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Looking after twins can take up most of the day. With changing nappies, feeding and settling your babies to sleep, plus all of the washing of baby bits and bobs, we estimate it can take up to 19 hours a day.

Looking after twins: How many hours a day does it really take?

The quick answer is – all of them! This sounds like the start of a bad joke, or a very scary story. But seriously, if you are facing the birth of twins or multiples you might really want to know how much time it can take up.

You can probably imagine that it does take many hours of the day and night to look after even one newborn, let alone two (or more). You need to consider fitting in the following tasks:

• Caring for your babies directly
• Caring for any other children you may have
• All of the indirect ways you care for your babies and family such as food preparation, bottle washing, and laundry
• Caring for any other children you may have
• Looking after your own basic needs
• Looking after your pets
• Spending time with your partner
• Looking after your house
• Any time for fun or friends

Your priorities will probably be in that order, and you will only get down to spending time on yourself and with your partner when everything else is done first (which many days it won’t be).

But how much time does this all actually take?

And how can you manage your time better to magically find a little more of it up your sleeve?

Author: Paige Bell-Male

I started expressing for my twins less than six hours after they were born.

Both were in the NICU at the time and neither were really up to nursing (although they could both suck feed). While I reduced output at work I didn’t take a break there and was back working two days after they were born while still in the hospital.

To hire or buy a breast pump for twins?

I purchased the Spectra S2 shortly before hospital discharge. It ended up arriving on the day I was discharged (with Twin A who was readmitted the next day) but I didn’t know that at the time. So I’d organized to hire a pump for a fortnight so I had time for my pump to arrive.

Author: Jade

Congratulations they said
You’re now a mum
Little did they know
What I’d actually become...
 
Crippled with feelings
Eating me up inside
Not wanting to leave the house
In the bedroom I would hide
 
I’d do my face
Cake on lipstick so red
Little did they know I felt safer in bed
 
A mask to hide behind
From what I did not know
Trying to be everything to everyone
a super mum, go go go
 
You look beautiful they said
You’ve recovered so well
I’m so scared of dying I wanted to tell 

Yes the baby is great
She growing for sure
But my chest is heavy
And breathing’s a chore
 
Frightened of leaving
I’d picture my death
Each day each movement
Scared it’d be my last breath
 
Things were hard
This had never been so true
Desperate for help
But didn’t know what to do
 
Hardly eating or drinking
Not a thought for myself
Not realising my lack of appetite
Was my deteriorating mental health
 
I felt so stupid and so dumb
I couldn’t concentrate
Unable to connect my thoughts to my tongue
 
The old me was there
A picture hanging on the wall
I’ll find her someday
 And dance once again without a care
 
So lonely so raw I needed some help
Not cooking not cleaning
I needed so much more
 
You’re not a bad mum
You’re not to blame
This parenting gig It’s one hell of a game
 
You’re not alone
Once you speak up you’ll see
These feelings I had It wasn’t just me
 
Postnatal anxiety
Is this you too
Speak up and shout it loud
There’s help waiting for you .....

Author:  Danielle McGregor

We went into our scan, like many multi parents, holding our breath, just hoping and praying for a heartbeat! As the doppler grazed my stomach, it was clear that there were two sacs and, in fact, two babies. I cried and cried (happy tears – two strong heart beats!) and my husband simply didn’t speak!

As we got into the car his head immediately went to logistics – we would have to move, what car would we get, how could we afford to live on one wage with three children … However, my mind went to one place – Spencer.   I was worried about introducing a toddler to newborn twins after ha had had my full attention his whole life.

Mother guilt when pregnant with baby number two…….and three!

At that stage our first born was 2 years and 8 months old. He was going to go from being the only child, to a brother of twins! The mum guilt hit hard! I wondered how on earth was I going to spread my love evenly between three children? How could I prepare my baby boy for an upheaval on his life? How would Spencer understand that he would no longer receive 1:1 attention?