If you are expecting more than one baby or just delivered twins, triplets or more, congratulations and welcome to life with multiples! It will be exciting and overwhelming at times or even scary if you did not know how to handle it. Experts advise it will be good to tap into several great networks of parents with multiples which you can gain much needed advice and experience from these amazing parents and not just from confinement nannies alone. It is tremendously helpful to get tips, discuss parenting challenges, and just know that you are not the only one going through the challenges of parenting multiples.
If you recently found out that you are carrying multiples it is important to be sure to be gaining weight as early as possible in your pregnancy. Adequate nutrition and weight gain in the early stages of pregnancy are particularly helpful in ensuring that your babies are likely to make it close to full term. Mothers of multiples are more likely to suffer from preeclampsia, so this is something that your obstetrician should be on the lookout for. If you have excessively swollen feet and/or ankles this is a strong sign that you may be suffering from preeclampsia. Some doctors believe that the risk of preeclampsia can be reduced by including extra Omega 3 oils (typically flaxseed or fish oil) to your diet. Since these oils are also linked to better vision and brain development it is a wise precaution to make sure you are taking high quality fish oil omega 3 supplements. As always, check with your physician before taking any medication or over the counter product while pregnant.
Confinement nanny and experts recommend preparing as much as possible in advance. There is a good chance that your babies will not make it to full term before delivering, so getting everything ready extra early is a good plan. Once the babies arrive, accept any extra help that you can. If you have friends or relatives that offer to help with the babies, say yes to their help. There will be plenty of work to be done and other mothers often love the opportunity to take care of a newborn again. Experts recommend that you keep a notebook with offers and what people are willing to do. If you go on bed rest or have a difficult delivery these helpers will be particularly important.
If you can find someone or confinement nanny to help take care of some of the overnight duties it can be a lifesaver. It can give you a much needed night of sleep. Do make sure she has applied for her work permit. If you are breastfeeding, you will still need to to get up once during the middle of night to feed the babies or pump to keep your milk supply strong. If your babies have any medical issues or if you can afford a higher cost, engage a trained nurse from agency for overnight care instead.
Buying two, three or four of everything is usually not necessary. However there are a number of supplies that you will need to have on hand, these include:
- An infant car seat for each baby.
- Lots and lots of diapers (nanny calculate at least eight per day per baby).
- If you are using formula, then plenty of bottles and formula (enough to get through one full day).
- A twin, triplet or quad stroller or jogger for outings.
- A crib for each baby when they grew too big to share space at about 4 months.
As soon as possible after coming home with the babies, it is highly recommend putting the babies on the same sleeping and eating schedule. Feed them at the same time, put them down at the same time and get them up at the same time. This is almost always the top piece of advice that other multiple moms and confinement nannies offer. If fact, mothers of multiples are much more likely to use a consistent daily schedule with their babies. A schedule helps create predictability and order in what can be a turbulent time.