Twin Tips: 5 Things To Do When You Find Out You're Pregnant With Twins

I'm so excited to share a 12-part series I'm starting here on my blog called Twin Tips. Every Saturday, I will be writing a post with practical suggestions and stories on how to prepare for the arrival of your two bundles of joy as well as tips for surviving your first night and first few months of twin parenting. To kick off the series, I will be going back to the beginning and writing about things you should do when you find out you're pregnant with twins. So, without further ado, here are my tips!

The first thing I did when I found out Joey and I were expecting twins was worry. Yes, I'm such a worrywart and learning that I had two lives growing inside me just doubled all my worries. A lot of things were running inside my mind.

"Double the expenses!"

"We're going to be an instant family of 4!"

"How did this happen? Twins don't run in any of our families."

"Will we be able to handle this?"

"Will they be OK?"

It also reminded me about an episode of Friends where Monica and Chandler found out they would be receiving twins via adoption. Monica even had to calm Chandler down because of the unexpected surprise.

I wish I could go back in time and tell pregnant me to just relax and enjoy. But since I can't, I'm hoping I can help mommies out there who are now going through something similar by sharing 5 things you should do when you find out you're pregnant with twins. 

Note: Always remember to consult your doctor for any medical concerns.

Don't compare.

Why am I always tired while she can still stick to her regular activities? Why do I always have extreme morning sickness and she doesn't? These questions can just drive you crazy. No two pregnancies are the same especially singleton and multiple pregnancies. When you start comparing, you will always find someone who has something you wish you also had. Instead of comparing, focus on celebrating those twin pregnancy milestones like feeling double kicks, hearing 2 heartbeats and passing all those screening tests.

Plan your pregnancy announcement.

There are plenty of fun and creative ways to announce a twin pregnancy whether you plan to break the news to family and close friends only or to everyone you're connected with on social media. Joey and I chose to tell family and friends only and we noticed that the excitement seemed to magnify whenever we would say we were expecting twins. A quick Google search will give you plenty of inspiration like this photo from Bright Star Kids

Find humor in silly twin questions.

You will definitely get asked lots of weird and sometimes very personal questions when people find out you're pregnant with twins. The most common question is:

Are they natural?

Instead of getting annoyed, just add some humor to your answer like this:

No, they're supernatural with superpowers.

Research baby products.

Instead of researching what can go wrong in a twin pregnancy, research products that will prepare you and your husband for life with twins. It's so much fun seeing all the available baby products out there. Online reviews for big items like strollers, car seats and cribs can help you decide what will work best for you and your twins and make you feel less overwhelmed.

Sleep.

Sleep like it's your job! You and your husband will be on duty day and night once the twins arrive so enjoy getting 8 or even more hours of sleep while you can.