Got Twins?

Here are some helpful hints to help you save time -- and your sanity -- and keep your whole household happy.

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• Ask for help. Be sure to work as a team with your spouse, supporting each other along the way. And reach out to your family and friends when you need an extra pair of hands. Not everyone need help you change diapers. Just having a friend bring over takeout for lunch can provide some relief to your demanding day.
  
  
• Schedule, schedule, schedule. Trying to follow the different patterns of your babies will wreak havoc on your day and night. Lessen the disruptions -- and loss of sleep -- by getting them on the same schedule as soon as possible. When one baby wakes up, wake the other and feed them at the same time.
  
  
• Know whom to breastfeed first. The weaker nurser of your twins will have an easier time if the stronger nurser feeds first to get the breast milk flowing.
  
  
• Personalize bottles. If you need different formulas for your bottle-fed twins, you want to prevent any unhappy mix-ups. To keep track of which bottle belongs to whom, slip different-colored rubber bands on them just below the caps.
  
  
• Shower attention on all your kids. If your twins have an older sibling, be alert to his or her feelings -- especially while your twins are little. Well-meaning friends often fuss over the twins and forget to notice the other children. Do your best to steer the conversation to include everyone.
  
  
• Help your older child bond with the babies. Bonding with an older sibling is as important for your twins as bonding with each other. If your older child is in daycare and the facility has an infant room, reserve one space for each of the twins. Alternate them each week -- one twin at home with you and one twin at the center, where your older child can look in on and play with him or her. When your kids are older, plan outings that pair one twin with a sibling while the other stays home with Mom and Dad.
  
  
• Treat twins as individuals from the start. Refer to your children by their given names, rather than jointly as "the twins." As they grow, give them toys and clothing that express each one's unique personality. Photograph them separately on occasion (and to avoid confusion later, write each child's name on the back of his or her photo).

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