number of twin-/multiple-births we see around us today.

[mmxylorider]

Originally Posted by rajesh1868

Thanks for the thread.We are 'expecting' Twins
Looking forward for more on raising twins

Thanks and congrats to you guys too! Get set for an interesting life ahead! Though I am not aware of the D-day, but start stocking up on diapers. They are non-perishable and you can never have too many of them. On a good day, you could end up using upto a dozen of them (combined).

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Hi Xylorider, a very nice and interesting thread.

Though i am recently married and not planning for babies for some time to come, my wife is very enamored with the idea of twins, though i keep dissuading her, I always felt it would be too much of a hassle.

Your thread is indeed an eye-opener. Please do post more of your experiences and advice, will make sure my wife reads it.

Also, can we perhaps a few photos of the tiny tots perhaps!!

Thanks! When the time does come, you never know what the universe has planned for you. Raising twins is difficult. Even if there is help available. My wife and I were on our own 30 days post delivery when her parents had to travel back. But it's not twice the hassel of raising a single child, maybe 1.5 times

I am no expert in child raising, that honour is for the wife. But I had gained good expertise in swaddling and diaper changing.

Originally Posted by AlokSriva

Invaluable inputs mate. Though I am not sailing in the same boat

Thanks! "not in the same boat" - yet!!

Originally Posted by AlokSriva

The simple reason for this is an the increased adoption of fertility treatments in today's world.
Conceiving more than one embryo has its own probability in normal circumstances. However, this probability increases manifold in case of artificial/induced/lab conception. Hence a higher number of twin-/multiple-births we see around us today.

Very true. My B-I-L opted for this and the Dr. place mutiple embryos during the treatment. Like you said, it's about probability of survival. It's quite common in the western world, where women's career choice play against the biological clock. Haven't seen many cases in India though.

I am actually re-living the experience as I started this thread and hopefully someone will benefit from this.

[AlokSriva]

Originally Posted by mmxylorider

Thanks! "not in the same boat" - yet!!

With 2 adorable kids spaced at 1.75 years, I am sure I am not gonna sail this boat moving forward - at least not in this lifetime

[mmxylorider]

Originally Posted by AlokSriva

... I am sure I am not gonna sail this boat moving forward...

I hear you! No debate there...