I am an identical twin……and now as a mother to single children have a whole new respect for my parents!! Rachel
To be honest my boys look like they could be twins because they’re only 15months apart and if one gets one t-shirt the other wants the same one…so I often end up getting similar but in different colors for them…so I reckon dressing the same for twins is cute, but maybe in different colors. Camilla
I am 24 weeks pregnant with identical twins. I am very interested in people’s responses. Especially from twin mummies As my twins are identical I am going to buy matching outfits as I think that is adorable But I think I will have name them with different sounding names with different initials. Linda
I take my hat off to anyone who has twins, 1 is hard enough. And I think it’s really cute on occasion when twins are dressed the same naww. Suzi
If I were to have twins I would definitely attempt to tandem feed… can’t imagine it’s very easy, but then feeding two people at once just wouldn’t be with bottles either. Camilla
I have identical twin nieces. My sister-in-law managed to exclusively breastfeed until they were 5 months old. They have separate cots but share a room. They’re not dressed identically, usually tries to put one in pink & the other in purple. They had two separate cakes for their 1st birthday, although two identical cakes! Their names both start with a J, not sure if that was on purpose or not. Jaclyn
I don’t know how mummies do it with twins!! 2 ATM is hard enough, 3yr and 5mths!! I have a couple of friends with twins and a friend who is expecting in March so she will have 4 under 4!!! We are all going to look after her! Rebecca
I have opposite sex twins that are 8 and a half months old and for me, I want them to feel as individual as they want. I don’t dress my twins in identical or similar clothes (unless it’s winter because their long pj’s are the same color). When we decided on names, we picked names that don’t sound alike and don’t start with the same letter and we plan to have three cakes for their first birthday. One for each of them and one for everyone else, so the twins can do what they want to their own cake. One thing that I can say to parents pregnant with twins is to not stress. What will be, will be. I never put my twins in a routine. I simply let them set the pace and for myself and them, I believe that it works best. Oh and mine sleep in the same room but separate cots. They hated sleeping together from day one. Suzie
I have twin girls, my biggest tip is routine!!! I tried breastfeeding but they wouldn’t feed off me. They shared a cot to start off with. I don’t dress them the same, they r total opposites. And there names r gypsy and ruby. I love watching them play together and laughing together. Tanya
When my twins were babies I dressed them the same because I didn’t want them to look back at photos and think I dressed one cuter than the other but now that they are 4 I rarely dress them the same but they have the same taste in clothing and so I do buy double of something’s. I do like to dress them the same for special occasions such as their birthday. I always have 2 cakes and sing to them separately. I don’t really like rhyming names. My twins did not share a cot but did share a room and still do. Nicole
I have 4 month old twin boys! They are non identical and have very different personalities. My biggest thing is that I want them to grow up as individuals so we don’t dress them identical only on odd occasions e.g. elf costumes for Santa photo! They also have individual sounding names jasper and Sebastian. I attempted bf but never had enough milk for both so they are ff. They slept in the same cot until about 2 weeks ago when we put them in their own cots because they were running out of room. I love having twins and while it’s busy I definitely wouldn’t change it for the world! Melissa
I have friends who exclusively breast fed both for 12 months and one other set for 18months. Tandem. I have a lot of respect for both of these women. Kathy
Really it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks. It only matters what you like, what you want to do and what you think. Technically it doesn’t affect anyone else if you chose same initials, or rhyming names. It doesn’t affect anyone else if you dress them the same. What matters is what you want. It’s your life and your choice. Narelle
My twins are now almost 6, they at a boy & girl & complete opposites. They are best friends & worst enemies! I tandem fed for 3 1/2 months and barely remember as I also didn’t sleep a whole lot! I then bottle fed my little boy as he got sick & ended up tube fed in hossi. I bf my daughter until she was 11/12months. Even though opposite sexes I loved trying to match their outfits & they still love it. They shared a room, but not a cot until they were 4. They gave separate bday cakes …and are about to start school in separate classrooms in order to help with gaining separate identities & independence. Double trouble & double fun…. My advice? Do whatever works!! Heidi
Not sure about being a mummy to twins, but being a twin myself. I reckon right for the beginning, they have their own everything, own cake, on beds, cots etc and although they can have same clothes dress them differently, as they will share a lot of things together as the grow, e.g. friends, birthdays etc and people always treat twins the same but the fact is they are different I know my twin and I are very different. We are close but we like our individuality. Katrina
I have identical twin girls who are 11 weeks old I absolutely love being a mother to twins! I breast feed for the first 8 weeks but I couldn’t keep up. They share the same cot because they love touching each other and holding hands. I dress the girls the same but once their old enough they can make up their own minds I personally don’t like have mums of singletons say they don’t like how twin mums dress their twins the same… It many ways it’s rude to us twin mummies. My girls are named Taylah & Skye, so the names are nothing alike. Jessica
