Annabelle & Amelia a couple of days after birth
Get help from Family and Friends
My mother flew in from interstate and stayed with us for four weeks after the birth of the twins. The birth ended with an emergency Caesar and so that slowed my recovery. My mother helped in countless ways. Our church were also incredibly helpful by providing us meals for the first eight weeks. They had a roster and we had meals brought to us daily. It was awesome! We loved all the food and often it lasted more than one meal. Since then I have often cooked meals for friends with newborns as I know the difference it makes. Even getting this done though a meal plan or local restaurant would be a great substitute for cooking. When I got back into the kitchen I usually stuck to using a jar to ease my way back to the heart of cooking and ultimately baking. Friends were helpful when they would pop in for an hour or so to visit, play with the girls or help with bath-time. Some friends even did the dishes or put the washing on the line. One friend from my mothers group visited weekly and insisted I go for a walk or go shopping during the hour of her visit as she knew how much I craved being able to get outside and have some time-out.Get help from the Outside
We decided to hire a cleaner to come once a week to give us a hand with the cleaning and washing. I could have done with more help but that worked and got the bigger jobs done. The cleaner gave me more time to commit to my girls which I desperately needed. As time passed, things got a bit easier and we reduced this and eventually by about 8 months we were able to manage again without the cleaner. To my surprise when discussing this with my Mothers Group, they all wanted our cleaner’s number, though they had only one child. I started to see that is was a totally viable and essential way that people choose to save time. Many continue to do so, especially when they head back to work as they want to spend their spare moments with the kids not cleaning the bathroom. Aside from all this it's good to read further about how twin-feeding and a strict routine are preferrable when managing twins. These were both challenging to persist with but alternatives were time consuming and emotionally draining. If you have a newborn or are expecting a bub or two I wish you well and encourage you to get lots of support as you will need it for your physical and mental health :)Other articles you may be interested in
Read the Dad's perspective here Save Time Cleaning - Why Cleaning is a Waste of Time Save Time Cooking Twins and Sleep DeprivationDo you have tips on how you survived with a newborn?
A little time, well spent.
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