Category: Babies and Toddlers

Author: Naomi’s Dad, Rick

I know Naomi likes to commiserate with you all, and tell you what a heavy cross raising twins is to bear; that’s because she’s an Internet Mum, not a Traditional Mum. 

Phrases like “age appropriate behaviour” (really an excuse for letting them get away with murder) roll off her lips like gentle waves on a tropical beach, calming, even ‘mindful’ but not achieving much.  And yet, for many years I was her Mum and Dad, raising her in my  own ‘age appropriate’ way, and look at her now, she’s perfect, the best daughter in the Southern Hemisphere!

All without an online forum from which to seek understanding and enlightenment. Nor did I even once stress about her having too much screen time.

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Author: Naomi Dorland

September is Desmoid Tumour Awareness Month. 

What is a Desmoid Tumour I hear you ask?  I didn’t know either, until I was diagnosed with one. And I certainly never expected to be diagnosed with a Desmoid Tumour after twin pregnancy.

A lump under my c-section scar

When our twins were about 17 months old, I was laying in bed and I realised that there was a solid “bump” at one end of my c-section scar.  I’m not talking about an infected hair follicle sized bump, I’m talking about something that was firm, and felt like it was about the diameter of a golf ball.  

I was lucky in that my stomach went all the way down, back to pre-baby size, very quickly.  Also, I am of fairly slim build. When I lay on my back, my hip bones protrude.  So this lump was easy to feel when I was laying down.  When I stood up though, you could barely feel it.  I was busy with our 17mth old twins, so I didn’t really worry.  I’ve had at least a dozen lots of surgery for endometriosis, and I am extremely prone to adhesions.   So I just assumed it was endometriosis adhesions or scar tissue adhesions.  I decided to ignore it, as I didn’t have time to have more surgery to remove it, and it wasn’t life threatening.   Or so I thought!

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Relationship after twins or triplets

When you are the parent of a small baby, you learn pretty quickly that you have less time for your partner than you did before. In general, you have less time for everything. When you are parenting twins or multiple babies there seems to be even less.

Multiples are incredibly special and a blessing, no doubt, but with great blessings comes great responsibility (I stole that line from Spiderman).

The effort that goes into caring for one newborn is huge, and vastly different to anything either parent has experienced before. Then you double that with twins, and in the first twelve months of their young lives, the time commitment and work burden on the parents is simply overwhelming. It takes up virtually all of their waking hours (which are about 20 hours a day when you have newborn twins!). 

Your relationship after twins or triplets

Some of the main reasons why parenting twins or triplets puts a strain on your relationship:

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Sponsored post

Choosing a pram is one of the hardest purchasing decisions when you find out you are pregnant with more than one baby.  There is so much to consider, and every multiple birth family has different requirements for a pram.

This blog highlights five of the inline double prams for twins currently on the market, written from the point of view of a twin parent. 

Each pram has been chosen for its unique point of difference, rather than for comparison of its similarities. 

5 advantages of an inline double pram for twins

• Inline double prams can easily adjust from a single to a double pram.  On the (albeit possibly rare!) occasions where you only take one child out, you aren’t left pushing a double pram with only one child in it.
• Inline prams are no wider than a single pram so you can fit through standard doorways.
• Most inline prams have more versatile seating options.  You can choose to have both babies facing inwards, or both facing outwards.  You can also have the babies facing each other.
• The majority of inline prams take a bassinet and convert to a travel system whereby compatible car capsules will attach to the pram.
• Inline double prams are easier to lift into your boot. By taking the seats off the pram frame itself is much lighter to lift.

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Managing the daycare run with twins or triplets

Do you have an older toddler who attends daycare and newborn multiples, or are your twins or triplets starting daycare? 

If you are looking for some tips about choosing a daycare for your multiples, then this blog will help:

Choosing a daycare for twins or triplets

This blog isn’t about choosing a daycare, it’s about physically getting everyone to and from the daycare safely!

