Let’s be honest: even if you think you have an excellent memory, the combination of sleep deprivation and caring for two babies will quickly prove you wrong. Those early weeks with twins at home create a perfect storm of exhaustion that makes even the simplest details slip away.

Here’s the reality: you’re responsible for keeping two little humans alive and thriving, but your brain feels like it’s running on fumes. That’s where logging becomes your lifeline.

In those first weeks, you’ll find yourself asking:

Without a system to track these details, you’ll spend precious energy trying to remember information your tired brain simply can’t hold onto reliably.

The rule is beautifully straightforward:

The best logging system is the one you’ll actually use consistently. Here are several options to consider:

Traditional Pen and Paper

Mobile Apps

Digital Spreadsheets

Shared Documents

Father of twins Chris Wejr shared that his “mirror was covered with times as we’re trying to figure who fed at what time and how long and all those sort of things” during the chaotic first few months with his twin girls. A visible, low-tech system for tracking feeding times and durations might be all you need.

Eric Langenderfer, a father of identical twin boys, mentioned that while in the hospital, they were required to chart everything, which he found inconvenient on paper. When they brought the babies home, he created a small online database where he and his wife could log feedings and other activities from their phones, including timestamps.

Make your logging system work for your family by including:

Essential Daily Tracking

Special Moments

Health and Development Notes

Parent Check-ins

Your log isn’t just a record, it’s a valuable analytical resource. After a few weeks of consistent tracking, look for patterns:

These insights can help you anticipate needs, adjust schedules, and even identify potential health concerns early.

Don’t aim for perfection: Missing an entry here and there won’t ruin anything. Focus on consistency over completeness.

Don’t let it create stress: The log should make your life easier, not become another source of anxiety. If you’re spending more time logging than caring for your babies, scale back.

Know when to ease up: As your twins develop predictable routines (usually around 8-12 weeks), you can gradually reduce the detail of your logging.

Perhaps most importantly, your log serves as a crucial communication tool between caregivers. Instead of trying to remember and relay every detail when your partner comes home, they can quickly scan the log to understand the day’s events. This eliminates the constant “Did you feed them?” questions and helps everyone stay informed without lengthy explanations.

Those first weeks with twins can feel overwhelming, but a simple logging system will help you:

Remember: this intense logging phase is temporary. Once routines establish and you’re getting more sleep, you’ll naturally need less detailed tracking. But during those crucial early weeks, your log will be the anchor that keeps everything organized and everyone healthy.

Trust the system, write it down, and give yourself the gift of one less thing to worry about during this beautiful but challenging time.

The post Why you need a daily log for your twins appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

With twins in the house a big point of contention will be sharing.

You might think that the easy way for you as the parent would be to get two of everything.

However, this surely won’t work all the time and definitely doesn’t build character. And as we all know, your job as a dad, of course, is to “build character.” Right?

Twin dad Kris Lloyd noticed that even when he bought “two of everything” for his non-identical twin girls, they wouldn’t necessarily use them at the same time, and “they always want the same exact” item the other twin is currently using. He found that the second item often “hardly got used much”.

This was often the case in our home where one girl always wanted what the other had even if there were two identical items.

So you have to solve the root problem to get a peaceful and happy home: teach your twins how to share from a very early age.

Be careful when trying to force sharing. Instead of forcing one twin to hand over a toy to the other, focus on the concept of taking turns between twins.

One trick that worked for us was the turn timer.

We used a portable kitchen timer as the “turn timer”. When our girls would fight over something we’d pull out the timer, declare that it was so-and-so’s turn now and that it would be the other’s turn when the timer went ding.

We’d set the timer for a minute or two based on how long we thought our child’s attention span was.

After starting the timer, we’d ask the kid with the coveted item: “What happens when the timer dings?” and make sure they understand the turn-taking process.

Yes, your twins get plenty of opportunities to share between themselves and other siblings. However, they still need some help and structure to get them in the good habits you are hoping to help them develop.

It does baffle me that the kids will often listen to a small kitchen timer instead of just being obedient when my wife or I ask them to do something. Oh, well. There is nothing wrong with some extra tools in the parenting toolbox.

If taking turns isn’t going as smoothly as you’d like, then try the old distraction technique. Say, “Hey, look at that!” or pull out another toy or delicious food item to distract the sad, I-didn’t-get-what-I-want twin.

Especially when your twins are young, their attention span is extremely short. This means two things: First, set the turn timer for a very short time. Second, don’t be surprised if the item they were fighting over is discarded and your twins have moved on to something else rather quickly.

The good news about sharing is that typically, your twins will be sharing better and earlier when compared to other singletons their same age.

Here are those tips rewritten specifically for helping twins learn to share:

Your twins learn by watching adults and each other. Make a point of visibly and verbally sharing things with your twins and between family members. For example, say, “I’m going to share some of my popcorn with both of you,” or “I’m sharing my book with Mommy so we can read together.”

Father of twins Tim Robinson emphasizes teaching good manners and communication from a young age. He insists on phrases like “Milk please” or “Excuse me, Mommy/Daddy”. He observes that this approach helps them interact, sometimes resulting in one twin saying, “Excuse me, brother, can I have that toy please?” which he finds “the cutest thing I’ve ever seen”.

Praise your twins when you see them sharing with each other, even if it’s a small act. Use descriptive praise, such as, “I love how you shared your blocks with your sister. It made her so happy to build that tower together with you!”

You should verbally praise your kids when they share. That will encourage this good behavior.

Help your twins understand each other’s feelings. Once they are old enough to express their feelings, you can ask, “How do you think your sister (or insert the twin’s name) feels when they don’t get a turn?” or “Look how happy your brother is now that they get to play with the toy car too.”

Give each twin a choice about what they are willing to share. Before playtime, let them each put away any special toys they don’t want to share with their twin. This teaches them that their individual possessions are respected and may make them more willing to share other items.

Help your twins understand that some items belong specifically to each of them, while others are family toys meant for sharing. Use labels, special boxes, or designated spaces to make these boundaries clear.

Engage your twins in games that require teamwork and turn-taking, such as building a tower with blocks together, doing a puzzle as a team, or playing simple board games. This helps them practice working together as twins in a fun, low-pressure environment.

Use story time as an opportunity to teach your twins about sharing and kindness together. Many children’s books feature siblings or characters who learn the importance of sharing, which can be especially relatable for twins navigating their unique relationship.

