With two or more newborn babies, parents of multiples surely have their hands full in those crazy early days at home.
Around-the-clock feedings and changings combined with erratic sleep schedules may be just too much to much for two harried parents to handle. Many families call in reinforcements. Whether hired help like a doula or nanny, part-time relief with a night nurse or mother's helper, or the good hearts of family, friends and neighbors, another set of hands can be invaluable.
What about you? Did you have help after your multiples were born? Or did you go it alone? Be sure to leave a comment to share your story.
i had a husband but no help at all
I couldn’t have done it without help! My parents were terrific help to us when the twins were born – and still are. Ladies from our church were great about bringing in food, visiting, helping with babies, helping with big sister, whatever we needed – it was such a blessing to be surrounded by family & friends those first few weeks when the boys were in the NICU and first came home.
We had a bunch of help from my and my wife’s parents. Even with that it was exhausting beyond what I can imagine. I don’t know how we would have made it through without the help.
My husband got deployed to Iraq 10 days before they were born. I had my aunt and my mom come help for a little bit at a time. But until they were 10 months old i did it myself. Then he was deployed again and now hes disabled and they are 6.
Just me and my husband. Would have loved some help from family, but they thought we could handle it. Sorry to hear about others that didn’t get help, but feel better that we weren’t the only ones.
my boyfriend was there to help with our triplets and we were blessed with 2 wonderful neighbours. my mom came for a week after they came out of hospital too
We didn’t have our family here, Myself managed to rise my twin girls now 20 months. They use to sleep most of the time, when the do i take care my elder son and house work, pumping milk ( I breastfed them for 10 months exclusively). Rest of the time for them. Night i use to co-sleep and feed them with my husband help.
Yes it is hard time to time but lot’s of joy and i forgot every hurdle i came across.
IT WAS JUST MY HUSBAND AND I THROUGH EVERYTHING.IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD BECAUSE ON TOP OF THE TWINS WE HAVE 4 OTHER CHILDREN UNDER 5.I HAD THE MOST DIFFICULT AND TRAUMATIZING PREGNANCY AND BIRTH I HAVE EVER HEARD OF,AND SPENT 10 WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL OUT OF TOWN AWAY FROM THEM, AND WHEN THEY WERE ABLE TO VISIT THEY WERE ALREADY TIERD OUT FROM THE DRIVE.SINCE WE HAVE BROUGHT THE BABIES HOME ITS BEEN BLISS.. SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AT MY HOUSE ARE MUCH BETTER THAN THE HOSPITAL,LOL. OUR FAMILY UNITED ON CHRISTMAS SO IT WAS A TRUE MIRACLE.SORRY TO SAY THOUGH THE PEOPLE WE ASKED FOR HELP AND LITTERALY BEGGED FOR HELP WE DONT HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH ANYMORE.IT DID CAUSE HARD FEELINGS, EXPECIALLY MY MOTHER, BUT SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE WHEN I NEEDED HER SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO OTHER THAN THAT.I LOVE RAISING MY CHILDREN AND ITS SUCH A BLESSING TO HAVE A BIG FAMILY MY KIDS LOVE THE TWINS AND WE ARE SO GLAD WE HAVE TAUGHT THEM TO HELP AND THEY ARE BIG HELPERS!
I had girlfriends who graciously took vacation days from work. They’d come over and cook dinner, vacuum the house and just hold the babies while I took a shower. My MIL came over once a week (she lives a bit far) to help out, too. I took any and all offers and never felt guilty! People want to help.
It was just my hubby and me. As new parents it was/is anything but easy (many tears involved). As a previous mom mentioned, our family thought we could handle it and actually make comments about how easy we have it b/c our girls are so “good”. I want to say, maybe you should come over more often and stay longer than an hour and you’ll see that they are like any baby…they have their good moments and their bad ones. I don’t know what I would have done w/out my husband!
I had the best help from my health visitor she got me a helper who used to come twice a week and take the twins out for a walk or would just play with them while i got on with some house work
I had the help of my wonderful husband and equally wonderful mother. Were there times when we were stressed — yes! Would I do things differently — maybe. I probably would have napped when they did. My girl/boy twins are now 10 and although it was tough, I absolutely love being a mom.
My boy/girl twins are 11 months and I havent had any help…. Thier dad got killed when I was 13 weeks pregnant… Its been very very hard but I feel so blessed..
With our first set of twins we got very little help from anyone. I basically did it all alone. I had a two year old also at the time. 7 months later I had become prenant with our daughter. Our 2nd set of twins I was on bed rest at home at 14 weeks, then at 20 weeks I was hospitalized on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy, an hour away from home. I delivered them at 30 and a half weeks via c-section. They stayed in the hospital for 7 weeks after they were born. This pregnancy was the most difficult, because I was unable to care for my family myself. I have the most wonderful neighbors in the world who helped me in my most desperate hour of need. My family also helped, but not like my neighbors. They cared for my children and looked after them so my husband could go to work and then come and visit me at the hospital. Then after the babies were born the continued to help watch our kids so we could be with the babies at the hospital. I am truly blessed.
Hope I am so sorry to hear about your twins dad. I also lost my first husband the day after our son was born. He was killed by a drunk driver. Just remember that you have the most wonderful gift that he could ever give to you. God bless you and your little ones.
My husband could only take off 5 days from work when our twins were born. One of the twins had to stay in the NICU for 2 wks but the other one came home at 4 days with me. My mother had taken off two weeks to help but my grandmother was hospitalized so my mom spent the two weeks with her. My husband was on nights so he pretty much slept all day then went to work so I had little help. I joined a moms of multiples group when they were almost a yr old.
For those of you out there who are pregnant with twins or more I suggest you join a moms with multiple group if there is one available. These experienced moms can be a lifesaver to new moms.
We hired a night nanny when my triplets were born. It was the best thing we ever did. I don’t know how we would have survived without sleep. My husband was home for a month and my parents were here pretty much every day for 2 months. Then we hired a part time nanny. My triplets are 7 months old and we still have help 4 days a week.
My twins are my only children. We were living in a different country to my family and to my husband’s family. The help I had was first from the Intensive Care Unit in hospital. The first baby came home at 4 weeks. Then I spent 3 weeks sharing (with my husband) her care and going to visit our other baby in hospital an hour away. When the second baby also came home it was much easier. Luckily they slept through early – the first at 3 months and the second at 4. At home my husband was my only help. But the babies organised themselves onto separate routines, so I spent longer on childcare, but did get precious one-on-one time. We also managed to raise twins without a car (no we are not American), and they will be 15 next month.