Pregnant with twins, how to get organised? 5 tips

Silvia Rori, professional organizer and mother of twins shares with us 5 practical tips to live a serene twin pregnancy and to have a daily organization (more or less) efficient.

I remember, as if it were yesterday, the feeling I had when I saw the perplexed expression of the doctor looking at the screen. I was afraid she was going to tell me something was wrong. I wanted to ask her questions, but I was afraid of her answers. After a few moments, she was the first to speak.

Do you know what those two black dots mean she asked me when she showed the screen to my husband and me? You are pregnant with twins.

I can't really explain the emotion at the time because it was really unexpected and unimaginable news, but I remember my husband asking for a chair so that he wouldn't faint (laughs). That moment marked the beginning of the biggest and most beautiful transformation of our lives.

During my pregnancy, I read a lot about twins because for me it was a whole new world. I gathered a lot of information from different sources in order to prepare myself as best I could to deal with this new life as a double mom (smile). In reality, all the theory in the world is not worth the practice.

Today, I would like to share with you five aspects that I hope you will find useful in order to live twin adventure as serenely as possible.

Are you ready? Here we go!

Planning
The first trick is planning. I advise you to start as soon as you are pregnant because it will make your daily life with the children much easier. You can buy everything you need in advance (diapers... lots of diapers!). Also organize the different areas for your babies in the house (bedroom, bathroom...) so you don't stress at the last minute and can enjoy your pregnancy with serenity.

Daily follow-up
In the beginning, with the intense rhythm of babies, it is easy to lose track of time so I found it very useful to keep a diary in which I recorded the following information for each child:

Breastfeeding/bottle feeding times (and the amount of milk if possible)
Frequency of diaper changes and bowel movements
Weight (it is not necessary to weigh them after each feeding, unless recommended by the pediatrician/midwife)
Notes (sleep, mood...)

This tool was very useful to have a global overview of the situation at a time when one is particularly tired and no longer makes the difference between day and night, but also to be able to easily share the information with the pediatrician during our monthly check-ups.

Rhythm alignment
Try, as far as possible, to align their rhythms. Obviously, each child has specific needs at different times, but try to set up routines to synchronize them as much as possible. This will save you time, energy and maybe 5 minutes to take a shower (smile).

Have them eat at the same time.
If you're breastfeeding, some positions allow you to feed babies at the same time. The most common is the "rugby player" position, which gets its name from the fact that a child is placed under each arm like a rugby ball. Provide a breastfeeding cushion that will make you less tired and more comfortable. If you're bottle-feeding, sit down with your nursing pillow and support a child on each side. If you are lucky enough to have help at home, you can take turns feeding your children.

Have them sleep at the same times.
It won't be immediate but try to set up rituals as soon as possible.

Outings
Bring a spare change of clothes for each outing! Also consider bringing a toy and something to chew on if you're not breastfeeding, which may prevent a few outbursts. If you plan to eat outdoors, take along some handy containers in which to store purées and other prepared compotes.

Individual time
Like all children, twins also need to spend exclusive time with their mother, father, or anyone else who is important to them. Because they are always together, it is very important to pay special attention to each one individually for even 5 or 10 minutes!

Other observations:

Your children will always tell you "what about me? If you decide to take one of them for a pirouette, mentally prepare yourself to have to do it again with the second one.
Double trouble " as they say. As they grow older, the messes and trouble will be duplicated.
If one gets sick (especially in the first year of school), the other one will most probably gets sick too.

The good news is that by becoming a mother to twins, you will become the queen of multitasking. Like an octopus, you'll develop the ability to do countless things at once.

Having twins is an emotional tsunami. Of course, it takes a little time to find your marks, but with organization and patience, you'll get there. Having twins means happiness and love times two.