https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:21:40 +0000 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:44:15 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 11.10 360 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=22391 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.png https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/ https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=566686&title=first-few-months-with-twins#566686 Author: cat007
Subject: 22391
Posted: 14 December 2008 at 10:44pm

I dont think I would have coped without having my mum staying. I couldnt get a routine in hospital with my twins and was getting desperate to get home so that they could get into one. Also was miserable hard trying to breastfeed and needed to get away from all the "breast is best" that was being told to me. I had my mum drop my DS to preschool while I was away in hospital too.

When I got home, DS took a little while to get used to me being back and I found it really helpful to keep his routine of preschool up and running to give him stability. I also had both twins screaming with reflux every evening and simply needed more than two pairs of hands to help get DS into bed and dinner on the table. It was nearly two months after they arrived before I cooked my first evening meal for the family. Now my home-help only comes a couple of times a week to help with housework and babysit etc.

I suggest, keep your sons in their routines as much as possible and use your WINZ home-help fulltime in the first 3 months till you feel back on your feet. All the best.

]]> Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:44:15 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=566686&title=first-few-months-with-twins#566686 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=563841&title=first-few-months-with-twins#563841 Author: bext1
Subject: 22391
Posted: 10 December 2008 at 9:04pm

Hi
You get 240 hours home help from WINZ, we are using it now, but I still bF these two and bottle a bit during the day. They still don't sleep through the night.
It gets tiring, but it's fun to see them grow.
Mine spent two months in hospital, so I dunno if that is why they don't sleep much? they don't like the dark!!!

Good luck, it will be fine. I would say keep ur 3 year old in creche, I kept my older one in Daycare, although I did cut down his hours, and he spent time at home with the twins before he started school last month.

]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:04:44 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=563841&title=first-few-months-with-twins#563841 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=563429&title=first-few-months-with-twins#563429 Author: lisa85
Subject: 22391
Posted: 10 December 2008 at 2:38pm

Oh also depending on the age of your other children you may be entitled to a certain amount of hours free of homebased child care. We tried but couldn't get it. I think you can only get it if you have at least one other child under 5. ]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:38:29 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=563429&title=first-few-months-with-twins#563429 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=563426&title=first-few-months-with-twins#563426 Author: lisa85
Subject: 22391
Posted: 10 December 2008 at 2:36pm

Hi, I have 7 month old twin girls. It's definitly full on in those first few weeks but if you have a tight routine things can settle quickly.
I think your very wise to bottle feed. I breastfed for a month and it was a nightmare! as soon as I switched to bottle everything changed for the better. Our girls were sleeping through the night by 8weeks old and haven't been a problem since :)
If you want to talk to someone in the same boat PM me and I'll give you my home number. I'd be more than happy to help ease your mind lol!
Twins are great fun. But mind you I don't have any other kids so I don't know any different.
Anyway big congrats :) Welcome to the world of multiples.]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:36:30 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=563426&title=first-few-months-with-twins#563426 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=543476&title=first-few-months-with-twins#543476 Author: tishy
Subject: 22391
Posted: 13 November 2008 at 9:22pm

Maya wrote: Routine = survival when you have more than one child, especially twins!

Definitely!

This was probably one of the only perks of spending time in NICU. By the time they came home we had a 3 hourly feeding routine perfected.]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:22:11 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=543476&title=first-few-months-with-twins#543476 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=543177&title=first-few-months-with-twins#543177 Author: Maya
Subject: 22391
Posted: 13 November 2008 at 4:03pm

I agree with keeping up the creche/daycare, when the gremlins arrived I think it really helped that Maya was going to preschool for a few reasons. It helped her as it was consistent and familiar and secure with all the upheaval of two new babies, and it helped me coz it made me get up and dressed and out the door every morning, and coz I had the days to myself with the babies.