Set aside specific periods where twins must share and play together, but also ensure each twin gets individual time with toys and activities. This balance helps them appreciate both togetherness and personal space.

Since twins will be navigating shared resources their whole lives, teach them phrases like “Can we take turns?” or “How about we play together?” rather than just taking toys from each other.

Avoid saying things like “Why can’t you share like your sister does?” Instead, focus on each child’s individual growth in sharing skills.

Your twins have shared even the very basics of life since they were in-utero and waiting to be born. There they shared nourishment from mother as well as very tight living quarters.

After birth, your twins will share feeding times, cribs, clothes, and toys. Out of necessity and circumstances, your twins have been sharing from the very beginning.

This is a great advantage to them, and to you as the twin parent, as it will accustom your twins to both the need to share and their ability to do so.

Technically, you can probably buy duplicates of many things and avoid sharing. But that won’t work for everything.

The biggest thing that your twins will share is your time. You can’t buy any more of this precious resource. You will have to split your attention between your twin little ones on many occasions. There are some things in life that your twins will always have to share, and this is one of those things.

We’ve seen our girls have a great propensity to share and help each other even from a very young age.

Take advantage of the sharing situation your twins will have and help reinforce and nurture this sharing characteristic in your twins.

The sharing habit will benefit them (and you) throughout their lives.

Pictures by Nate Davis and surlygirl

The post How to Teach Your Twins to Share appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

One of the challenges with twins is that they get sick. Sickness doesn’t always strike both twins simultaneously. Your twins will catch a cold, get the flu, have a stomach bug, or come down with any number of other contagious illnesses. This brings up the question: how do you keep one twin healthy when the other is sick?

Every time one of our twins get sick, we have to ask ourselves: does it matter if the other kids get sick too? Is this one of those colds or stomach bugs that they’ll get eventually anyway? Does this “build their immunity”?

These are very subjective questions and the answers really depend on your parenting style. Generally speaking in our house, if the child doesn’t have a fever, we aren’t too concerned if the other kids catch it.

That said, when in doubt, always give your pediatrician a call.

Many parents of twins find it’s often a losing battle to prevent the healthy twin from getting sick. Rather than focusing solely on prevention, it may be more helpful to also prepare for the inevitable, such as by stocking up on sick-day essentials for both children.

Father of twins Aaron Ameen shared his experience that since all three of his young children attend daycare, they experience a “revolving door of sickness”. He observed that illness completely overthrows any established routines and systems, making it a particularly tough time for parents, especially if the parents also fall sick. When the children are sick, they don’t sleep as well, requiring one or both parents to take time off work, which creates practical challenges for working parents.

Keeping your twins from spreading their germs is an almost impossible task. When your twins are infants, you can’t teach them good health habits and they can’t take care of themselves.

Toddlers and older kids don’t always practice good hygiene, will forget to cover their coughs and sneezes, and tend to do a poor job washing their hands.

If you want to improve your odds of preventing the spread of the illness, you could isolate your sick twin in his or her room. Avoid sharing clothes, toys, towels, kitchen supplies, etc. that the sick twin uses.

Twin dad Tim Brien shared that when one of his kindergarten-aged twins gets sick, the other also has a “really, really hard time,” and they usually keep both children home from school. He also mentioned that when both of his two-and-a-half-year-old twins were sick, they amazingly tried to take care of each other.

Keeping your whole family healthy starts before anyone gets sick. Teach your twins good practices like how to effectively wash their hands. We like to have our kids sing “Happy Birthday” twice while scrubbing their hands so they know they washed long enough.

Teach your twins to cough or sneeze into a tissue or into their elbow or sleeve. They should never sneeze or cough into their hands.

You should not stress excessively about sanitizing the entire house. It’s okay to let everyone get sick and recover, rather than making yourself crazy trying to prevent it. Balance what is right for your family and situation.

During a sick period, it’s okay to let routines and schedules slide.

The focus should be on getting everyone through the illness, not on maintaining a perfect schedule. This includes being more relaxed about screen time or a lack of routine.

You are the primary caregiver, and if you get sick, it makes caring for your twins (especially if one or both is sick) much more difficult.

While caring for your sick twin(s) make sure that you do everything you can to stay healthy. Eat well, get your rest, and wash your hands.

If you get sick on top of having to care for sick kids, things will get really tough. The best sick times in our family are when my wife and I take turns being sick. This way there is always a parent available to carry the load while the other recovers.

Father of twins Chris Titus described an instance where his wife was sick, and he took over the entire nighttime shift to care for their twin infants so she could get a full night’s rest and recover. This highlights the importance of proactive teamwork between you and your partner, especially when one parent is ill.

Sometimes instead of an illness, one twin gets injured and the other twin is totally fine. Instead of worrying about cross contamination, you’ll need to shift attention to care and recovery. Here’s an example of when one of our twin daughters needed stitches.

Picture by Kourtlyn Lott

The post How to Keep One Twin Healthy When the Other is Sick appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

If you rely on this too, or hope to, be careful: twins switch personality traits at will.

For example, one of our infant girls would be shy one week while the other was a social butterfly. Just when you thought that was the pattern, they switched and the social standout would cry hysterically with strangers. Go figure.

We’ve seen switching of twin personalities and traits from an early age in all these cases:

So if you want to keep your twins straight, particularly if they are identical, combine multiple data points in identifying each. Combine personality traits and even subtle visual clues to properly identify who is who.

It is fascinating to watch the switcheroo happen. Just keep your eyes open and enjoy the journey.

Twin dad Todd Courtney observed that his identical twin boys would “flip back and forth” in terms of being empowered or following, with “role reversals that happened throughout their childhood”

Jonathan Snowden, father of twin girls, noted that his daughters, Elizabeth and Lucy, do not “stick to, like, one characteristic or act a certain way” but “interchange with each other”. He explained that one day Elizabeth might be the loud and active one, and the next day Lucy would take on that role, as “they just interchange with each other with their personalities.”

Andy Slinger, a father of identical twin boys, observed that his twins’ personalities would switch over time. He noted that as his boys grew up, they “jumped between different personality types”, with one sometimes being the leader and then the other taking on that role.

Personality is about 50% heritable. Extensive twin studies have consistently found that roughly half of the variance in personality traits is attributable to genetics. This is based on comparing identical twins (who share 100% of their genes) to fraternal twins (who share about 50% of their genes). Identical twins are consistently more similar in personality, even when raised apart, which provides strong evidence for the role of genetics.

