How To Take Care Of, Manage, & Raise Twins Alone

Are you a twin parent or maybe an expecting twin parent? The thought of taking care of twins by yourself can feel overwhelming and stressful.

I know this as a twin mom myself! When my family helpers had to leave after a month, I was scared and didn’t know how I would manage my newborn twin babies during the day alone.

So in this post I am sharing my top tips (based on my own experience) for how to take care of twins alone. And we will also talk about what it is like to raise twins alone too. Let’s get started discussing some of the best things you can do to make caring for twins by yourself as easy as possible.

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Is It Possible To Care For and Raise Twins By Yourself?

The good news is yes, you can handle and even raise twins on your own. For example, after my family and friends had to go back to their normal lives, it took some adjustment, but I found a good daily groove to care for my newborn twins alone during the day.

Additionally, there are many examples of single twin parents that have been able to raise twins by themselves too. If you are in this situation, the reality is parenting is hard, but you will be able to do it.

How To Take Care of Newborn Twins & Twin Babies Alone

Now that we have established that it is very possible to take care of twins alone, let’s discuss how to make the whole process of parenting twin babies easier, especially during the newborn phase.

1 – Get Twins on the Same Schedule As Quickly As Possible

I think one of the biggest focuses of twin parents is their babies schedules. It is very important to have your kids on the same schedule, so you are not stuck doing around the clock care.

However, getting newborns on the same schedule is difficult. Around 6 weeks – 3 months old is when you will better be able to achieve the same schedule for your twins. This is when you will start noticing reliable patterns in their sleeping habits. Here are some resources to help you understand twin schedules and when and how to put them on the same schedule:

• Printable Twin Schedules for the First Year (with instructions for putting them on the same schedule)
• Newborn Twins Sample Sleep & Feeding Schedule
• Printable Newborn Twins Tracker – write down each baby’s daily habits all on one page to assist in getting them on the same schedule

2 – Learn How To Feed Twins at the Same Time

As newborns, your twins will sometimes eat at the same time and sometimes not. And once they are a little older and on the same schedule they almost always eat at the same time. This means you will need to master either tandem breastfeeding or tandem bottle feeding.

One of my top recommendations to assist with tandem feeding is to get the Twin Z pillow. You can use this pillow for either nursing or bottle feeding at the same time, plus it also functions as a space for your newborn twins to hang out too. For more details on tandem feeding, here are some great resources:

• Feeding Newborn Twins: Schedules & Tandem Feeding
• How To Feed Twins By Yourself

3 – Don’t Be Afraid to Get Help (Free & Hired)

Having people to help you, especially during the first couple months is a great idea. Enlist family and friends if they offer to help.

Just make sure you have specific tasks for your helpers, so they have a purpose and know what to do. Otherwise, your helpers could end up being more distracting than helpful.

You can also hire a nanny or babysitter. Our family had great experiences using Care.com to hire nannies for our twins.

4 – Figure Out Your Best Method for Carrying Twins At The Same Time

Whether your prefer a double baby carrier, to use your arms, or two infant car seats, there are a few different methods you can use to carry twin babies at the same time. Personally, I tried to avoid carrying my babies at the same time as much as possible, but there were times it was helpful to do so.

My preferred methods were my arms for short distances in the house or two infant car seats if moving out to the car. Some twin parents will tell you they couldn’t live without their baby carrier. So, you will need to test it out and see what works best for you. Check out this article on carrying and holding twins at the same time for more ideas.

5 – Give Yourself Grace

You will have times that you get frustrated, you will probably cry, you might feel like you are failing, you will be exhausted. It’s okay!

If you have a breakdown for a day or are struggling, find comfort it knowing that it’s totally normal. Caring for twins alone is a totally new thing for you and it’s not unexpected to get overwhelmed. This is the time to lean on friends and family for mental health support or to seek out help from a postpartum or twin mom group or a therapist.

Top Tips for Raising Twins Alone

Now that we’ve reviewed the best hacks for taking care of twins alone as infants, what about as they get older? Here are some of tips to help as your twins becomes toddlers.

1. Master Time Management – Use meal prepping, online grocery shopping, and batch tasks to make life easier. A little planning goes a long way.
2. They Have a Playmate – One of the best parts of having twins is they can play together. This will give you some time to yourself, which is nice.
3. Encourage Independence – As they grow, teach your twins how to help with small tasks. This fosters self-reliance and lightens your load.
4. The Toddler Years are Hard – Trying to go out once your twins start walking is hard! Don’t be surprised if you find yourself having to run in two different directions at the same time. If you decide to stay home a lot during these years, it’s okay. You will eventually be able to safely go out and about again.

Now you know some of the top tips for how to take care of twins alone – which ones will you be using?

I hope you found some helpful ideas that you will be implementing in your household. Good luck and you can do it!