I have identical twin boys that are 9 months old. Didn’t have any milk so bottle fed from day 1. In hind sight best decision ever. Meant that people could help. Slept in own cot in same room. Don’t dress the same as try to give them some independence (and helps everyone tell the difference) we use blue and green mainly. I agree with above post about routine. You will find one that suits you. And accept any help offered. Don’t try to be super mum. Your twins need you healthy and happy not all the time. Hayley
I’m a twin, my twin sister’s name. Is Charmaine. Our parents used to dress us in the same clothes ALL the time and we HATED it. We had stuff to share all the time. And were in some of the same classes. It used to annoy me how we didn’t have our own “identity”. We are 23 now, very close but love our different identities. Charlene
I have identical twins. Tips would be if you plan to breastfeed getting support before they are even born and be as prepared as you can. Join the AMBA forum to connect with other multiple mums. Freeze meals while pregnant as it’s so hard to find the time to cook in those first few months. Try to spend some one on one time with each twin to bond more. It’s hard listening to the repeated comments of “are they twins” and “double trouble” but try to look at the positives of the attention and don’t let it annoy you too much. I twin breastfed for the first couple of months then moved to tandem feeding once they were faster. My twins shared a cot for the first 5 months until they started rolling. I don’t like rhyming or similar names on twins esp identical as it is confusing enough for other people. I think with clothes as babies do whatever is easier, people often buy you the same anyway and it does look cute and they don’t know any different. We sometimes dressed the same but mostly we color coded the boys (blue/red) as it made it easier for friends and family and even us to distinguish between them as you can tell who is who from just a quick glance or from across the park. My boys are 3 and this is the first year we did their own cakes and sang happy birthday twice and will now continue to do individual cakes. Last tip would be esp as they get older is when strangers/friends make comments in front of them like who is the naughty/smart one, make sure you tell people straight out that you don’t compare them and they are both perfect in their own way ! Kristy
My twin boys are seven months old now. Totally different personalities! They were sleeping in the same cot but have only just gone into separate cots because they got too big. They loved being close together and still do. They hold hands all the time. Sometimes they get dressed identical but very rare occasions. Usually it’s similar outfits or same but in different colors so friends can tell them apart. Their names are Frederick and Gustave or Fred and Gus for short. I had a really easy pregnancy with no morning sickness. I was induced at 39 weeks and had a drug free natural birth. Hurt like crazy when the doctor rotated the second twin (If anyone would like to know more about this feel free to pm me). I wasn’t able to breastfeed but expressed for 3 months and then went onto formula. I will say that I love my boys but the first 3 months are hell! Get as much help as you can. After that it’s a piece of cake Routine is the key. I also had/have the boys feeding & sleeping at the same times. So if one woke up for a feed and I would wake the other. Helped keep them in time and meant I could get some sleep. Sorry this has turned out long Twins are the best and hope to have another set. Sarah
I’m 12 weeks pregnant with ud twins I love reading this I’m getting 2 cots n I will dress them the same but different colors but I’m thinking I’m having a boy n girl, I want to express bottle feed but I’m not sure cuz breast feeding with my first didn’t work. Ashh
I have identical twins; their names are Connor Jerome and Cody James, so same initials. Wasn’t planned like that, we just liked the names. I didn’t breastfeed, I expressed for 2 days and as they were being tube fed and they got really sick I went to formula. My biggest tip for while being pregnant, don’t let the doctors bully you into anything. Trust your instincts. My twins were separated for quite awhile due to complications and being in hospital. When they came home their bassinettes were side by side in my room. They shared a room for a little while and quite often slept in the same cot they enjoyed that for quite awhile. They are 4 now and need their own room lol lots of mischief now! I don’t dress my twins identical, they aren’t the same person and their personalities are very different in a lot of aspects. Peta
In order: * Listen to advice from singleton parents with a grain of salt, if you can connect with multiples parents you know they’ve got a much better idea what you’re in for! * I always recommend tandem feeding, no matter you feeding choice. It might take time to perfect early on but will save your time and sleep later! Plus it’s a much better way to time manage for nappy changes, baths etc too * my twins share a room, we had it set up with two cots from the beginning but co-bed them for the first four months or so… Our two are identical so we felt it was especially important. * our ID twins are generally dressed alike except for daycare, it’s mostly so I only have to think of one outfit and grab it twice which is how I keep their clothes we’re about to hit a speed hump though, our girls are about to be a size apart so that will solve that! (They’re 13mo tomorrow) * This year we had a shared party but cupcakes so no big cake (we went to the zoo with other families so it was easier!); they shared a naming day cake though * personally we didn’t choose similar names but made sure they “worked” well together (Madeleine & Chloe), had to factor in our older child’s name also * my biggest tip is to have as few expectations of yourselves and your babies, take it as it comes and do what works for you! Others will always have an opinion, but unless they’re there at 3am holding two (or more!) screaming babies, they really don’t get a say oh, and enjoy them!! Jo
