When my preemie twin daughters were in the NICU, my “bible” was The Premature Baby Book: A Parents Guide to Coping and Caring in the First Years by Helen Harrison and Ann Kositsky. While it was originally published in 1983, most of the information was still relevant in 1994. In fact, between my two preemie twins, they had almost every complication (ie Respiratory Distress Syndrome, PDA (heart murmurs), central line infections, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), etc.) that the book covered.
Since that book is now hard to come by, and I’m not giving up my copy (it stays in my remembrance tub), I frequently get asked what book do I recommend? After some research, I suggest the top selling book in the appropriate category on Amazon: Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies by Dana Wechsler Linden, Emma Trenti Paroli and Mia Wechsler Doron M.D.
Linden and Paroli are actually mothers who met in the hospital when their preemies were born, and Doron is a neonatologist who all put together this comprehensive guidebook for parents of premature babies. Order your own copy from Amazon.com.
Since I’m a big fan of saving money with coupon codes, you may want to see if you can find some Books Online coupon codes. Unfortunately Amazon never has coupons available for books, but their prices are comparable without.
Fostering a sharing and caring environment at home is nothing short of difficult. Especially for twins, who are often times expected to be each other’s best friends, expectations can be overwhelming. Bunk beds for your twins can grant them individual spaces while still learning valuable lessons about compromise and cooperation. The bunk bed helps save space in the kids’ room while your twins work together toward a common goal, whether it be making the bed or deciding who gets to sleep on the top bunk. Comfortable, secure, stylish, and a space saver, bunk beds can also be a vital learning tool for teaching your kids an important lesson in cohabitation.
Hi everyone! First, let me introduce myself. My name is Barbara Schantz. I am a mom of two sets of twins and also the inventor of the patented Baby Dipper bowl. The Baby Dipper bowl facilitates one-handed feeding of infants by parents and also helps toddlers learn to feed themselves. My twin girls, Greta and Cora, born in 2004, were the inspiration for the Baby Dipper bowl. My twin boys, Franklin and Carlton, were born in 2008, just before the Baby Dipper bowl went on the market. Needless to say, the past 6 years have been incredibly busy and the most insane years of my life (so far).
I get lots of comments from people I know and people I don’t know (usually in stores when I have all four with me and am in a hurry) about how I have my hands full or one of the other usual remarks people make about having twins. The thing is that they just don’t get it. They don’t get to experience, to observe, to participate in the daily activities of two little ones of the same age. I must say that one of my favorite ages is 18-24 months, which is precisely where Carlton and Franklin are right now at 22 months. That is the age when they truly start trying to communicate and play with each other and start using their own “twinspeak” words. For instance, my boys call drinks “neh neh” and they both understood that long before I finally figured it out.
I get the impression that people are in awe of MOMs (with twins or more) and are happy that they are not in that position. I would say that I was one of those people before I had twins of my own. Now that I have twins, especially two sets, I really would not want it any other way. My husband, Hans, and I have talked about this many times since our girls were born, even as recently as this week. In our situation with the kids 3 1/2 years apart and the girls the older of the two sets, things flow very naturally in that we are able to assign one girl to watch each boy or hold a boy’s hand. When interaction between the two sets is not needed, each twin plays with her/his co-twin almost exclusively. Yes, we do have four (FOUR!) children, but we only have two ages to deal with. I honestly think that it would be much more difficult to have kids of four different ages than having two sets of twins.
OK, let me back up a bit here. YES, it was extremely difficult at first, especially our first time around. Taking care of two newborns is pretty much double the work of taking care of one newborn. It means double diapers, double feedings, double baths, double the chance of being awakened in the middle of the night, double everything. However, lets clarify that comment about feedings. Generally twin parents are able to feed two babies at once, so that’s not exactly double the amount of work required. MOMs can breastfeed or bottle feed two babies at once (I even know of MOMs who surfed the internet while breastfeeding their twins!). Once the babies are being spoon-fed (with a Baby Dipper bowl, of course), parents can prepare one bowl of food and alternate bites between babies, so while one baby is swallowing, the parent is scooping up a bite and feeding the other baby. The babies can be bathed together once they’re able to sit up, so around 5-8 months or so, thus saving some time there. A big time-saver is when both twins are thoroughly potty-trained. There is no way around it when they are both in diapers. Each baby’s diaper change is a separate event, some more involved than others, naturally.
Once the twins start playing together and sharing interactively, mom will suddenly find that she can actually slip away for a few minutes, though she still must listen in and check on them every few minutes as twins can sometimes get into more trouble than a single child. My understanding is that singleton babies require more parental attention since there is not a built-in playmate. This is not to say that parents of multiples should leave the teaching of things such as colors, shapes, letters, numbers, etc. to the kids themselves, but that this is another aspect of twin life that turns out to be easier than having only one child. Now that our girls are five years old, they play together just about all the time that they are not at school. There is very little arguing, surprisingly. They are really starting to realize how special it is to be twins and like to announce to people (even those who haven’t inquired about if they or their brothers are twins) that we have two sets of twins. I certainly hope that they continue to be close and get along well through their entire lives.