The remaining half of personality variance is attributed to “non-shared environment.” This refers to unique experiences that one twin has that their twin does not. These are not shared family events, but individual experiences like different friendships, teachers, illnesses, or even a different reaction to the same shared family environment. This is the key factor that causes even identical twins to have distinct personalities.

The post Twins Personalities Switch appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

Having two newborns simultaneously can feel overwhelming, but establishing a predictable schedule is your secret weapon for maintaining sanity and helping your twin babies thrive. Think of your twins as having a completely blank calendar when they arrive and it’s up to you to fill it with the structure they need for healthy development.

Creating and sticking to a consistent schedule for sleep, feeding, and play will not only benefit your twins’ development but also give you and your partner precious opportunities to rest, recharge, and tackle household tasks. The effort you invest in establishing these routines now will pay huge dividends as your twins grow.

We tried to keep our twin girls on the same schedule as much as possible. We found that helped create a more predictable routine in our home. Here are some things to consider when managing your newborn twins’ schedule:

The type of schedule that works best for your twins depends largely on your family’s unique situation:

If you have helpers (partner, family, or hired help):

If you’re flying solo during certain hours and synchronized doesn’t work:

Tim Murray, father of identical twin girls who were six weeks old when he shared his story on the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast, explained their feeding strategy. During the day when both parents were present, they found it easiest to feed the twins at the same time, with one parent taking each baby. At night, they intentionally staggered their feedings to manage the workload and prevent both babies from being “apoplectic”. He also mentioned trying to keep their daughter at home on a three-hour feeding schedule (12, 3, 6, and 9) similar to the twin that was still in the NICU.

It’s important to understand that your newborn twins’ schedule is not a strict, by-the-clock routine. In the first few weeks and months of life, your twins’ day is primarily dictated by their basic needs: eating, sleeping, and a little bit of “awake time” for interaction and diaper changes. Their sleep-wake cycle isn’t fully developed yet, so they won’t distinguish between day and night right away.

The following is not a strict schedule, but a general example of a 24-hour pattern you can expect with newborns, based on the principle of “eat, activity, sleep.” This is a helpful framework to follow, but be prepared for flexibility and to respond to your twins’ cues.

Morning:

Midday:

Afternoon:

Evening (Cluster Feeding & Winding Down):

Overnight:

Once you’ve chosen your approach, commitment is key. This means:

Remember, you’re working with tiny humans, not robots. Be prepared to adjust when:

Kyle Mongold, father of two sets of twins, provided a detailed schedule for his four-week-old boy/girl twins. He stated, “The babies are eating every three hours. I think we’re on the midnight, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 feeding schedule.” He described getting up at 6:00 AM to feed, then showering, and spending time with his older boys before work. He would return home at noon to feed a baby, then again at 6:00 PM. The older boys would go to bed around 7:00-7:30 PM, and he would feed the babies again at 9:00 PM and midnight.

Weeks 0-12: Expect chaos with frequent feedings every 2-3 hours around the clock

Months 3-6: Gradual establishment of more predictable patterns

Months 6-12: Longer sleep stretches and more structured daytime routines

Chris Titus, father of boy/girl twins, mentioned that his eleven weeks old twins’ sleep was not as consistent as he would have liked, but was improving. He noted they were entering a phase beyond just “sleep, eat, go to the bathroom”. For daytime feedings, he and his wife fed them at the same time, with one parent taking each twin. At night, they would stagger their feedings to avoid having both babies crying simultaneously.

Yes, having newborn twins is hectic! It is probably more intense than anything you’ve experienced before. The first year will test your limits, but remember that establishing good schedules early is an investment in your family’s future happiness and well-being.

You don’t need to be perfect, and you don’t need to follow anyone else’s exact formula. Pay attention to your twins’ cues, trust your instincts, and adjust as needed. With some planning, consistency, and a healthy dose of patience, you’ll develop a rhythm that works for your unique family.

Remember: every twin dad has felt overwhelmed at the beginning. You’re not alone in this, and it does get easier as you and your babies find your groove together.

Picture by Len Currie

The post Newborn Twins Schedule: Setting Up Your Babies for Success appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

Taking care of one child is already going to require a lot of sacrifice on your end, but having twins is automatically going to double your efforts and your financial needs.

You can save a lot of money if you know where to shop and what you can get for free (or at least with a discount). There are actually a lot of stores out there that offer discounts and a lot of free stuff for twins if you follow their shopping promos and keep an eye on store offers.

While many programs aren’t specifically for twins, every little bit helps. See which of the following could help find free stuff for twins:

These programs let you try products for free:

There is also the option to become a member of Family Beginners in Enfamil. Enfamil offers free baby products if you sign up for them right after your babies are born (you can inquire about it from your doctor) or you could give them a call to sign up for their membership network. This not only guarantees free stuff for twins but also lets you receive coupons that you can later use for discounted shopping.

Call Beech Nut to get a special packet of discounts and some free samples for your twins. Call 1-800-233-2468 to make your request.

As a parent of twins, Gerber will give you coupons for discounts on their different lines of food products. Call 1-800-443-7237 to request a packet for parents of twins.

Earn points from purchases which are redeemable for diaper samples, gifts, toys, coupons.

Provides formula samples and a free Shutterfly baby book among other perks.

Many major retailers offer welcome kits or boxes full of baby essentials when you create a registry. While most require minimum spending or shipping, they can still offer great value (especially with twins).

Retailers tend to only let you get one welcome box even if you’re having twins. So you get get more volume by trying multiple of these offers:

Get a free welcome box (swaddle, bottles, diapers, wipes, coupons) by creating a registry, adding 10 items, and having at least $10 purchased. Available to Amazon Prime members.

Register with Target and add 10+ items, then spend $10+ (you or someone from your registry) to unlock a welcome kit full of samples, bottles, diapers, lotions, and coupons. It’s valued at over $100.

Create a baby registry and request the free Baby Box. Ensure your registry has been active for seven days. Add a minimum of 20 items to your registry. Have over $25 of purchases from your registry, either by you or others. Contains sample products like Pampers, wipes, pacifiers, etc. Availability may vary.

Requires adding 3 Babylist store items and 3 from other stores to your registry. Then spend (or a gift giver spends) $30, plus a shipping fee (around $9). Includes a great mix of items like bottles, diapers, swaddles.

Register with Macy’s and purchase $50+ of items; pay a small shipping fee ($6.50). Box includes baby clothes, diapers, pacifiers, and more.