Once you have chosen a daycare, it won’t take long for the panic about the logistics sets in.  How on earth are you going manage the daycare run on your own with twins or triplets AND your older toddler, (if applicable)???  How will you manage to carry several capsules plus carry all the paraphernalia you need to take to daycare AND still hold on to your toddlers hand as you cross the carpark?

If you are just dropping your older toddler off, and keeping your multiples at home, AND you have a partner, see if they can do at least one of the drop offs or pickups.  Or ask a nearby grandparent to help.  This will save you having to take your newborn twins or triplets out at all.

If you can’t do this, then there is still no need to stress……Twinfo has you covered with our 5 top tips for managing the daycare run with twins or triplets.

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When you blessed with twins, or really blessed with triplets, there are times where you do have to buy multiple items.  (Have you ever tried fitting two babies into one car seat?).  However, when it comes to toys, then there are many exceptions to this rule.

When it comes to buying toys for twins or more, as always, it depends on the situation. Should you get the same same, or same but different or totally different?

Here are seven things you need to think about when it comes to buying toys for twins or triplets.

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Breastfeeding multiples comes with its own unique rhythm. This guide is not about the physical mechanics of breastfeeding. Instead, it focuses purely on organisational tips that make feeding sessions smoother, calmer, and far less chaotic. These strategies are designed to help parents of multiples set up their environment so feeding becomes more manageable and more enjoyable.

If you have ever found yourself trapped under a pile of hungry babies with no water, no remote, and no way to move, you are not alone. These tips come straight from lived experience and the collective wisdom of the Twinfo community.

Tip 1: Go to the Toilet Before You Start Breastfeeding Multiples

It sounds simple, but it can be a game-changer. Take 30 seconds to duck to the bathroom before settling in for a feed. A brief protest from hungry babies is far better than an hour stuck on the couch with a full bladder and two peacefully sleeping babies you now have to wake up.

This is especially important if your pelvic floor is still recovering after a multiples pregnancy. Prioritising your comfort helps you stay relaxed and focused during the feed.

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Choosing one name is hard enough, but choosing two, three or more can be very overwhelming.  And that’s just the first names. 

Add to this, if you don’t know the genders of the babies…………..well you need to double this number again!

With literally thousand upon thousands of names out there, and “baby name books” that can be several inches thick, choosing names for twins or triplets may take a while.   

Please be aware that there are some names that can not be used.  Check your local Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act. 

In Victoria, for example, Section 4(1) of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996  defines a prohibited name to mean a name that:

1. Is obscene or offensive
2. Can’t be established by repute or usage
3. Is contrary to the public interest.

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Author: Kath Doyle

Parents of multiples are faced with many decisions that parents of singletons don’t have to consider.  If your multiples are the same sex, one of the first ones is should I dress my multiples the same or not?

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer to this, but there are a few things to consider when you make this choice about should I dress my multiples the same or not?

Simplicity

Some parents choose to dress their multiples the same so that they only have to choose one outfit each day. While others love the fact that they not only get to choose one cute outfit each morning, they can choose two or three! 

However, choosing just one outfit isn’t as straightforward as it seems.  Babies are messy and often go through several outfit changes in a day.  If you have to change one, will you change them both so they still match?  Are you willing to do twice as much washing as you need to?  Will you take two identical versions of every spare outfit out with you?  There is only so much room in that nappy bag!

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Do your multiples appear to have a secret language?

It can look like they are using their own little language to speak to each other than no one else can understand. Well – they are. The official name for it is cryptophasia, more commonly known as Twin Talk. Cryptophasia translates to secret speech and that is exactly what they are doing, secretly speaking to each other.

Multiples are known for the way that they interact with each other and the special bond that they have with each other. It is a beautiful thing to watch and can put a smile on anyone’s face.

Crytophasia is more than just speaking in secret to each other. Some multiples are able to interact and understand each other in more ways that just speaking. They mirror each others actions, using actions to get their message to the other twin and then the secret language which we can spend hours trying to understand and get nowhere with it.

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