I am the mother of 4-year-old boy/girl twins. I have learned that there are three primary things that will help you immensely during the first year with twins:

*Preparation*

Newborn twins require unbelievable amounts of supplies. This becomes very expensive and can be a problem for those with tighter budgets (and even those with not-so-tight budgets!). During my pregnancy, I bought one package of diapers every week at the grocery store. I got a variety of sizes but used the same 2 stores so that I knew where they came from, in case I needed to return/exchange once the babies came. Spending an extra $10 per week was much easier on the budget than all of a sudden spending an extra $30 per week.

I did the same for clothing as well. Since I knew at about week 17 of my pregnancy that they were a boy and a girl, I bought lots of white, green, and yellow. And I completely stocked up on onsies and t-shirts, as that was what another twin mom had told me to do. This worked out very well for me because my twins were premature (as many are) and could not leave the house for almost the entire first year (to prevent illness). We dressed them up for pictures and holidays but I was grateful to have a stockpile of easy clothing that would not take up too much room in the laundry (which you will do plenty of).

Other things that I stocked up on before the birth were laundry detergent (All Free and Clear), bottles, blankets, crib sheets and some toys. The last thing that you will want to do once the babies are home is to go to the store because there is something that you need NOW. The only thing that I would not suggest stocking up on is preemie clothing, newborn diapers, and formula. Also, start your preparations early so that you are not surprised and unprepared when the doctor tells you that you are on bedrest for the remainder of your pregnancy and you are no longer allowed to do more preparations!

*Structure with Flexibility*

I preface this by saying that I personally am not a structured person by any standards. Or, at least, I should say I WAS not. However, with newborn twins you learn quickly that survival = schedule. For the first 3-4 months, you will feel like you are in a non-stop whirlwind of feeding, rocking, and putting to sleep. All the while, you will be so sleep deprived yourself that you will forget to eat or shower at least once a week. The cure for this is a schedule and togetherness. Although I did not dictate when my

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