Facebook Buy Nothing Groups/Nextdoor: Seek out local groups where neighbors give away baby items like toys and clothing. These community-based groups are excellent for finding free, secondhand baby gear from people in your area.

Hospitals and Pediatricians: Many provide free samples of diapers, formula, and skincare products upon request. You’ll be at the doctor a lot during the pregnancy and with newborns so don’t forget to ask for samples!

Many local organizations and mutual aid networks offer diapers, formula, and gear for low-income families.

If you need help beyond retailer samples and registries, look for your local food pantries, United Way or the National Diaper Network.

You may receive formula, diapers, or other essentials through WIC or hospital programs.

Want more tips on saving money with twins? I talk more about this in Chapter Eight of my book, the Dad’s Guide to Raising Twins: How to Thrive as a Father of Twins.

Picture by Manda.

The post Free Stuff for Twins (Plus Discounts for Twins) appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

Once you find out that you are expecting twins, your mind races with tons of concerns and questions.

Whether you’ve had children already or not, a twin pregnancy brings new unknowns that frankly can be overwhelming. It’s time to talk with your doctor.

You’ll want to find a good doctor that you can trust and with whom you can have a comfortable relationship. You need to feel comfortable asking any questions and asking follow-ups if you still have concerns.

But what should you ask when you go to the doctor?

Take some time to review the list of questions above and note those that are important to you.

Also brainstorm with your spouse or partner the additional questions that you have. Write them down and take the list with you to your next doctor’s visit. This way you won’t forget in the moment what you wanted to ask.

Once you make your list, double check it to make sure you’ve got what you need.

I talk more health care concerns of the twin pregnancy in Chapter Two of my book, the Dad’s Guide to Twins: How to Survive the Twin Pregnancy and Prepare for Your Twins.

What other questions do you think expectant parents of twins should ask the doctor during the twin pregnancy? Leave a comment and let us know.

The post Questions to Ask Your Doctor When Expecting Twins appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

Today we continue our father of twins interview series with Stephen Dause, father of twin girls. Listen as we explore his twin parenting journey, including:

Connect with Stephen via his twin dad posts on Reddit here.

This is transcript auto-generated so please forgive any mistakes.

Joe Rawlinson (Host): Yes, your twin pregnancy and delivery may have some crazy surprises. Today on the podcast we’re talking with a twin dad who shares his experience of how their delivery did not quite go according to plan. Now there was a huge surprise after their twin girls were born in the operating room, how they overcame that challenge and more today on the podcast.

Welcome to the dad’s guide to twins podcast, the podcast that’ll help you survive and thrive as a father of twins. Now, here’s your host, the author of the book, the dad’s guide to twins, Joe Rawlinson.

Hey everybody. Welcome to the podcast. This is Joe Rawlinson. I’m glad that you’re with me today. As always, you can find me on the web at dadsguidetowins.com where you’ll find all previous podcast episodes and tons of resources to help you along your twin parenting journey.

Today’s episode is brought to you by my second book for dads of twins. It is called Dad’s Guide to Raising Twins, How to Thrive as a Father of Twins. This book will guide you through those first several years with your twins to help you overcome the common challenges that you’ll be facing. You can get a copy of this book for yourself at RaisingTwinsBook.com.

Today we are continuing our Father of Twins interview series with the Father of Twin Girls who are happy and healthy now, but there were some hiccups and some surprises that were a little bit scary in the pregnancy and during delivery that we’re going to talk about today on the episode. Today I’d like to welcome to the show Father of Twins, Stephen Dause. Welcome to the show, Stephen.

Stephen Dause (Guest): Thank you.

Joe Rawlinson: Stephen, how old are your twins right now? And what’s something exciting about this age?

Stephen Dause: They are four and a half months. Something exciting about this age that just happened, started happening maybe a couple weeks ago was I noticed they started talking and babbling and cooing to each other just with, and sometimes when they’re both lying down, they’ll look at each other and start talking, especially if we hold them to each other’s face and they just smile and laugh. It’s really something special because that’s something that parents of multiples get to experience, I guess, that singletons don’t exactly in the same way. So it’s pretty neat.

Joe Rawlinson: Yeah, that’s one of the joys we have as dads of twins. We can watch that happen between our twins. Let’s rewind a little bit back in time to when you found out that you’d be having twins? What was your family situation like at that time?

Stephen Dause: Well, so when we found out, we had recently helped our 24-year-old adopted son move out. He was 16 when we adopted him eight years ago, and we slowly helped him mature and become independent, and we had just sort of become empty-nesters, so to speak. And then we found out we were pregnant, and started the process of welcoming, or so we thought, at least one biological kid into the family.

Joe Rawlinson: Yeah, that’s quite a transition there between an adult and having babies right on the heels of that. What was the experience like from your perspective with the twin pregnancy? How did that progress?

Stephen Dause: It was pretty challenging. My first reaction was just anxiety over not being able to get enough sleep, especially because I have some health conditions that already make that difficult for me. And then it quickly turned into anxiety over making sure my wife was healthy and that the twins were healthy and growing properly. She was quite nauseous, especially early on, but throughout the pregnancy, we had to take her to the hospital twice and I guess around week 14 or 15. Thankfully, all she needed was fluids, but she just couldn’t keep anything down, so they were able to give her an IV.

As we move further along, we started ultrasounds to monitor for TTTS, twin to twin transfusion syndrome as well as TAPS. A lot of monitoring things got very hard for her very quickly. I started taking over various things that she couldn’t do anymore or was very difficult for her to do. She also has a kidney disease which made her pregnancy high risk to start in addition to the high risk of the twin pregnancy itself. So we had a lot to watch out for, but thankfully her kidneys performed just fine throughout the pregnancy. But it was definitely, we were on pins and needles kind of throughout, just waiting for something to break bad.

Joe Rawlinson: Yeah. So for listeners, TAPS is twin anemia polycythemia sequence, which is a mouthful. That’s just why they use the acronym for that. So how did TAPS and TTTS, twin to twin transfusion syndrome even come up on your radar during the pregnancy?

Stephen Dause: We planned to continue seeing our normal obstetrician, but I did decide to consult with an MFM at around 18 weeks, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, and they thought it was fine to continue seeing our OB, but they did definitely recommend, they monitor for TTTS, which our OB knew about, but our OB didn’t know about TAPS. They were happy to try to monitor for it, but the ultrasound technicians actually weren’t really qualified to do it at the normal OB place. So we ended up transferring care eventually entirely to the MFM. And yeah, we at one time or another, they saw some potentially suspicious readings, then they would take a reading the next week and it would be fine. So neither of those actually became… The girls didn’t get diagnosed with either of those, but we were definitely watching for it closely.

