A lot of moms who have twins say that they knew that they were going to have twins early on, even before the doctor said so. Now, I’m not saying that we have some unexplained connection with our bodies that allow us to know what’s going on before anyone else does (although that would explain a lot…). Still, the early pregnancy symptoms with twins can be really obvious, especially if you know what you’re looking for.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms with Twins Explained
What are The Symptoms of Carrying Twins?
Like we said in our article on the symptoms that you’re having twins when you’re having twins, you should look for the sorts of things that happen in normal pregnancy, only bigger and stronger.
The ‘biggest’ early pregnancy symptom with twins (pun intended) that many women notice is how much bigger they are early on compared to other women. The reason for this is obvious. You’re carrying two babies instead of one, and they both need space!
Powerful feelings of nausea, especially early on. We all know about morning sickness, but because more hormones cause it in your body when you’re having twins, you’re more likely to experience it.
Incontinence, or just needing to pee more often. The increased pressure on your body from carrying two babies right over your bladder causes you to pee more often and can, unfortunately, cause incontinence.
Painful breasts. Again, this is caused by hormonal changes, and two babies equal more hormones, which equals more changes.
Exhaustion and a pounding heart. Your body is working extra hard to provide for your twins, so the stress placed on it is much heavier than for a singleton baby.
Higher levels of hCG. Human chorionic gonadotropin causes many changes in pregnancy, and your body is bright, so when you have two babies, the hCG levels also rise accordingly.
What are The Most Likely Early Pregnancy Symptoms with Twins?
There are certain things that most mothers will experience when they’re pregnant with twins, which we’ll go into below. But bear in mind that pregnancy is different for every woman, and there’s absolutely nothing you can rely on as a sure sign that you’re having twins. Where one woman might suffer from one particular symptom especially heavily, another woman might not even experience it.
Saying that, here are the most likely symptoms that you’re having twins in the first trimester and why.
Heavy Uterine Cramping
Many women experience uterine cramping during their pregnancy; if you’re pregnant with twins, you’re more likely to experience uterine cramps, and they’re more likely to last longer and be stronger and more painful.
The reason for this is pure mechanics. Your uterus is designed to accommodate one growing baby comfortably, and even though our bodies are marvelous machines and can stretch to deal with twins, it’s not a thing that most women have to deal with, and it puts a lot of strain on your body.
Nausea and Morning Sickness
Some women are lucky enough to avoid morning sickness altogether, but for the rest of us, it’s just something we must learn to live with.
No one knows what causes morning sickness, but the most likely explanation is the increased levels of hCG in the body. So when you’re carrying twins and have even higher levels of hCG in your body than usual, if you suffer from morning sickness, it’s fair to say that your morning sickness symptoms will be worse and even more debilitating.
Showing Early and Growing Fast
Another early pregnancy symptom with twins is to show early and always seem to be further along in their pregnancy than women who only carry single babies.
It’s pretty simple. Even though both twins are generally smaller and lighter than a singleton baby at the same time, you’re holding two of them inside of you, which will take up an awful lot of room.
There’s also the fact that the weight gain, fat gain, and fluid retention that comes with pregnancy are usually more significant when you’re pregnant with twins because there are more hormones that cause these changes in your body.
Stronger Emotional Changes
This is another hormonal issue, and the reason for it is the same as the rest. The hormone changes affect your body and brain chemistry, which causes significant changes in your body.
Again, suppose you’ve got a higher concentration of pregnancy hormones. If you’re unlucky enough to suffer from emotional changes, it will likely affect you more and hit you far harder.
Remember, every pregnancy is different, and every twin pregnancy is doubly so. There’s no guarantee that you will have all or even any of these symptoms. The only reliable way to know that you’re going to have twins is to have a scan that shows twins!
Saying that there’s nothing that says the signs don’t make it more likely, so if you’ve got any of these signs of twins, you might be lucky enough to be blessed with twin treasures!
When did you find out you were having twins and did you know before your scan? Did you experience these early pregnancy symptoms with twins, and how did it make you feel? Let us know in the comments below!
We’ve all seen identical twins who are so similar it’s almost impossible to tell them apart.
But just how identical are identical twins? Do they share any other similarities beyond just looking alike? Do twins have the same blood type? What actually causes this to happen?
Why are some twins identical and some twins not?
First, it’s important to understand what causes some types of twin to be identical and others to not. That’s because there are two main types of twins. Identical and fraternal.
Because fraternal twins come from two different eggs and two different sperm, they’re going to have different chromosomes and different genetics, so they’re non-identical.
Identical twins, on the other hand, come from one egg and sperm, which splits early on in the pregnancy into two embryos, which then go on to form your twins.
Because they come from the same egg and sperm, identical twins start their lives with identical chromosomal and genetic patterning, so the building blocks that make them up will be exactly the same.
