Being Financially Prepared For Twins

Two Sundays ago, I had a super fun time sharing twin parenting stories with fellow twin moms Fran Ang, Dr. Kristen Cruz and Raquel Borja-Chua at Mommy Mundo World for The Asian Parent's talk called Twinterested! Expecting and Raising Twins.

Twin Parenting Talk at Mommy Mundo World

When Fran (Frannywany) messaged me one night on Instagram if I could join her on stage at Mommy Mundo World for The Asian Parent's talk about raising and expecting twins, I said yes right away. OK, she sent the message at night and I was only able see it the following morning. Yikes sorry! The twins took forever to fall asleep so I wasn't able to get any me time (aka browsing Instagram and watching Youtube videos) that night. So I said yes the moment I read her message at around 6AM the next day. Luckily she was also awake. Of course she would be. She's also a mom of twins! We always have to wake up way ahead of everyone at home or else all our activities for the rest of the day will be delayed by 30 minutes each. Hehe!

Newborn Twins Checklist (Shopping for Twins)

Today I'm answering a reader question from a mommy-to-be about what to buy before her twin babies arrive. "... Do we really need to buy two of everything?" This was the same question Joey and I kept asking ourselves when we were preparing for Audrey and Antonino's arrival. Well, to help out future twin mom C, I've rounded up three of my past posts on shopping for twins / babies:

If you need tips on what baby gear to buy in twos: Gear for Newborn Twins

For your twins' first night home: What to Prepare for Your Twins' First Night Home

Because contrary to one of the most overused jokes about having twins, twins are NOT two for the price of one: How to Save P100,000 in Baby's First Year

Hope I was able to help, Mommy C! Happy shopping and welcome to twin parenthood!

Are you a fellow twin parent (or parent-to-be)? If there are any specific topics you'd like to read about, please let me know in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you!

Packing A Diaper Bag For Twin Toddlers

I always feel like I'm packing for a weekend trip whenever I get the twins' diaper bag ready. I was under the impression that they would need less stuff once they they get past the one year mark. I was wrong! Toddlers still need A LOT of stuff. What more when you have two?  Take a peek below and see what I always pack, along with some tips.

5 Twin Parenting Hacks (Infant Stage)

A year ago, I was taking care of my 4-month old twins wishing I could activate the Carry Four Flo boost. If, like me, you were hooked on Diner Dash many years ago, you will remember this as the boost that allows Flo (the game's main character) to carry up to four items at a time in order to serve more customers quickly. In a way, parenting twins is like Diner Dash. You have to complete numerous tasks and feed (then burp, bathe, and dress hehe) demanding customers. Luckily, I've learned a few things in my first year of twin parenting that can help fellow twin parents navigate life with twin infants without having to grow an extra pair of hands. (Wow, that's a lot of "twin" for one sentence!)

12 Things To Do When You're Pregnant With Twins

Last week, a twin mom-to-be messaged me this question:

"I'm 12 weeks pregnant with twins which was a total shock to me and my husband. Anyway, now the shock has subsided, but it has also been replaced with worry. Is it true that I will go into early labor? How did you handle your twin pregnancy? Any advice?"

My First Time Attending A Twin Parent Support Group Meeting

As a mom of twins, I've gotten used to drawing lots of attention whenever we go out. At the doctor's clinic, at restaurants, and even in restrooms, people just come out of nowhere to ask "Are they twins?" But even though people notice us all the time (we're pretty hard to miss with the million stuff we're lugging around), there are times when I can't help but feel invisible because people find it difficult to relate to my experiences as a twin mom.

Twin Tips: How To Answer Silly Twin Questions

It's time to have some fun! Being parents to twins is the most amazing blessing but it also sets you up for some ridiculous and repetitive questions. Here's a list of the ones I keep hearing over and over and how to respond.

Twin Tips: Things We Buy In Bulk For The Twins

Two babies in one go - efficient, right? Having twins has taught us to do things efficiently which is what made us decide to by some things in bulk. For us, buying in bulk means not having to worry about running out of supplies, less trips to the store, and saving money. Being Ilocanos (known for being frugal), Joey and I always compute the price per piece or gram of stuff we buy and buying in bulk always makes that figure go down. This is very important since having twins means double the expenses most of the time.