Joe Rawlinson: So were you with the MFM all the way up to delivery?

Stephen Dause: Yes.

Joe Rawlinson: Even when it came to delivery, that same doctor was there?

Stephen Dause: It wasn’t one particular doctor. There was actually about seven of them at the hospital where we were and we would see, sometimes it would be the same doctor, but we didn’t really know who we were going to see. As it happened, our favorite one of them was on rotation at the hospital, which is separate from the clinic the week that we ended up delivering so that was great. We have a great relationship with her. But I guess that was the primary downside actually of seeing the MFM clinic is that it was a lot of different doctors. It could be a little bit of challenging because you never know who’s actually going to be there when the babies are ready to be born.

Joe Rawlinson: I guess if you were able to meet with all of them in one form or another, then at least you were familiar with them at the time. Well, so despite the extra monitoring and some of the extra stress week to week, it seemed like the pregnancy did go pretty smoothly leading up to delivery.

Stephen Dause: Yes. The only thing was around 34 weeks, she developed pre-gestational hypertension, which then led to delivery at 35 weeks.

Joe Rawlinson: Tell us a little bit about that. How did that? That just came up on a weekly visit test and then what?

Stephen Dause: Yeah. It was a little funny. The last ultrasound we did, they said, “Well, it took them a long time to find the girls’ middle cerebral arteries.” Two of the MFM specialists were in there, both operating the ultrasound machine. And then they said, “Okay, your girls look fine, but your blood pressure is really high. We want you to go to the hospital right now.” And that was Friday, and my wife ended up staying there until delivery on Tuesday. Her symptoms were not too bad. She developed a headache, some lightheadedness, but it was slowly getting worse. They basically told us, “We want to stop this before it gets any worse, and you go off a cliff and really start to feel bad and develop actual preeclampsia or even worse, eclampsia, and it’s not going to help that much for the babies to last another day or two, and you’re not going to make it to another week. We’re going to deliver you ASAP, basically.”

Joe Rawlinson: How did you take that news?

Stephen Dause: We were at 34 weeks when she went to the hospital, so we were prepared as well as we could be. And we talked to the doctors Friday, and then there were some doctors that visited us over the weekend. So it was a slow transition to realizing, “Oh, okay, this could happen soon. Oh, this is really likely. Okay, that’s going to happen.” And at that point, since we were already in the hospital, we knew she wasn’t going to leave before the babies were delivered and we trusted them enough to say, “Okay, it’s time to deliver. Let’s go.”

Joe Rawlinson: So when it came time for the delivery, tell us about that experience. Was it going into it? Was it what you were hoping for or planning for, or did you have some surprises?

Stephen Dause: Up until delivery was pretty normal. They, of course, got my wife prepped and took her back there and eventually called me back to watch the delivery itself. And I sat back there and couldn’t see anything. They made sure I sat down just so I couldn’t see anything because they didn’t want me to pass out, which was fine.

Joe Rawlinson: This was for a C-section, right?

Stephen Dause: Yeah. My wife wanted to do a C-section from the beginning, and they were on board with that so they didn’t try to induce or anything like that. We just told them that we wanted to do a C-section and they worked us into the schedule. I was in the OR watching just the doctors top of their heads really. It was really quiet, I guess I couldn’t really hear them talking to each other. Eventually, they brought out Baby A and said, “Here she is.” They actually said her name. They said both names of the girls because we told them who was who, so that was really special.

Then, after both were delivered, I remember they told me that I could go over and look at one of them. I just briefly interacted with Baby A, and they told me that they were having some trouble breathing, but at least for baby A, she was doing okay with a CPAP. So then I went back to tell my wife that. But before I could tell her that, a nurse came over and said, “Hey, here’s what’s happening, Mrs. Dause. Basically, we’re trying everything we can to get your uterus to contract, but it’s not, and you’re bleeding pretty badly, and so we’ve got some more things we can try, but we might have to do a hysterectomy.”

Stephen Dause: That was when I looked down at the floor and noticed that there was an awful lot of blood, and that was rather disconcerting. Things progressed, they gave her some medication to put in her mouth. She looked over at me and said, “Stephen, are they jumping on me?” And I said, “No, they’re working hard back there, but I am pretty sure they’re not jumping on you, dear.” Although it feels like that. So she was not in pain, but just kind of confused and groggy from the drugs she was given, obviously. And it was, they were doing more than they would have had to at that point for just a normal C-section wrap-up.

Joe Rawlinson: Had she had any interactions with the babies at this point?

Stephen Dause: She saw them when they were delivered, just, you know, like five seconds here they are. But other than that, no, which was hard. So, yeah, and I’d really only seen one. Around the time this was happening, they explained to me that both babies needed to go to the NICU because they needed to receive more care in helping them breathe. They were still both having trouble breathing. I just have a very clear memory in my mind. That was sort of the peak freak out moment when my daughters are leaving. I can’t really do anything to help them right now. And I’m just standing, sitting here helpless as my wife is being operated on.

Pretty shortly after that, my wife is actually much better at telling this part of the story, but she sort of called out to the doctor’s name and said like, “Look, I wasn’t planning on having any more kids. I know you’ve tried your best, but I need to be there for my girls, so please do whatever you can to save my life and do it as quickly as possible.” And so the doctor basically said, “Got it? Understood. We’re going to transition our work to just doing that emergency hysterectomy.”

Stephen Dause: They explained that a couple more doctors who are oncologists, but also, specializing in hysterectomies generally, were going to come in to do the surgery and they said it’s not that we can’t do it, but they are the best at it. So we thought, “Great, let’s get them in here.” The anesthesiologist asked my wife whether she wanted to go under and just be knocked out fully because once the baby is delivered, there’s no risk anymore to them obviously from general anesthesia.

My wife actually asked me and I said, “Well, I don’t know, do what you want.” And she said, “I think I want to be knocked out.” And I said, “I think I would want to be knocked out too.” Another memory I have from around that time is when asking, she asked the anesthesiologist, “Is this an emergency?” And the anesthesiologist sort of looked at her warmly and said, “I’m not going to lie to you, dear. Yes, this is an emergency.” At that point, as they started to put her under, I was asked, I was taken out because there’s no real need for me to be there anymore.