However, our DNA changes over time, especially in the womb, where our cells are splitting up hundreds and thousands of times, to go from that initial fertilised egg to an entire person, and because identical twins split incredibly early on, somewhere around the first couple of weeks.
There’s a lot of potential for changes to happen in their DNA.
This is why identical twins are never exactly the same, and why in some cases you can get really weird occurrences, like identical twins with different colored eyes or hair.
But there’s some things that identical twins pretty much always share, and some that they don’t. Here’s a list of things that you might not have thought about when it comes to identical twins, and what it means for them.
Do identical twins have the same blood type?
The short answer. Yes. Blood type is entirely determined by DNA, so identical twins pretty much always have the same blood type. But because of the small changes in DNA that can happen in the womb, it’s entirely possible for twins to have different blood types from each other.
Do identical twins have the same retinal scan?
No. The pattern of blood vessels in your retina is partially genetically determined, but is also incredibly complicated and unique to each person, because of the web of capillaries that make up the patterns on your retina.
It’s actually possible for your retina to change over time, but it’s incredibly unlikely and only ever happens because of diseases or damage, so a retinal scan is the most reliable way of telling two identical twins apart!
Can identical twins have the same fingerprints?
This one’s a weird one. The answer is actually yes and no.
As babies move around in the womb and touch the walls of the amniotic sac, it affects their fingertips, and this is where fingerprints are finalized.
Because of this, because your twins are unlikely to share an amniotic sac, and even if they do they’re going to be touching different parts of it, they’re going to end up with completely different fingerprints.
Do identical twins have the same genetics?
It’s a common trope in crime stories. The identical twins who commit crimes and use the fact that they’re twins and have the same genetics to give themselves an unshakeable alibi and get away with it!
But new research shows that all of this may be a lie. Even though we’ve thought for years that identical twins have identical genetic structure, they might actually have different enough genetics that it’s possible to always tell who is who.
It’s not just the changes that happen in the womb, like we said earlier, either. New research suggests that the DNA you’re born with is not the DNA you die with.
Genetic variations occur throughout our entire lives, whenever DNA breaks after exposure to ionizing radiation and carcinogens. This could even be the reason why identical twins start off being so similar and slowly end up looking different over time.
So now you know. If you ever meet a pair of identical twins and you need a foolproof way to tell them apart, grab your retinal scanner or a fingerprint kit!
How do you tell your twins apart? Is there anything odd that they share, that you really wouldn’t have expected before you had twins? Or maybe your twins are different in a really strange way.
Either way, share it all with us. We love hearing about twin stories, and everything we learn about twins is something else we can share with all of you, our lovely readers!
One of the early questions asked by newly expecting moms is, when are twins usually born? Because twins are a little bit unusual, they put a little bit more strain than normal on the bodies of twinny moms. That’s why a twin pregnancy follows a slightly different pattern than a standard singleton pregnancy.
Thankfully, with proper care, there’s nothing stopping your twins from being born 100% healthy and happy. But knowing what’s going to happen in our twin pregnancy always makes us feel so much more comfortable and relaxed, so here’s what to expect in your twin pregnancy, including when they’re probably going to be due, and what this means for you and your babies.
When Are Twins Usually Born?
Over half of twins are born before the 37th week, and almost one in six pairs of twins will be born before the 32nd week. This is pretty normal. In fact, pregnancy specialists consider the 37th week to be full term for twins, because of the different physiological changes and stresses placed on the body, so if you’re told that your babies are going to be early, don’t worry. Because of this, the average week for twins to be born is actually the 35th week.
Almost half of twins will also end up spending extra time in hospital under special supervision and care, as well. Usually because of issues and complications that come with early delivery and being slightly smaller and lighter than average.
You’re probably asking when are twins usually born? Well, as long as your twins are delivered between the 32nd and 37th week, there’s generally nothing to worry about. It’s unlikely to cause major complications or health problems, and all your doctor might ask is to keep your new babies under slightly closer supervision to make sure that everything is fine. However, if your babies are born before 32 weeks, then there are likely to be complications with breathing and health, which increase in severity the more premature they are.
Why Are Twins Born Prematurely?
No one knows exactly what triggers labour, so it’s hard to say for sure why do twins come early, because studying the causes of premature births in twins is surprisingly difficult. However, there are certain things that are linked to early delivery, which can include:
Pre-eclampsia and higher blood pressure in general
This probably won’t affect you, purely because most of these conditions should be picked up by your doctor in your checks ups, and they will advise you of the best way to deal with existing conditions. However, the one thing you must remember is if you begin experiencing labour symptoms, the best thing to do is immediately call your labour ward. Whatever happens to you, they are equipped to deal with it, and if you need immediate help, having them on the other end of the phone is the best thing you can do.
Twins Are Almost Always Smaller and Lighter, Too
Because twins share a womb, and mommy has to provide blood and nutrients for them both, twins are almost always slightly smaller than a singleton baby would be at the same stage of pregnancy. This is completely normal, and nothing to worry about. It’s not going to affect your babies in any way, and your doctor will advise you how your babies are doing at all stages in your pregnancy.