I have boy/girl twins they one was exclusively bf the other mix fed due to her tiny birth weight. I def nursed them together during the day and half hour apart during the night. If wanting to bf both pumping after feeding is the way to go! And get yourself a decent twin feeding pillow! Mine slept separately from day one. Def try and get sleep wherever possible and someone to help out with meals, cleaning etc. mine had cupcakes for their 1st birthday. First time you want to venture out with your twins, take someone with you. Extra pair of hands comes in handy. Delegate chores to your partner don’t try to get everything done yourself it’s just exhausting! Dee
We got to 35+2 weeks, after 19 weeks of complications, and were induced due to issues with bubs; we had an emergency c-section after 4 hours due to second twin breaking her own waters and sticking her foot in front of her sister! Try to focus on the end goal of healthy babies and healthy mum and take whatever road necessary to get there Incidentally, I recovered brilliantly from the c-section, except for the first 8 hours before I could stand, and that was mostly cos I couldn’t get to my bubbas as they were in the nursery. Jo
Some helpful ideas. I’m 34 weeks pregnant with non identical twins and I have 2 bassinets and 2 cots in a shared room. Not sure how things are going to work but once they are here and I figure out a routine we will know how the room will work. We don’t know the sex of the bubs yet but I have a couple of outfits the same and I think they will dress differently. I have to older children son 5 and daughter 2. Nicole
My twin’s girls are 18 months. I believe they are separate people so dress them separately. They had 2 cakes for their birthdays. They were 7 weeks early and were delivered naturally (was scheduled to have a c-sect, but Bubs had their own ideas), I successfully Breastfed them until just recently. Biggest tip is to get a twin breast feeding pillow (mine was an easy peasy design. – and I loved it) and start using it from the go while you are in hospital. They are certainly hard work but such a pleasure. Tash
Just saying. I don’t have twins but you guys sound f**king incredible. Pi
My twin boys are 15 months Isaac & Oliver! Completely different looking… I tandem fed for 2 months mostly comp fed, they both shared a big bassinet & a cot until about 6months from memory as one was a wiggle worm I really recommend having them together for as long as they need! Not only do they hear each other’s heartbeat in the womb it helps to settle them as they can feel & hear siblings heartbeat! I really think that’s why my boys were such good sleepers from day dot! I think for me dressing my twins identically is a no no because they are their own little people but I do think it’s cute to have same clothes different color & identical twins in identical clothes is cute as well but not for me!! With their first birthday we chose to do one two tier cake but every other birthday they will have their own Cake with whatever they like! Again as they are individual’s tips would be getting into a routine… Even just a lose routine! Go with the flow! & it gets easier. Belinda
My twins were born at 32 weeks, now happy healthy 9 months I feed them together as they were in hospital and feed at the same time with BF I used a twin feeding pillow called my breast friend, I do dress them the same as it’s funny to confuse ppl. I have color coded them pink and purple to tell them apart they have their own body own mind own heart own eyes they are individual so yes 2 of each for everything separate beds obey room. The only things they share are toys clothes bottles of water and spoons. Their Names are different but I did notice that they both have 2 L’s in their names. When it comes to crying my 2 know that they have time wait if one is crying and I treat it as a production line with nappies and baths. Yes it is stressful take each minute as it comes don’t worry if you haven’t showered or the house is a mess or the washing is not done if you have a supportive family they will help you. Without asking I’m only getting my house and cleaning sorted and they are nine months. Please don’t do what I have done and stay at home be confident go out and don’t sit in 4 walls. Good luck to all the soon to be and have become parents out there. Xxx Bec
I have 9mo twin boys, it was scary the thought of having twins, at times it is hard and insane, but we love them to bits. We are enjoying seeing their little personalities, their differences and similarities. *Enjoy the pregnancy because after they’re born its FULL ON! *I tandem fed, and then started mixed feeding. *My boys shared a bassinette, then a cot, and sadly at 7.5 months had to separate them because there was no room left to share a cot. They still share a room. *I like to dress them differently, but do have same outfits for some occasions; I like same but different colors. *Birthday cake…. Haven’t thought about that (birthday is March 2013), Luke the idea of one big one and a small individual one. *I don’t like the similar name/rhyming sounding. My boys are Trent and Damon (DJ). Emma
I am only 5ft and was a bit uncomfortable at the end. I was told I HAD to have an epidural incase I needed a c-section, and that I would have a crowd of ppl in the room. They booked me in for induction at 37+6 and discovered I was already dilated to 4cm, but still decided to gel me for the night (this was at 1030pm). We sent my husband home to get some sleep as they said nothing will happen till 6 am when we’ll break your waters. At 120am my waters broke and by rang my husband at 145am he got to hospital about 220am and by then my contractions were coming hard and fast! He walked in the room and said why haven’t you had painkillers yet? We are waiting for the anaestatist(sp?), who was called into theatre (he didn’t make it in time). The contractions were coming on top of each other, if I was lucky I would get 1 min break. At 325am I felt a real pressure, didn’t have the urge to push at all. The midwife said she would check me after the contraction finished (I was on my side) my husband looked and said the head is nearly out! I don’t think I had seen midwives move so fast before (my 4th pregnancy). 2 pushes and T1 was born at 329am. The Dr Then arrived, ultra sounded me to see whatT2 was doing broke my waters and T2 was born 340am. Both babies were over 3kg each and doing well. I was very blessed to have such an easy birth. We went home the next afternoon. Emma