Joe Rawlinson: Do they tell you what to expect? Like how long it was going to take or?

Stephen Dause: No, I had no idea. And I didn’t really ask either. I guess partly because the nurse sort of took me out to the recovery room, said, “Here you are. Let us know if you want to go see your daughters and I need to go now.” So I said, “Okay.” Yes, I definitely want to see my daughters. I just waited until the NICU team said that I could come down, and that was about 15 minutes.

Joe Rawlinson: So you were just sitting alone with your thoughts for 15 minutes after all this craziness?

Stephen Dause: Yes. It was not a good experience. It’s embarrassing, but I asked ChatGPT what the odds of surviving an emergency hysterectomy are, which it said something like there’s a 1 to 8% chance of death even though if you’re in an advanced hospital the odds are probably lower. I was like, “Well, I’m pretty sure I’m in an advanced hospital, so I’ll just hope and pray that she does all right.”

In addition to that, I was texting my family with an update, but I didn’t really know what to tell them exactly because the girls were doing okay, they were in the NICU, and so obviously that was good, but I didn’t know how much my wife wanted to share. As it turns out, she wasn’t very private about this at all, but I didn’t know that at the time. So I also kind of felt alone in processing what was happening because I wasn’t fully sharing what was happening with anyone.

Joe Rawlinson: I totally overwhelming experience because that’s not what you were expecting just minutes earlier.

Stephen Dause: Right. I knew abstractly that it was a possibility that this could happen because we signed or she signed the paperwork and I looked at it and it did mention a hysterectomy as something that you have to agree to beforehand. But I never really considered it or considered what to do, what to tell people if something like that did happen. I wish that I had at least thought about it, discussed it just very briefly beforehand to have a kind of loose plan in mind and be a little more emotionally prepared for it.

Joe Rawlinson: Yeah, I mean that paperwork, when you read all the details, it’s kind of scary, overwhelming as well, right? And you’re like, all these things could possibly happen. And you’re like, well, I still want to have these babies, we still need to have these babies, so…

Stephen Dause: Right. And it’s not like I’m not gonna sign the paper and go through with this, right? And I guess I wasn’t scared by the paper at the time because no one really told us like, no one really talked to us about this possibility. They might have just skimmed over it, but I didn’t, you know, I signed medical paperwork for all kinds of things and, you know, none of the bad scenarios had really happened to me during surgery before. So I just kind of put it out of my mind.

Joe Rawlinson: So then the NICU staff came and got you and take you up to see your girls. So what was that moment like when you were able to see them again?

Stephen Dause: That was very special and just kind of, I mean, I’m a pretty laid back guy, but there’s a picture of me holding one of them with just the biggest grin on my face. And I was just so happy to be with them. They, by the time I got down there, they both were doing very well. The NICU staff was very happy. They said, really, baby A only needed help breathing with a CPAP and oxygen for a little bit. And she’s already off that and on room air and we’re pretty sure baby B can be in another few minutes. I don’t remember exactly when, but it might have been while I was there, they actually were able to take the breathing tube out and she was on room air.

That was very relieving and just very special. Not how I would have liked to greet them and hold them because obviously I would have liked to do that with my wife. But at the same time, it was great that things had gone well. And the doctors actually had one or two questions for me about how to care for them. So I was glad that I had asked to go down there. I was feeling very grateful and happy and also just kind of taking charge of, you know, from, as a parent of making sure that they were being cared for and answering any questions that the doctors had for me.

Joe Rawlinson: And how long do you got news about your wife’s status?

Stephen Dause: It’s hard to say. It might have been 15 or 30 minutes I was down there. And so on the way up, I got a call from a number I thought was probably the hospital. And I was a little nervous taking that call because I didn’t know what news they would have. But the nurse led with, “Hey, weird question, but do you want to keep the placenta, we don’t have any paperwork on that.” And so I thought, “Well, if something bad happens, you probably wouldn’t be asking me about this.” And so I answered it. We didn’t want to keep it. And she told me that my wife was out of surgery and was recovering and I could see her soon. So that was just a huge, I breathed a huge sigh of relief there. And after that, I didn’t feel like I had to wait very long until they actually brought her back.

Joe Rawlinson: So when were all of you reunited, mom, you and the girls all together?

Stephen Dause: That would not be until the next morning at about 4 a.m. The NICU wanted to monitor the girls for about 12 hours after they were on room air just as a precaution. So yeah, it took until then, but the nurse walked in and said, “Special delivery,” and I don’t remember if I was even asleep. I don’t think I was, but it was a groggy early morning reunion.

Joe Rawlinson: How did recovery go for your wife?

Stephen Dause: Difficult. It was kind of, it felt especially difficult for us because the pregnancy had been so hard and she was looking forward to what even other twin moms had said was the initial relief of just getting the babies out of your body. But even though that happened for her, she felt so bad from the additional loss of a major organ and all of the work that they had to do to cut it out of her that she felt very bad, especially in the first couple weeks afterwards.

It turns out they probably cut a major nerve and so she was feeling real sharp nerve pain. On top of all of this, because of her kidneys, she couldn’t take a lot of the narcotics that they normally give you. She was limited in terms of, well, actually, I misspoke. She was limited for narcotics because a lot of them make her nauseous, and she was limited in terms of NSAIDs because of her kidneys. She had very few options for pain treatment, and it was very rough. It made everything harder for her. Because of that, I was doing almost all of the twin care that required getting up and moving around, really, in addition to the nurses while we were in the hospital. But in short, recovery was very, very hard.

Joe Rawlinson: She was just in the hospital for a few days, and then most of the recovery was back home?

Stephen Dause: Yes, that’s right. We delivered on Tuesday and we went home on Sunday. So it was a couple extra days due to the additional complications of delivery after C-section. But thankfully, the girls got their sort of seal of approval of being ready to discharge at the same time, roughly that my wife did, so we were all able to go home together. Although when we got home, we arrived to a house without power. So that was another fun twist to the story.

Joe Rawlinson: The one unexpected thing after the other. Was that just a temporary thing or was it a longer term issue?

Stephen Dause: We were at the house for a couple hours and had no sign of it coming back on anytime soon. And this was in February. And the girls, we were told to keep the girls warm. And we also had some milk that needed to, some donated breast milk that needed to be kept frozen. Although, and I don’t, I think it was actually above freezing outside so we couldn’t just put it outside. So thankfully we have some wonderful friends who have a generator and we drove over to their house and spent our first night out of the hospital at a friend’s house. But power was back on the next day and things quickly returned to relative normal after that.

