Having multiples is truly a blessing. I am a mom of fraternal twin boys, Tommy & Teddy, who were born at 32 weeks and spent 3 and 5 weeks in the NICU. They are the loves of my life (along with their sister Frankie) but it took a lot of trial and error during the first days / months to really figure out how to manage caring for them.

Here are my best twin tips for feeding / sleep / surviving the first year:

🍎 LEARN HOW TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN. Once the new baby phase wears off, and you don't have people as readily offering help, you will be on your own to care for multiple babies at the same time. Learning how to do it on your own from the start will make it easier.

👯‍♀️ TANDEM EVERYTHING. Whenever possible, learn how to do everything in tandem with your multiples. Feeds. Sleeps. Baths. Always ensure both babies are safe, but doing everything together will streamline your routine and enable you to get a break.

🧘🏻‍♂️ THE FLOOR WILL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND FOR FEEDING. Set up shop on the floor and get ready to live there for the first year+. Using the floor as your feeding space enables your babies to be safe, and you to have everything you need to feed your littles.

🗺 PLAN AHEAD. Always be one step ahead. Pre make bottles. Lay out clothing, diapers, pajamas. It's all about the prep with babies, but especially with multiples, so always think ahead and prepare yourself for the next cycle so you can streamline workload.

🫲🏼 HELP YOUR BABIES. This goes for singletons too, but help your babies to sleep. Help them fall asleep, help them stay asleep, help them stay on the same routine. Babies need help regulating, and doing so helps prevent over tiredness which helps naturally support sleep.

🤸🏼 BE FLEXIBLE. Every day (and sometimes every cycle) is going to look different. Being flexible with your routine and how you do things is what will help you manage an age-appropriate routine (in tandem) and establish and maintain your consistent nighttime sleep.

💤 PRIORITIZE SLEEP. As a basic human need, sleep is important for all of us, especially parents. Working towards sleep from birth is crucial to ensure you take the best care of yourself, and help your little ones stay regulated. Sleep is the basis of physical health, mental health, and emotional health, and it needs to be normalized in parenthood.

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To eating and sleeping well,
Ann Marks
Founder