Last updated: August 12, 2024
So you are expecting twins, congratulations! This news comes with so many questions. As a twin mom who has been there, in this post I will cover all my recommendations on how to prepare for twins in each trimester of your pregnancy.
Whether you are looking for some twin pregnancy checklists (you can get some for free as you read on), you are trying to figure out what to put on your twin baby registry, or want to prepare for labor and delivery, then you have come to the right place. Let’s get started reviewing everything you need to know about getting ready for the arrival of your two newborn babies.
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Free Twin Pregnancy Checklists to Help Prepare for Twins
Before we get into the breakdown of each trimester and what you can do to prepare for twins, I want to share some FREE twin pregnancy checklists with you. These checklists (twin trimester, baby registry, and hospital bag lists) will help you get started. You can get them now by clicking the button below!
How To Prepare for Twins in the First Trimester (Weeks 1-12)
Let’s start at the beginning, the first trimester of twin pregnancy. What should you be doing to prepare for twins during this time?
Honestly, in the first trimester you are probably just starting to wrap your head around the idea that you will be taking care of two newborns at the same time. And if you are reading this as the expecting mom of twins, you are just trying to survive being exhausted and nauseous. But don’t worry, most pregnant twin mamas feel better as they enter the second trimester.
My advice for your first trimester is to just get used to the idea that you are having twins and focus on getting through the exhaustion and nausea. If you want to do more, start thinking about twin maternity clothes and your twin registry list, but that’s not a necessity. Once you get your energy back in the second trimester, you can start doing the things we will discuss below to prepare for twins.
1st Trimester Twin Pregnancy Checklist
Even though you don’t have to do much in this trimester, here is a list to layout some items that will happen and you can consider doing. I have also included the recommended week of pregnancy for each item.
- Start taking a prenatal vitamin: 4-5 weeks
- Tell family & friends (but only if you want to)
- First prenatal checkup: 8-9 weeks
- 1st trimester screening: 11-14 weeks
- Pregnancy announcement (optional): 12 weeks or later
- Start baby registry: 12 weeks
How To Prepare for Twins in the 2nd Trimester (Weeks 13-27)
The second trimester of pregnancy is typically when you will have the most energy. This is also when things will start to ramp up with items to get checked off your list. Here are my recommendations for items you will need to complete in the 2nd trimester.
- Tell your boss about your pregnancy: 12-20 weeks
- Start buying maternity clothes: 14 weeks
- 20 week ultrasound
- Look into childcare for twins (optional): 20 weeks
- Sign up for a birthing class: 20 weeks
- Finalize baby shower date & details: 20 weeks
- Finish your baby registry: 22 weeks
- Gestational diabetes test: 24-28 weeks
- Have baby shower: 26-28 weeks
How To Prepare for Twins in the 3rd Trimester (Weeks 28-40)
This is the final stretch of your pregnancy with twins! Below is my list of items to check off in this trimester, along with items you can expect to occur during this time.
- Send thank you notes: 30 weeks
- Finalize twin birth plan: 30 weeks
- Pack twins hospital bag: 30 weeks
- Finish setting up the nursery: 34 weeks
- Group B strep test: 35-37 weeks
- Install both car seats: 36 weeks
- Assemble baby gear: 36 weeks
Twin Pregnancy Books, Journals, & Planners to Help Prepare
Now that you know what to accomplish in each trimester of twin pregnancy, let’s take a look at other things you can do to prepare for two newborns. I think one of the best ways to prepare for twins is by reading twin pregnancy books and using a Twin Pregnancy Planner & Journal.
Personally, I did not go crazy reading every twin book out there on the market. In fact, I’m pretty sure I relied mostly on What To Expect When You’re Expecting, which isn’t even a book for twin parents.
From my personal experience, I definitely recommend getting What To Expect When You’re Expecting. I also really loved What To Expect the First Year for once my babies arrived too. The What To Expect books are helpful guides and will give you the basics on what you need to know. As far as specific books for twin pregnancy, I recommend getting 1 or 2 of the following options:
- What To Do When You’re Having Twins
- When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads
- Dad’s Guide To Twins – for expecting twin dads
Finally, if checklists and trackers help you or you would like to create a memory book of your pregnancy then this Twin Pregnancy Planner & Journal is just what you need. This is another great option to help prepare for the arrival of twins. It will assist you with staying organized and reduce feelings of overwhelm throughout your pregnancy.
What Baby Gear Do You Need to Prepare for Twins?
One of the biggest items you need to do to get ready for twins is have the right baby gear on hand. It’s about finding the right balance between what you need and when. You do not want to over buy because you will have limited space and probably money too.
You might be surprised to find out most must have twin baby gear is not necessarily built for twins. It’s more a matter of knowing what you need two of and what you only need one of. These three articles will help you figure out what to get, how much to get, and when for twins:
- The #1 Twin Baby Gear Registry Checklist – complete list with must haves and optional items
- The Ultimate Twin Baby Gear Must Haves List – a list of just the must have items
- A Twin Mom’s Top 10 Cool Things Needed for Twins – a list of the top items made specifically for twins
If you want a simple printable twin baby registry checklist, then grab this bundle of FREE twin pregnancy checklists, which includes a twin baby registry list.
How To Prepare for the Delivery Of Twins (2nd-3rd Trimester)
There is a lot of preparation and planning when getting ready for labor and delivery. With twins, there are even more little things to know since you will delivering two babies instead of one.