Joe Rawlinson: Thank goodness for good friends.

Stephen Dause: Definitely.

Joe Rawlinson: Okay, so you said things got back to normal. So this was like a new normal because now you’ve got the twins, mom’s recovering. What was your routine like there if mom was needing to get extra rest to recover?

Stephen Dause: We just took it in two or three hour chunks at a time. I think for the first while, it’s blurry a bit even now, but for the first while, I would, I’m trying to remember if I brought the girls to her bedside or if she got up and fed them with me. I think she pretty much from the start was at least able to move from the bed to our recliner and we would each feed one baby. And for the first few weeks, we basically would take one baby to feed. And I was doing all of the diaper changes for maybe a week or so, a week or two out of the hospital. Just kind of in survival mode.

And thankfully, we had a great supporting group of family and friends who came over to help. It was difficult, but at the same time, the girls were actually still premature, so they were very sleepy. So essentially, they would just sleep, wake up, eat, and go back to sleep. So that was at least one blessing. We weren’t really dealing with any colic or anything like that at that point.

Joe Rawlinson: Were the babies… Was she trying to breastfeed them, or were you doing formula? What was working for everybody?

Stephen Dause: Yes. So she was trying to pump, and at first that was difficult in terms of the amount of production. Thankfully, so we had hired a doula. The doula wasn’t able to be there because on the day we delivered, there was a snowstorm, which other than her not being there didn’t affect us because we were already at the hospital, thank goodness. But the doula came in clutch afterwards because she had some women who had extra breast milk that she donated to us and we used that supply in combination with a bit of formula and then anything that my wife was able to pump for the first few weeks until her production ramped up and was able to meet the girl’s needs, which thankfully it’s still able to do today.

Joe Rawlinson: Now, did you have some time off work and have to rush back to work? What was the time off situation?

Stephen Dause: I work at a small company and we didn’t really have a policy in place for paternal or maternal leave. So I advocated for one for myself and was able to get eight weeks of paid leave, which in America is a huge blessing and something not every new father or mother gets. So that was probably one of the biggest things that helped us survive without a whole lot of extra stress that that would have brought. I split it up. I took the first five weeks off and then worked half time for another six weeks to kind of stretch out that time a bit more.

Joe Rawlinson: Oh, perfect. Yeah, that sounds like a great arrangement. So once you went back full time, was your wife still on leave or is she back to work?

Stephen Dause: She is a teacher, so she, you know, we delivered in February, which was earlier, of course, than we initially planned back when we didn’t realize we were going to have twins and be delivering earlier. But she took the rest of the year off and is going to start back in August. So she’s still got a couple months of being home with the girls.

Joe Rawlinson: What are your plans for child care once school starts again?

Stephen Dause: We thought we had one daycare lined up, but now we’re having second thoughts about that one, and aren’t really on any other waitlists. So my wife is interviewing nannies this week and next week. So my wife’s actually going to be working part-time, so we’ll only need a part-time nanny, which will make it more affordable. But yeah, we’re probably just going to hire a nanny for the first year, and then after that my wife will probably be full-time the next school year and we’ll get a daycare.

Joe Rawlinson: Sometimes you have to be creative in finding how to make sure the kids are taken care of, make sure they’re making it to work. If it’s a daycare, if it’s a nanny, if it’s some combination of those things, you got to do what you’re going to do.

Stephen Dause: Yes. Getting on a daycare’s wait list is priority number one, honestly, when you find out you’re pregnant because it can take quite a while.

Joe Rawlinson: Absolutely. They have to have two spots

Stephen Dause: Yes.

Joe Rawlinson: Extra, extra waitlist.

Joe Rawlinson: So now that the girls are about four and a half months old, what’s the typical schedule like a daily routine?

Stephen Dause: I wake up at 8 AM and take care of the girls from 8 AM to 9 AM, just to give my wife a chance to get some, get at least a catnap in if she’s had to be up with them during the later portion of the night. Then I go to work from 9 to 5:30. I come back. We both take care of the girls until bedtime, although we are intentional about each of us getting at least like half an hour to either take a nap or just do something other than be with the girls or work. And then we both put them to bed at around 7:30 or 8.

And then from that time on, they’re sleeping pretty well. They usually wake up around 3 or 4. But actually here recently, they’ve been sleeping through the night until about seven or so. At which point I would wake up with them if they’re up at seven. On the other hand, we were just told by the doctor that one baby isn’t getting enough weight, so we’re going to have to wake them up at least once during the night to feed anyway, which is unfortunate, but that’s kind of the gist of the day of the schedule.

Joe Rawlinson: Yeah, just when you think you get them sleeping, something will change that, either doctor’s orders or they’ll start changing their own schedule.

Stephen Dause: Right.

Joe Rawlinson: So, Stephen, as we wrap up today, if listeners want to connect with you, what’s the best way to reach out?

Stephen Dause: So, I’m on Reddit. I post and comment occasionally on the parents of multiples sub-Reddit. My username is just trying to make it 16. And so, you can DM me there or take a look at the different posts I’ve written. I made one kind of summary of my experience of caring for my wife at about 34 weeks pregnant, and then I’ve made three after delivery as well. So yeah, that’s how you can find me.

Joe Rawlinson: I’ll link those in the show notes for listeners if they want to go check out those more details. Well, Stephen, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Some of the crazy surprises, ups and downs. It’s great to hear that everybody’s come out on the other side of that healthy and well.

Stephen Dause: Yes, there were a lot of ups and downs, but I’m very grateful that we made it out okay. And thank you for the interview and for all the resources you put out there for us, Twin Dads. It’s good to have something specific in addition to the general twin advice, so I appreciate it.

Joe Rawlinson: You’re welcome. Thank you so much.

Joe Rawlinson: I hope you enjoyed the conversation with Stephen about his experience so far as a father of twins. I’m always grateful for dads like Stephen, come on the show and share their experience with the rest of us so that all of us can learn from each other’s experiences. So once again, thanks Stephen for sharing your story today on the podcast.

Listeners if you would like to share your story like Stephen did today. I would love to hear from you. You can drop me an email [email protected] or reach out to me on Instagram or X I am @twindadjoe and I would love to hear from you.

