First few months with Twins

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)

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.