To get the full lowdown check out this detailed article on what to expect during twin pregnancy labor and delivery. Below I am also sharing my two top tips to help get ready for your twin delivery.
1 – Take a Birthing Class
I very highly recommend taking a birthing class in order to be fully prepared for labor and delivery. If you are looking for an online birthing class option, I always recommend the Birth It Up classes for those expecting twins.
There are a few reasons I recommend these courses to expecting twin parents. First of all, you get access to three different courses. You can take one or all three. If you know the type of birth you are having (C-section, epidural, or natural) you can just do the one class. But if something changes, you will have access to all three anyway.
The second reason I recommend theses classes for expecting twins parents is that there is an entire section specifically for the birth of multiples. With these birthing classes you get over 3 hours of birthing lesson videos and 2 hours of newborn care videos.
The last reasons I recommend the Birth It Up classes are that they are taught by a labor and delivery nurse who is also a mom of 3. The reviews for these classes are tremendous and you will be fully prepared for labor and delivery after taking them.
2 – Be Prepared For a NICU Stay
It is not unusual for newborn twins to spend extra time in the hospital. It’s important to mentally prepare for the possibility of a stay in the NICU.
Additionally, there is also potential for one of your twins to come home with you, while the other one has to stay at the hospital. This is actually what happened to us.
My twins were born at 35 weeks and were both sent to the Continuing Care Nursery (CCN) after birth. At our hospital this was considered a step better than the NICU.
After their stay in the CCN, Baby A came to our room and then home with us. But Baby B had to be moved to the NICU and spend 6 more days there. She was being treated with antibiotics for an infection.
This was very difficult, but we were aware this was a possibility beforehand because we had learned this is common in the twins class we took at our local hospital. As part of this class we actually had a NICU tour, which was also very helpful. So if there is a twins class at your hospital, I definitely recommend you sign up!
Mentally preparing for the possibility of a NICU stay and also that one twin might come home before the other made our own situation a little bit easier. We were not caught off guard when it happened. I recommend to just be aware that this is a possibility, so that you will not be taken by surprise if it does happen.
How To Financially Prepare For Twins
What about being financially prepared now that you know there are two babies? The reality is having twins is more expensive than having one baby.
There are two mouths to feed, more baby gear is required, more clothing is required, and childcare for twins is expensive, just to name some of the items. I wanted to include a section on budgeting for twins since it is so important. But budget planning is not my area of expertise.
You can still get all the info you need by checking out this post on budgeting for twins and this post on getting twin gear on a budget. Those articles will help you understand how to financially prepare for the arrival of twins.
Twin FAQs
We have covered all the main big topics on how to prepare for twins, but there are still plenty of frequently asked questions about twins hanging out there. Below I am sharing some of most common questions expecting twin parents have and I have sorted them by topic. Hopefully some of these items will help you prepare for your twins even more.
Working During Twin Pregnancy
First up, I want to mention that you might be wondering when to stop working. You can check out the answer to that by reading this blog post on when to stop working when pregnant with twins.
Preparing Your Vehicle for Twins
The biggest issue at hand will be installing two car seats in your car. Car seats are much larger and take up a lot more room than you think.
You will be able to fit two car seats in your vehicle, but don’t expect to have much more room than that. For those having twins, I recommend opting for narrow car seats.
My personal pick for the best infant car seats for twins are the Graco SnugRide Snuglock 35 seats. Finally, make sure you have your trunk cleaned out so you have room for your stroller.
Diapers for Twins
How many diapers and wipes do you need for twins? This is probably the first question that comes up regarding diapering. You will want 2 cases of newborn diapers and 2 cases of size 1 diapers. I also recommend getting 2 cases of wipes to start.
Finally, it’s also important to get your diaper bag in order. Here is a diaper bag checklist for twins that you might find helpful.
Clothing for Twin Babies
You can get all the details on how much clothing you will need for twins here.
Childcare for Twins
If you will be returning to work, there is a good chance you will be needing childcare for your two babies. You will need to decide between daycare or hiring a nanny for twins.
Feeding Twins
One of the biggest decisions you will make is how to feed your babies. And it won’t always go as planned. Your first step is deciding what you want to do – breastfeed, formula feed, pump, or a combination? The following articles will give you some more insight on feeding newborn twins.
- How do I feed two babies at the same time?
- Is it possible to breastfeed twins?
- Sample twins breastfeeding schedules
Sleep with Newborn Twins
For me personally, it was very important to get my twins on a schedule when they were capable of doing this (which will happen at 3-6 months old). You can read more about schedules and sleep with newborn twins by clicking the links below.
- How do I get sleep with newborn twins?
- Newborn twins schedule expectations
- The best newborn twins sleeping arrangements
- How to sleep train twins
Going Out With Newborn Twins
I was always pretty afraid to go too far alone with my newborn twins. My big outing for the day usually involved taking a walk around the neighborhood. But you don’t have to be like me! Check out this article on going out alone with newborn twins for the best tips.
I hope you learned a lot about how to prepare for twins!
Preparing for twins is a job unto itself, but good planning will make caring for your twin newborns a little bit easier once they do arrive. Don’t stress about getting everything done at once.
Take it one day at a time or tackle one or two items each week. Good luck with everything and if you have any questions be sure to share them in the comments below.