As Kiwisj mentioned, you'll be entitled to 250 hours of subsidised home help thru WINZ to use as you choose. It's not income tested, anyone who has a multiple birth and a child under 5 qualifies. We used ours all in the first nine weeks by having a nanny come in 20-odd hours a week, but you have up to 12 mths to use it. We had to top ours up by about $50 a fortnight. Some of the other multiple birth club families used theirs to get a night nurse/nanny or to get a cleaner to come in.

Like you said, how the first few weeks go will depend on what gestation the babies are born, how the birth goes, whether they need time in NICU etc. And it also depends hugely on the babies, how settled they are etc. The only thing I can really suggest that we *didn't* do and in hindsight should have is to stay home as much as possible so you can get the babies settled into a good routine. Routine = survival when you have more than one child, especially twins!]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:03:02 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=543177&title=first-few-months-with-twins#543177 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=543024&title=first-few-months-with-twins#543024 Author: floss
Subject: 22391
Posted: 13 November 2008 at 1:38pm

Noah and Lola were born at 35 weeks and came home after 10days in hospital for the first few weeks it was just me, hubby, Sienna and the twins which was kind of nice cos we could all bond but I would say keep up the daycare cos your son will like to go there and be with his friends so it won't disrupt what he is used to.]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:38:34 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=543024&title=first-few-months-with-twins#543024 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=542973&title=first-few-months-with-twins#542973 Author: kiwisj
Subject: 22391
Posted: 13 November 2008 at 12:50pm

I've been a nanny for two families with twins, one in Wellington.

I believe you can get some home help for a particular number of hours? Is that still available? The family I was with hired me at 5 months but had had some help during the nights in the first few weeks which I think they REALLY appreciated (twins were their first babies).

If you don't think you'll need help with the babies as such, perhaps you could look into getting a part time cleaner in and a babysitter for your older two during the after school/dinner rush when things are more hectic?

Good luck!]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:50:31 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=542973&title=first-few-months-with-twins#542973 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=542620&title=first-few-months-with-twins#542620 Author: linda
Subject: 22391
Posted: 12 November 2008 at 9:27pm

Thanks.......guess it does depend on when and how they come!

I know for me that I want to have some time to myself with the twins so I guess I need to look at something that would give me this plus also something that gives me some help]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:27:34 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=542620&title=first-few-months-with-twins#542620 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=541857&title=first-few-months-with-twins#541857 Author: tishy
Subject: 22391
Posted: 11 November 2008 at 11:21pm

Bizzy - Depends on the Nanny College. In Wellington you hire them for 20 weeks.

linda I think it might depend on how early your twins are. Also depends on if you have a c-section as well.

Mine were born at 35 weeks, we were home 10 days later. My mum stayed with us for 6 weeks which was a lifesaver for me. I BF however and had a c-section so I spent a lot of this time recuperating as well.]]> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:21:03 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=541857&title=first-few-months-with-twins#541857 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=541641&title=first-few-months-with-twins#541641 Author: Bizzy
Subject: 22391
Posted: 11 November 2008 at 8:01pm

i dont have twins but if it were me i would leave her in creche... the hardest thing then would be having to pack everyone up to do the school and creche run. and then too their routine is kept stable.
if you are meaning a trainee nanny they only come for 2 weeks and there is no guarantee they will be schooled in what you need.]]> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:01:21 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=541641&title=first-few-months-with-twins#541641 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=541613&title=first-few-months-with-twins#541613 Author: linda
Subject: 22391
Posted: 11 November 2008 at 7:32pm

I am in the process of working out what to do when my twins arrive. I will have a DS 5, DS 3 plus the twins.

What were the first few weeks like?

Can it be done without any help...ie a nanny. DS 5 goes to school and DS 3 goes to creche which we will keep for the mean time but my other option is to take DS 3 out of creche and look at getting a nanny but I'm really not sure if this is what I want. We would look at getting a nanny via the Nanny college. Appreciate any feedback. Babies will be bottle fed (not sure if that makes a difference but thought I would add)

]]> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:32:09 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22391&PID=541613&title=first-few-months-with-twins#541613