If you’re in those early months with twins or still expecting twins I invite you to pick up a copy of my book Dad’s Guide to Raising Twins: How to Thrive as a Father of Twins. You can pick up a copy for yourself at raisingtwinsbook.com. Once again, that’s raisingtwinsbook.com. Thank you so much for listening, and I’ll see you next time.

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The post Emergency Hysterectomy After Twins Birth with Stephen Dause – Podcast 327 appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

Hey Dads, it’s completely normal to need support during the twin pregnancy. Yes, support for you.

During a twin pregnancy, the physical and emotional spotlight is naturally on your partner, but your role, your mental health, and your emotional well-being matter deeply.

Here are some ideas on how to maintain your mental and emotional footing during this intense time:

Your feelings are valid, including excitement, anxiety, and being overwhelmed.

These are all normal responses to impending parenthood, especially with twins.

You’re going through a major life transition too. Your identity and responsibilities are changing significantly.

Doubt doesn’t mean you’re unfit to be a twin dad. It means you care. Good dads worry; great dads learn to manage that worry instead of letting it run the show.

Connect with other twin dads who have been through what you are experiencing.

Look for local twin parent groups or online forums specifically for fathers of multiples.

Maintain friendships by scheduling regular time with friends who can provide perspective and emotional support.

Consider therapy if you feel you need an extra hand. A few sessions with a therapist can provide valuable coping strategies for this unique stress you’re experiencing.

Share your feelings with your partner. Try saying “I’m excited about the twins but also feeling [fill in the blank with your emotions like being nervous or overwhelmed]”

Be specific about your needs when talking with your partner. For example, “I could use some time to process” is better than bottling up emotions.

Remember your partner isn’t a mind reader. They may not realize what you’re experiencing unless you share.

Open, frank, and honest communication with your partner will help the twin parenting journey go a lot smoother.

Maintain your physical health. During the twin pregnancy, you actually have more time than you will once the twins are born.

Keep up with regular exercise, adequate sleep, and proper nutrition. These will directly impact your mental wellbeing.

It’s easy to lose yourself in pregnancy prep. Try to keep at least one regular activity that grounds you.

Continue hobbies while you can. Keep participating in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Keep in mind that some of these might need a pause once the twins arrive.

Set boundaries since it’s okay to decline additional responsibilities when feeling overwhelmed.

Educate yourself about twin development and care as that can reduce anxiety.

Research is helpful but obsessively reading about premature birth risks, twin complications, or sleep deprivation stories can send your anxiety into overdrive. Stick to trusted sources, and give yourself permission to unplug.

Get involved in twin preparations. Setting up the nursery or researching gear gives you purpose and something within your control.

Creating a registry, budgeting, reading parenting books will help. But leave space for flexibility, mistakes, and unknowns. Twins bring chaos. You’ll adapt. You don’t have to be 100% “ready”.

Learn practical baby care skills. This will give you confidence in your abilities and will reduce anxiety about the future.

You’re not just a supporting character. You’re an equal parent preparing for a life-changing experience.

Taking care of your mental health now sets the foundation for being the father your twins will need to be.

Listen to twin dad Steven Driver’s experience of overcoming a traumatic birth experience of his twins.

The post Maintaining Dad’s Mental Health During a Twin Pregnancy appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.

When I found out we were having twins, one of my first thoughts after the initial shock wore off was: “Where are we going to put all their stuff?”

Our modest three-bedroom home suddenly felt tiny. But after some creative planning and real-world experience, I discovered you don’t need two of everything or a mansion to raise happy, healthy twins.

Here’s how to prepare your home without drowning in baby gear.

Will you have the twins in your room or in their own room? When you bring them home from the hospital, you need a place for them to sleep. Where will that be in your house? Think through your plans for those first few nights at home – perhaps they will be in your room. Then think about long-term sleeping arrangements – likely in their own room.

Think about where you’ll feed your infant twins. Will it be in a rocking chair? In the nursery, or the family room?

You’ll need a comfortable place where you can sit and feed the twins. Make sure this will let you feed both at the same time.

Twin babies go through lots of diapers. Newborn twins can go through 20 diapers a day. You’ll need a place to change them. This could be a dedicated changing table or just on the floor. Yes, you could even use your bed – but remember that they might have an accident or leakage. Do you want that mess on your bed?

You need a place to store your baby clothes, diapers, and supplies. A simple changing table or dedicated furniture will work.

You don’t have to baby proof your house before your twins come home. Baby proofing requires that you prevent trouble that could be within a baby’s reach. As newborns, your twins can’t reach anything and aren’t mobile. If you are short on time, you can wait to baby proof your home until later.

Before you register for or purchase anything, ask these three questions:

I saved hundreds of dollars and valuable square footage by realizing we didn’t need two baby bathtubs, two high chairs, or two play mats. One large play mat worked perfectly for both babies.

Invest in items that adapt as your twins grow:

Vertical Storage is Your Best Friend

Wall space is often underutilized. Consider:

For example, IKEA Kallax shelves and fabric bins color-coded by category—green for clothes, blue for blankets, yellow for toys. This system makes it easy to find what you need quickly.

Just remember your baby-proofing for when the twins become mobile.

Smarter Furniture Choices

When you set up your twin nursery, see if you can position the cribs in an L-shape in the corner, which opens up floor space for playing while keeping the cribs accessible from three sides.

Create Zones Instead of Taking Over

Rather than letting twin baby gear dominate your living space:

Multi-Purpose Solutions

Streamlined Feeding Station

Create a dedicated “twin feeding zone” in one corner of your kitchen with everything needed for bottle prep, which can save countless steps during those early sleep-deprived months.

Clever High Chair Solutions

We opted for booster seats rather than standalone units with large footprints.

Bathing Without the Bulk

Smart Organization

The Rolling Command Center

I’ve even heard of making a rolling cart with three tiers:

This cart can be moved from room to room, ensuring supplies were always at hand without cluttering every space.

The Shared Closet System

For the twins’ clothes:

The Gear Rotation Method

Not all baby equipment needs to be out at once:

We borrowed a hospital grade breast pump until formula bottle feeding became our primary method, saving both money and storage space.

Remember that babies need much less than marketing would have you believe.

Your twins won’t care if their nursery isn’t Instagram perfect. They just need you, safety, comfort, and love.

The key is creating systems that work for your family’s specific needs and home layout. Stay flexible and don’t be afraid to rearrange as you discover what works best.

The post How to Prep Your Home for Twins Without Cluttering Everything appeared first on Dad's Guide to Twins.