The only time this will ever cause problems is if one twin is getting a larger share of blood and nutrients from their mom, in something called twin to twin transfusion syndrome, or TTTS. If this happens, then your doctor will pick it up and advise you on what needs to be done. In most cases, it’s not going to cause much of an issue. One baby will just be slightly smaller and lighter than the other at birth, but with love and care, there’s nothing stopping them from growing up big and strong, just like their sibling.
However, in the most extreme cases, your babies might need surgical intervention. Luckily, modern science is now so advanced that even something this major and complicated can be easily dealt with, with the minimum of risk to you and your children.
When are Twins usually born? Did they come on time, or were they early? How did you deal with this, and how did it affect your twins? There’s sure to be mothers in similar situations, so any advice you can offer on the question when are twins usually born will be a great help to everyone. We encourage you to share everything you can, so any other moms going through tough times have the best information possible.
Most moms consider themselves lucky enough to have one set of twins, but if you’re incredibly lucky, then you might even end up with two pairs of twins. So what are the chances of having twins twice?
What Are The Chances of Having Twins?
The birth rate for twins is only going up, rising by as much as 76% in the last 30 years. That means that your chance of having twins in the USA is as high as 3 in 100 births.
Obviously, the chance of having two sets of twins is pretty rare, but it’s not as rare as you might think.
If you’re looking for two sets of twins of any type, the chance of that is around 1 in 3,000, which is the same chance as getting struck by lightning during your life!
A set of identical twins and fraternal twins is only around 1 in 10,000, or the same odds that you’re going to fall off your toilet and end up in hospital!
Having two sets of identical twins is pretty damn unlikely, with only 1 chance in 70,000.
Bear in mind that if you’ve already got one set of twins, you might actually be more likely to have a second set, because of all of the things that increase your chances of twin births. Things like:
Having already been pregnant before. Women who have already had a baby, including women who have already had twins, are more likely to have twins in the future!
Getting older. Women over the age of around 35 have more twins in general, because in the few years before you hit peri-menopause, your ovaries start to release more than one egg at a time.
Having some sort of fertility treatment, like IVF or fertility drugs. These sort of things can stimulate your body to produce multiple eggs over and over.
Coming from a family with twins in it. There’s some sort of genetic component to twins, and if twins run in your family, then you’re more likely to have them. This also means that if you’ve had twins once, they might run in your family and you might have them again!
Being on the pill, or just coming off of the pill. Apparently, the hormonal changes that the pill causes in women can increase their chances of having twins.
Make sure your partner has a lot of zinc in his diet. Zinc contributes to healthy sperm, and the healthier your partner’s sperm, the more you have of chance of conceiving twins!
Twin babies are getting more and more common, so if you have one set of twins and you’re going for another, you might just get lucky!
How do you think you would cope with two sets of twins? Do you know anyone who actually has two sets of twins? Or maybe you’re one of the incredibly fortunate women who beat the odds and has an awesome foursome! Let us know in the comments below!
Twins are already interesting, but when you factor in some of the stranger, lesser known facts about twins, they almost become surreal.
Twins are getting more common, but that doesn’t mean that you know everything about them. Here’s 10 interesting facts about twins that you might not have heard before!
10 Interesting Facts About Twins
Identical twins don’t have identical fingerprints
Fingerprints aren’t completely based on DNA. When twins are conceived, because their DNA is the same, they begin with the same fingerprints. But as babies move around in the womb and touch the amniotic sac, they form unique ridges and lines that turn into fingerprints.
Mirror image twins are pretty rare, as twins go, and they’re incredibly strange.
Mirror image twins are identical, except for being opposite from each other, so if one twin has a birthmark, the other will have it on the other side of their body, that sort of stuff.
Sometimes, they even have internal organs on the opposite sides of their bodies, in a strange but harmless phenomenon known as situs inversus.
Taller women are more likely to have twins
Taller women have more insulin growth factor, which increases ovary sensitivity and chance of ovulating, which in turn can lead to double egg releases, and fraternal twins.
Yoghurt and milk can make you have twins
Yep. Women who consume dairy are five times more likely to have twins. Female cows also produce insulin growth factor, which finds its way into their milk, which gets into our bodies when we drink it and increases our levels of IGF.
So if you want twins, start drinking all that milk! Because of this, people who have a vegan diet are five times less likely to have twins.
Twins can have different fathers
If two eggs are released in the way that would normally lead to fraternal twins, and a woman has sex with two different men in a short amount of time, then it’s possible for both eggs to be fertilised by these two different men, leading to a pair of twins that are delivered at the same time, but are technically siblings rather than twins.
