The First Year is Survival • by Leonie Huie
The First Year is Survival The Essential Guide to Parenting Twins & Multiples by Leonie Huie Being a mother has its challenges and whether you have one baby, twins, triplets or more, we all have one thing in common—sleep deprivation—especially in the first year. This is something I battled with in my first year as a mother of twins. Let’s be honest, finding out you are expecting twins can be really exciting, as well as frightening at the same time; the mixed emotions are surprisingly overwhelming. But ultimately I was left feeling blessed that I had been given such a gift, after all, it’s not every day a woman finds she's expecting two! In my book, ‘The First Year Is Survival,’ I talk about my experiences as a new mum of twin girls and include experiences from other parents of multiples from around the world who have provided useful tips and advice on how best to survive this first year including themes such as sleep deprivation, getting organised, anxiety, depression, returning to work and date night. There are a number of areas to focus on and consider before your newborns arrive: getting organised, the impact of sleep deprivation, and understanding the potential of anxiety and post-natal depression. One of the first things I did when I found out I was having twins reorganise my home to accommodate my new arrivals. I discussed with my husband what I wanted to change and I could tell from his facial expression that he knew he had a mammoth task on his hands! I was one of those mums who went into complete ‘nesting’ mode, there was so much going on in my head at once, I’m surprised it didn’t explode! Planning and preparing for your twins’ arrival can start as soon as you find out about your pregnancy – in the early stages you need to try to focus on resting as much as you can. I recommend writing a list of things you need – try dividing your list into sections so it’s not overwhelming. Items you may wish to purchase for twins including clothing, furniture and home decorations (paint/ wallpaper/new blinds!). During pregnancy I know many mums are still working, which can be pretty challenging, as pregnancy weight gains can cause problems such as backache, swelling, tiredness, breathlessness, the list goes on… all of which then slows you down from completing all the tasks
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