So, when others insinuate that having twins (especially two sets) must be incredibly difficult, I sometimes tell them that it is actually not that difficult, that my girls help with the boys, that each kid has a playmate all the time, that I only had to go through two pregnancies, that we only need to have two types of food/books/toys/clothes around at any given time. But sometimes I just humbly nod and move along, letting them remain in awe of us Mothers of Multiples and ignorant of the benefits that aren’t obvious to outsiders. Let’s not forget that from the time the babies are able to react, MOMs get double smiles, double giggles, double hugs, and double kisses.
Most parents of multiples know that pacifiers are lifesavers when trying to calm down more than one baby at a time! The following guest post by Debra R. Dixon offers six useful tips when buying baby pacifiers.
Here are some suggestions in buying baby pacifiers: Limit your pacifier purchases before baby arrives, never improvise, rounded pacifiers or orthodontic pacifiers, silicone pacifiers vs. latex pacifiers, features to look for and avoid in a pacifier, and check for pacifier recalls.
Pacifiers, as much as sucking his thumb, is a baby’s way to soothe himself. They are made soft yet durable materials and available in many cute designs like skull pacifiers. They are highly recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics especially in putting the baby to sleep and it prevents SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Look into these safety tips and features that will aid you in buying the right pacifier for your baby.
Limit your pacifier purchases before baby arrives
With all those cute and alluring displays on baby stores, parents are often tempted to buy every each and one of those. But this is not a very positive decision. Keep in mind that the one who will use the pacifier is not you but the baby. When the baby arrives, let him try different styles and take note of his reactions to them. When you know which one is suitable for your baby, you can now buy more of that.
Never improvise
Truth is there are many baby products that can be homemade but certainly; a baby pacifier is not one of them. Avoid using caps and bottle nipples as pacifiers because this may come apart and choke your child. Most of these homemade pacifiers are not sturdy and fixed enough for repeated use. Improvise pacifiers always breaks down and pose health risks.
Rounded pacifiers or orthodontic pacifiers
Rounded pacifiers are standard ones which are characterized by a long rounded tip which provides comfort to the baby while suckling. On the other hand, orthodontic pacifiers mimic the flexibility and form of a mother’s nipple. It has a flat bottom and rounded top. This is created to adapt to your baby’s developing gums and palate. Select one that makes your baby comfortable and satisfied.
Silicone pacifiers vs. latex pacifiers
Both latex and silicone pacifiers have benefits. Silicone pacifiers are durable and are easy to clean. They don’t retain odors nor easy to bite but its disadvantage is that it isn’t soft as soft as Latex pacifiers. The later does retain smell and some babies would prefer this. But latex pacifiers are not sturdy enough for repeated use and it is easily chewed through. You still have to depend on your baby’s preference on this.
Features to look for and avoid in a pacifier
For a safe choice, select one that is one-piece and is sturdy enough not to come apart. If otherwise, your baby could choke on this. Be cautious of the size because when it can fully enter the mouth of the baby, it poses a danger. It is also better to buy one with holes for ventilation. This feature is a necessity because rashes may develop from constant moisture so air should let in from these holes. Bright colors on pacifiers are easier to spot and it’s also great for glow-in-the-dark pacifiers. Make sure that pacifiers can be cleaned through putting it in the dishwasher or boiling. Never buy those with liquids or gels because babies may bite through and cause the liquid to spill. Also, don’t tie it on your baby because he may strangle.
Check for pacifier recalls
This is a rare thing to happen in the case of pacifiers but it may be recalled for health issues. So it is advisable to know any flaws especially when it may pose dangers such as choking hazard.
Keep in mind that breastfeeding should not be forgotten. Pacifiers are a good choice only on baby’s first year.
We appreciate this month's PreemieTwins.com sponsor of Gainsville AC service who helps us provide free resources for parents of premature infants and multiples.
Since that book is now hard to come by, and I’m not giving up my copy (it stays in my remembrance tub), I frequently get asked what book do I recommend? After some research, I suggest the top selling book in the appropriate category on Amazon: Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies by Dana Wechsler Linden, Emma Trenti Paroli and Mia Wechsler Doron M.D. 
Hi everyone! First, let me introduce myself. My name is Barbara Schantz. I am a mom of two sets of twins and also the inventor of the patented 
Here are some suggestions in buying baby pacifiers: Limit your pacifier purchases before baby arrives, never improvise, rounded pacifiers or orthodontic pacifiers, silicone pacifiers vs. latex pacifiers, features to look for and avoid in a pacifier, and check for pacifier recalls.