The special bond that twins have starts in the womb
By the 18th week, twins touch each other in the womb more than they touch themselves, and they are as incredibly gentle with each other’s vulnerable areas, like eyes, as they are with their own
Apparently, this is just a normal part of language development, and when they’re studied, you can see the normal rules of language and syntax even in these invented languages.
It can happen with two or more babies who are not twins, but it’s far more likely with twins, because of their special bond and closeness.
There’s more twins than ever
With the rising age of the population in the Western world, older pregnancies amongst people in general, and far healthier lifestyle, it’s becoming more and more likely that a pregnant woman will have twins.
Left handedness is more than twice as common in twins than in single individuals, with the chance of a twin being left handed being 22% rather than 10% like the rest of us.
The chance of twins can also be racial
Nigeria has by far the highest rate of twin births in the entire world, with a staggering 4 times higher rate of twins than anywhere else!
There’s specifically one town in the south west of Nigeria called Igbo-Ora, who call themselves ‘The land of twins’ because the amount of twins is around 5 in 100, which is genuinely crazy.
Conversely, China has the lowest rate of twins, with only 1 in 300 births being twins, which is 10 times lower than the chance of twins in the USA.
You’ve come to the end of our list. We hope you learned something cool, and enjoyed reading.
Do you know any interesting facts about twins that we’ve missed, whether it’s a smart fact or a personal story? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear about it, so be sure to tell us in the comments.
If there’s one thing that happens around babies, it’s mess. Food stains, spit ups, poop, it’s all going on. And it’s all hard to get out, especially considering that pretty much all baby clothes are either white, or light colors. You need the best baby laundry detergent.
You’ve also got to factor in that when a child is first born, their skin is so much more sensitive than yours or mine. This makes using a normal laundry detergent pretty much impossible, because your little one will end up with rashes, eczema, or even worse.
That’s why you need a specific baby detergent, which is specially formulated to be soft and safe to use on sensitive skin. There’s a lot to choose from, though, which is probably why you’re here. Read on to find out what you need to look for, and why it matters.
Before we get into the details, here is a quick comparison of the top products:​
Best Baby Laundry Detergent Comparison
Disclosure: The links to Amazon.com within this article are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price nor does it influence the products we feature.
What to Look for When You’re Buying a Baby Detergent
Does It Have a Scent, and What Does It Smell Like?
When you’re looking for baby laundry detergents, it’s important to get something that is either odorless, or doesn’t have a scent that’s too strong.
Little noses are sensitive, and stronger smells can cause problems, especially when they’re on clothing that you’re wearing all day. Most baby detergents won’t have strong scents for especially this reason, so it’s not something you’ll have to worry about too much, but it’s something you still have to consider.
Is It Hypoallergenic, and Safe for Skin?
When you’re first born, your skin is incredibly sensitive, and really vulnerable to things that cause irritation. Most normal laundry detergents are packed with chemicals that can cause these problems, which is why it’s unsafe to use them on baby clothes.
Baby laundry detergents, on the other hand, are almost always hypoallergenic and free of any of these harsh chemicals, so they aren’t going to cause as many issues.
Because their immune systems aren’t as developed either, sometimes even this isn’t enough and your babies will still have a reaction to some detergents. If this happens, it’s best to try another, because sometimes the different formula will have a different effect.
Is Is Completely Natural?
Whilst this might not matter as much to you, more natural formula are less likely to cause allergic reactions. Especially if your baby has sensitive skin, and wouldn’t react well to clothes cleaned with artificial chemicals sitting against their skin all day and night.
Plus obviously natural ingredients contribute to saving the environment.
How Well Does It Clean?
This is what you’re buying it for, after all. You need it to be safe for baby, great for sensitive skin, smelling great, but none of this matters if it doesn’t clean stains out of your babies clothing.
Whilst baby detergents aren’t quite so strong as normal laundry detergent, that’s obviously because they’re not packed with the same scouring chemicals that clean normal clothing.
Whilst all of our detergents are good at cleaning (obviously, otherwise we wouldn’t be recommending them) some are going to be better than others at cleaning particularly difficult stains, like dark food stains and poop. So if you’re looking at for detergents for cloth diapers, keep a close eye on this.
Is It Good Value for Money?
Money isn’t everything, and you’d spend everything you had to make sure your children were safe and healthy, but if you can get a laundry detergent that cleans great, is safe for your baby, and doesn’t cost the earth, you’d take it, right?
It’s easiest to measure how much you get on a per load basis. Whilst the amount you use changes depending on how much you’ve got to wash, it all averages out.
The best thing to do is work out roughly how often you seem to be cleaning, so you can work out how long one bottle will last you. Then you can work from there.
Plant based, hypoallergenic and dye free, Purex is one of the single greatest laundry detergents we’ve found, and our top recommended detergent for newborns.
On top of being natural, it’s dermatologically tested, too, so if your baby is particularly sensitive or has any allergies, this is also a great choice.