Twin Tips: Surviving Your Twins' Newborn Phase

I'm not going to sugarcoat things. Caring for newborn twins was the most exhausting thing Joey and I have ever experienced in our whole lives. Because of their tiny tummies, the twins needed to be fed every few hours round the clock. One of them even had spit up issues which made feedings longer. And when we finally got them to sleep, there were a lot of other chores waiting to be done. But with 11 months of twin parenting under my belt, I can say that it truly gets better and eventually your twins will learn to sleep for longer stretches. In the meantime, here are some tricks that helped me and Joey survive caring for newborn twins.

Twin Tips: What to Prepare for Your Twins' First Night Home

Walking into a baby store can get really overwhelming. You're presented with so many choices and so many things that you didn't even know existed and you're tempted to buy them all because you want to be fully prepared. But the truth is, you don't really need much for a newborn. Do I hear fellow twin parents everywhere breathing a sigh of relief? Below is the list of things you will really need for your twins on day one.

Twin Tips: Managing a NICU Stay

Four days after giving birth, I was cleared by my OB to go home. Except I didn't want to. You see, my twins were born early at 34 weeks and 2 days. This meant they had to stay in the NICU for at least 3 weeks before we got to bring them home. I wanted to be with them 24/7 but I couldn't.

The first time I saw my twins in their incubators, I was scared to death. They were so tiny and thin that their ribs were visible. I was nervous when the NICU nurses were teaching me how to do kangaroo care because I kept thinking I might hurt their tiny bodies. But later on, it helped build my confidence as a mom because I was able to provide something that could improve their well-being. And while I still think it's impossible to fully prepare for a stay in the NICU, I would like to share a few tips to make your NICU stay more manageable.

Twin Tips: Signs of Preterm Labor

Preterm labor is often a topic of concern in twin pregnancies. I remember my OB telling me that a complete full-term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks but since I'm carrying twins, she'll be happy if I reach 38 weeks. Giving birth at 38 weeks meant that my twins wouldn't be premature and wouldn't need to spend time in the NICU. With that in mind, she told me that I should familiarize myself with the signs of preterm labor such as:

Twin Tips: Packing Your Hospital Bag

My due date was in the middle of January so I figured I had the first few weeks of December to pack my hospital bag. I already had most of the stuff I needed. It was just the packing part that had to be done. But during a scheduled checkup in the second week of December, we found out I was already 5cm dilated. What was supposed to be a one-hour appointment turned into 5 days of complete bed rest in the hospital's High Risk Pregnancy Unit (HRPU) and the early birth of our twins. Luckily, I already prepared a list of things to pack so while my mom watched over me, Joey went back home to get everything.

Twin Tips: Daddy Duties

This installment of Twin Tips is for the dads. I'm sure the moment you announced your twin pregnancy, friends and family started lavishing your wife with attention. But this doesn't mean that your role is less important. While it's true that the physical aspect of pregnancy is only experienced by mom, both mom and dad still share equal responsibility in preparing for the arrival of their babies. So to guide you in this nine-month roller coaster ride, I interviewed my husband to get some suggestions on how to prepare to welcome your two bundles of joy. Here's what he said:

Twin Tips: Dealing With Bed Rest

I was put on bed rest during my first trimester for bleeding and Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). I was able to go back to work for a few weeks but was put back on bed rest to avoid preterm labor. All in all, I spent about half of my pregnancy on bed rest. In theory, lying in bed all day may seem like a vacation, but in reality, bed rest can be stressful, inconvenient and frustrating. There will definitely be days when you will be wondering how you will be able to cope until it's time to give birth. And because bed rest is pretty common in twin pregnancies, here are some survival tips for you twin mommies on bed rest.

Twin Tips: Budget Planning for Your Twins

Now that the news of having twins has sunk in, it's time to get a bit more serious. The third installment of my Twin Tips series will help you plan your budget if you're expecting twins and don't have George Clooney or Beyonce money. So read below for some tips on how to prepare financially for your twins' arrival.

Twin Tips: 6 Twin Pregnancy Essentials

It's time for the second installment of Twin Tips. If you missed my first post, you can read it here. Today I'm writing about twin pregnancy must-haves.

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.

10 Faces of Twin Parenting in Emojis

😱Shock the moment you first find out.

😃Excitement when you realize you're doubly blessed.

😩The first time you're left alone with the twins and they start crying at the same time. 

😨When one twin is sleeping and the other is crying. You're so scared the crying twin will wake the sleeping twin up.

🤔Telling them apart (for identical twin mamas).

☺️The first time you feed them simultaneously on your own. 

🤗 The first time they notice each other. 

😍The first time they smile at you together.

🙄Getting asked weird questions. All. The. Time "Are they natural?" "Boy and girl? So are they identical?"

😉The first time you figure out how to pick up and carry two babies at once.