It is scented, but the scent is light and easy on the nose. It’s supposed to smell like baby. I have to say it doesn’t, but I really love it anyway.
It’s delicate and floral, and so nice I didn’t even mind throwing in some of my own clothes with it.
Despite how light it is, it’s also great at cleaning. You’re recommended to only use 28ml per wash, and get around 50 washes from one (inexpensive) bottle, but throwing a little more in for especially soiled clothes works wonders.
Overall, this really can’t be beat. It does everything you need it to do. It cleans well, it’s safe and comfy for baby, and it smells gorgeous.
I’d recommend any mom wondering what detergent to buy, to try this one first.
When you ask anyone what laundry detergent is good for babies, Dreft is the one that comes to mind. They’re recommended by damn near everyone.
The lions share of pediatricians, Pampers, every mom in my neighbourhood…
But why? Well, Dreft make baby laundry detergent aimed specifically at babies, and have over 80 years experience doing it, so it’s safe to say they know their market.
There’s two stages available, stage 1, which is aimed at newborns, and stage 2, for when your baby gets a little older and on the move.
It’s completely skin safe, hypoallergenic, and cleans amazingly well, especially on tough stains. I’d actually call it pretty much the top laundry detergent for this, especially as a laundry detergent for cloth diapers.
When you’re using Dreft, there really is nothing to complain about, unless you wanted an unscented detergent, because Dreft does have its own scent. It’s quite strong, but I love it all the same.
If you want an all natural, skin safe baby laundry detergent for even the most sensitive skin, then Babyganics might be what you’re looking for. It’s made entirely from naturally sourced ingredients, and the vast majority are plant based.
Unscented, it cleans amazingly well, and lasts forever, considering it’s a triple concentrated formula. Bear in mind though that this means you hardly have to use any of it at a time, so be careful when you first get it, ’cause you might end up wasting some.
The packaging could use some work, because it can leak at times, but then what would you expect from a relatively new company?
I’ve also heard that if you leave your clothes to dry right out, after a few days there can be a little bit of a smell to them, but you should probably be washing them again by then.
Overall, whilst it’s not in our top two, it’s still a great choice, and if you want a more natural choice, this might be the one.
Strong, powerful, effective. All baby is all of these, as well as being soft and gentle on baby’s skin.
It’s not a name we’ve heard of, but I have to say, I was surprised. This holds up to the big names really well, and it’s actually really impressive how well it cleans.
Even the toughest stains came out perfectly, and that includes soiled cloth diapers.
It’s completely safe for baby, considering it’s free of all of the usual suspects and designed to be gentle, which is great, and it smells amazing.
You also get a lot for your money, which is good. If you do two or three washes a week, expect this to last a good few months.
The only real problem I could think of was that the smell might be overpowering for sensitive little noses, so bear that in mind.
It’s not so bad, and you could always give things a quick rinse if you have to. It’s just something to think about.
Super concentrated, a great cleaner and supremely safe on sensitive skin, Mama Bear stands out for the fact that it’s certified by the USDA, so you know that it’s safe to use.
It’s a powerful cleaner, bringing out the whitest whites every time, and only using half as much detergent, which also makes this one of the top detergents if you’re looking for value for money, too.
If you’re looking for something healthy, both for baby and the environment, this is the perfect choice. It’s not tested on animals, for one, it’s free of pretty much everything you’d expect, and more, and it’s over 95% biological compounds. It’s no wonder that this got its certification.
Finally, it smells really good. It’s strong, especially if you use a lot of it for larger loads, but it’s not something I ever see myself having a problem with.
If you want a natural, certified safe choice, go with Mama Bear.
Did you use any of these best baby laundry detergent options when you were looking after your babies? Any recommendations of your own?
Caring for babies is hard! It’s amazing that we all manage to cope with it so well. And caring for newborn twins is double the trouble. But luckily, there’s a lot of good information, tips and tricks that you can use to make it so much simpler, for both you and your babies. In this post we explain how to feed twins by yourself.
How to Breastfeed Twin Babies
Breastfeeding twins is much harder than breastfeeding a single baby. But the technique for each individual child is actually exactly the same as for a singleton.
You’re going to want to practice breastfeeding each baby until you’re sure that they’re comfortable latching on, and you’re comfortable feeding them. It’s highly recommended that you’ve made sure that your feeding procedure is normal before you actually leave hospital.
Some mothers keep each baby on a single breast, but this can lead to your breasts looking and feeling different if your babies have different appetites, which may affect your milk production. Other moms swap their babies over whenever they do a new feed.
When you’re feeding your babies, make sure that you’re doing everything you can to help them. Here’s a few tips
Make sure your baby’s mouth is wide open before they attach to your breast
Her chin, bottom lip and tongue touch your breast first
Once attached, she’s leaning back, with her chin touching your breast and her nose free to breathe
Breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt, beyond the initial feeling that only lasts a little while. If it is hurting, that’s a sign your baby probably isn’t latched on right
If your milk flows fast, break the seal yourself every now and then to help fight against wind
If you have issues or concerns about your breastfeeding, a Lactation Consultant can help you solve your difficulties and even help you prevent them. Don’t hesitate to seek help if you need it.
Feed your Babies at the Same Time: How to Feed Twins by Yourself
You probably already knew how to feed your babies, but feeding them both together is a different story. But there’s a few things you can do to make it so much easier
First, decide how you’re going to feed your twins. There are multiple options here
Feed each twin whenever they want or need feeding.
Feed your twins on a strict timetable, ignoring their cues. Whilst this sounds harsh, it can actually be essential if your twins were very premature or are smaller than average. If you are going this route, make sure you check your schedule with your health visitor to make sure they’re going to be fed enough.
Feed your twins whenever one wakes up. Once that twin is fed, wake the other up for a feed.
Feed your twins together. If one wakes up, wake them both up and feed them together.
The needs of you and your twins are unique, so I wouldn’t think to tell you the best way to feed your twins, but I do know that feeding twins together is the most difficult method, but can also be the most rewarding.
Feeding Your Twins on the Same Schedule
This makes the whole aspect of feeding so much easier, from start to finish. When your twins are on the same schedule, it helps both them, and you. But getting there can be surprisingly hard.
For your babies, the sight of the other can be calming, and getting into a routine helps both of your babies get used to the idea of feeding around each other.
For you, being able to feed your twins together can free up a lot of time, allows you to keep an eye on both twins together, and once you get the method down, it can be surprisingly simple!
Feeding Your Twins Together: Tandem Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding both twins presents you with an difficult proposition. You literally only have one arm for each twin, with literally no way to use more than this to help you manoeuvrer and position your twins to be ready for heir feed. There’s a few recommended positions for breastfeeding both twins at once, including:
One baby under each arm almost sitting up, or the football hold.
One baby in the normal feeding position, lying almost flat, the other baby lying alongside them, further around.
On your back, with both babies lying on top of your belly
Getting your twins into a comfortable feeding position can also be difficult, especially if you’ve never thought about how to hold twins. We recommend the ‘kitten hold,’ where you grab your baby by the back of their babygro, using your arm to support them, and lift them straight upwards.
If you find yourself struggling, you can also buy twin feeding pillows to help support your babies whilst you feed. Twin breastfeeding pillow is a specific V shaped pillows you can actually buy just for this purpose!
Also, remember that a good twin breast pump can help you increase your milk supply and allows you to feed your babies with more flexibility.
Feeding Your Twins Together: Bottles and Formula
Bottle feeding your twins has its own set of issues. It’s much simpler in some ways, because anyone can prepare formula and feed your twins for you, allowing daddy to get involved and it’ll help him feel closer to his children. But formula can be expensive and obviously with twins you’ll be facing double the costs!
There’s some tips and tricks to bottle feeding your twins, including:
Put both twins in their car seats, both facing you and slightly towards each other so they can see each other, then either feed them both together or feed one at a time.
Sit between both twins, propping them up against pillows or against you, and feed them both.
Share the duties. Give one twin to your partner, mother or another helper, and feed them both together. This is so much easier than having to learn how to handle twins alone. Remember to switch who has each twin between feeds!
As long as you get a daily routine going, and get your twins used to the feeding routine that’s best for them and you, then you’ll get the hang of this soon enough.
How to feed twins by yourself? Do you have any tips or tricks on how to feed twins by yourself? What worked best for you, and what’s the most important thing that first time mothers of twins know? If you learned anything in the first few months of looking after your twins, we’d love to know about it, so please share it all in the comments!
The sad truth is that morning sickness with twins is a problem that most have to deal with.
As an expectant mother of twins, your friends and family might be filling your head with horror stories of how bad it can be, and how much worse it’s going to be because you’re having twins.
So you’re starting to wonder. What is morning sickness? Is it any different with twins? And how can you deal with it?
Twin Pregnancy: What Is Morning Sickness?
Just in case you’re unsure, morning sickness is the specific term we use for the nausea and vomiting that affects the vast majority of women in the first few months of pregnancy.
It’s incredibly likely that you’ll experience this, as well, with over three quarters of women experiencing nausea, and around half actually fully vomiting. Even though it’s called morning sickness, don’t be misled. It doesn’t have to come in the morning.
It is more likely, hence the name morning sickness, but it can hit you at literally any time.
For most women in singleton pregnancies, these symptoms generally start to abate at around the third month, but for a few unlucky women it can continue until week twenty, or even later.
The strange thing is though, no one knows what causes it. It’s thought that the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy affect the balance of your body, and throw everything out of sync.
As your body gets used to the changes and the increased hormonal load, it can deal with the effects and morning sickness fades away. Remember this, because it’s going to be important later.
How Is Morning Sickness with Twins Worse?
When you have twins, there’s more strain and stress placed on your body than with a single baby, so it’s normal to experience stronger pregnancy symptoms, and this does include morning sickness!
This is because morning sickness is likely caused by hormone levels, like we said earlier, and one of the major changes when you’re carrying twins over a single child is far higher levels of hormones. Especially human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG.)
Morning sickness with twins can also be made worse by tiredness, and part of the stresses of carrying twins that you’re going to feel is increased tiredness and fatigue.
Bear in mind that you might not even experience symptoms, so don’t worry. If it happens, it happens. Just wait and see. All women experience pregnancy differently, so if it happens to you, then just do what you can to deal with the problem.
When Does Morning Sickness Stop with Twins?
Because of the higher levels of hormones in your body, it can take longer to adjust, meaning that not only are your morning sickness with twins symptoms likely to be stronger, they’re also probably going to last longer.
Again, everyone is different, but it’s not unheard of for it to last until the twentieth week, or possibly even longer!
What Can You Do to Treat Morning Sickness with Twins?
As the proud mother of twins to be, you’d probably deal with anything to make sure that your children are going to be born happy, healthy and safe. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be as comfortable as possible.
There’s no one treatment that will work for all women when it comes to treating morning sickness. However, there are several things you can do that normally help.
As always, if you’re struggling, suffering, or just finding it hard and need help, talk to a medical professional. They can see your specific situation and give you advice that will work for you.
Like we said earlier, tiredness makes nausea worse. Get as much rest as you can, and try not to overstress yourself.
The sickness can be worse first thing in the morning. If this happens, get up as slowly as possible. It can also help to eat something dry like a cracker or biscuit.
Eat smaller meals, more frequently. Try not to overload your stomach, but don’t get hungry either.
Make sure you’re hydrated. Drink often, but in small amounts. Just like food, you don’t want to overload your stomach, and if the worst does happen, then it’s best not to have anything to pass up.
Avoid things that make you feel ill. Smells especially can be a trigger for a lot of women. If you’re struggling with smells, it can also help to eat cold meals if possible, because there’s a lot less smell involved.
Keep your mind off of the sickness. Distract yourself however you can.
Ask your loved ones for extra support. Your partner and family will most probably jump at the chance to help you with everything they can.
Keep as comfortable as possible, including wearing loose clothes that aren’t tight around your waist.
Morning sickness with twins is just one of those things we have to deal with as mothers. If you’ve got any stories for expectant moms, or any tips to help everyone deal with morning sickness with twins and what worked for you, then please let us know in the comments section.
Still have questions? Why not ask a question in our Facebook group?
When your doctor told you you were having identical twins, your heart leapt. Then, when they both came out, twin bundles of light and joy, you instantly fell in love. And they really were identical, down to their tiny little toes.
But as they got a little older, they started to look different. These differences only got more accentuated as they got older.
So you started to question things. Started to ask yourself, is this normal? Can identical twins look different? After all, aren’t they supposed to look identical?!
Can Identical Twins Look Different?
As it turns out, identical twins can look different from each other. Even really different, despite being identical.
But why?
Well, there’s actually a surprising amount of ways this can happen.
The first one is down to our genetic make up, the vagaries of how DNA works, and how it affects how we look and how we act.
As your twins mature in your womb, their DNA will change slightly. This can cause minor changes in how your twins look, for example freckles and birthmarks, slight differences in hair color, skin tone, etc.
Normally, this DNA change is relatively minor, and won’t affect anything except minor cosmetic differences. However, sometimes pure chance means that your twins suffer minor mutations which change things you really can see. For example, eye color, hair color, or sometimes even a completely different skin color!
But why does this happen? Well, when a baby is first conceived, it’s made up of a single sperm and egg cell that merge to form a fertilized embryo. This divides itself hundreds of thousands of times, and in the process creates a fully formed human child. It’s literally incredible, when you think about it.
However, when you have twins, this embryo splits early on in this process. Anywhere between the second to the sixth day. Once they’re separated, both embryos then keep splitting. But every time cells split, there’s a tiny little chance that the DNA of the end result is slightly different to the DNA that it came from.
This is mutation, and it’s completely natural.
But what this means is that your twins have a chance of developing differently, depending on how and when these tiny little changes happen.
This is also the reason you can have two twins who might look identical, but act completely differently. A whole lot of our preferences, from the food we like to eat, to whether we’re introverted or extroverted, or even whether we’re a morning person or night owl, is determined primarily through our genetics.
Unlike with the body, tiny little changes in our brains lead to enormous differences in personality, so these tiny deviations can make all the difference.
The second happens in womb, where a different amount of blood flow between both twins, something that can happen often and is incredibly difficult to pick up if it’s subtle enough, can nourish one twin slightly more than the other, and leave them permanently taller and heavier than their sibling.
So if you’ve ever asked yourself how can identical twins be different heights, there’s your answer.
There’s also the possibility that your identical twins can have differences in which X chromosome they get from their parents. This can lead to strange situations like one twin being color blind and the other not.
Finally, there’s mirror twins, which are a pretty rare and incredibly strange case. It’s now believed by geneticists that the way our bodies develop, including things like which hand we use, are set in the first few days after conception.
If the embryo splits before this, it’s possible, due to random chance again, that both embryos decide to choose different sides, leading to twins that look almost identical, but as if they’re the mirror images of each other.
We’ve got an article that explains mirror twins, but the cliff notes version is that both twins will be opposite, including things like which hand they favor, which was their hair parts, and even things like having internal organs on different sides of their bodies!
So, Can Identical Twins Look Different?
Yes, so if you’re having twins, don’t be worried if they end up looking or acting a little different. Like we’ve just explained, it’s completely normal, something that happens very often, and something that you might even end up appreciating.
After all, it can be hard enough to tell identical twins apart sometimes, so little differences can actually be a great help!
How identical are your twins? Do they have any little differences or idiosyncrasies that make you melt and you’d love to share. We want to hear your stories, so let us know in the comments and feel free to join our online community.
You want the best for your new baby, and that includes making sure that they get the perfect blend of healthy, nutritious food to let them grow up big and strong.
That’s why, as a savvy mom, you’re looking for the best baby food maker so you can control exactly what goes into your little one’s meals. That’s a smart and admirable thing to do, and we’re right behind you and in your corner. You’re doing the right thing.
But there’s so many different makers and food processors out there. How do we know which one to choose? That’s where our reviews come in.
Read on to find out exactly what you need to know about baby food makers, and how to get the perfect one for you and your baby.
Best Baby Food Maker Comparison: Best for Baby Food Prep
Disclosure: The links to Amazon.com within this article are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price nor does it influence the products we feature.
When you’re looking for a baby food maker, there’s a lot of things that you need to pay attention to.
These are really complicated little systems. A lot more complicated that normal makers and food processors, so it’s that much harder to work out what you might need.
But that’s okay. Because we know all about them. So read on and find out all everything you could ever want to know about baby food makers.
Why Should You Buy One?
The first question you might be asking yourself is, why should I buy a baby food maker, and what does it do for me? After all, can’t you already buy good quality baby food at the supermarket?
Well, you can, but a lot of moms love the control that comes with being able to make your own food for your little ones. After all, the baby food you buy in the shops has a huge shelf life, and it’s full of processed foods, preservatives and other chemicals.
Whilst it’s not bad for your child, obviously a batch of baby food made at home, out of wholesome, fresh veg, meat and fruits, will be so much better.
When you’re in control of the process, from start to finish, it’s easy to make fresh, filling, healthy food that your children will love.
Then there’s the fact that you can add precisely what you want to every batch, play around with new recipes and make exactly what your baby loves to eat, every single time.
But isn’t it difficult, I can hear you asking?
Well, no. Even though they’re complicated pieces of kit, the smart cookies that make them know how difficult it is to be a mom, and how many things you have to pay attention to. That’s why these things are made as simple and foolproof as possible.
I mean, a lot of the good ones can be used start to finish with only a single hand. That’s amazing convenience, and something that pretty much everything else in your kitchen doesn’t even boast.
Then you’ve got to realise that a lot of higher end baby food makers also come with a steamer function, meaning that to use them you simply add the food, turn the device on and let it do its thing, and you’ll end up with a perfectly made portion of nutritious food.
Sounds good, right? So now you’re sold on buying a baby food maker, it’s important to know what to look for.
Things to Look for in a Baby Food Maker
How Easy Is It to Use?
Like I’ve explained, there’s a lot of variety in baby food makers, and the top ones are incredibly simple to use. The best of the bunch below can be turned on and ready to go in as little as one button press!
Simple is key. Don’t get carried away with smart sounding functions. You’ll be using this a lot, and you need it to be fast and simple.
How Reliable Is It?
If you were buying a processor for yourself, you’d splash out and get the best one you could, because you know that a little bit of extra money is going to translate into a better product that will last longer.
When you’re buying for baby, it’s more important, because you’ll probably be using this almost every day. If it breaks, that means that you can’t feed your child without having to head out and buy some shop bought food. And that’s a situation none of us want to be in.
How Efficient and Well Made Is It?
A better baby food maker will have more powerful motors and higher quality steel blades. This means that your blender will stay sharper longer, chop through food more efficiently so the end result is more consistent and much easier to eat, and it’s much less likely to go wrong as there’s less strain on the machine.
Again, recognisable brands tend to be better made, which means they’re going to last longer and do a better job. The baby food market is a competitive one, and it’s always expanding, so all of the big brands will want a piece of it. It’s definitely something to look out for.
How Safe Is It?
We would never recommend anything that isn’t safe for your baby, so when we ask how safe it is, we’re not saying it will be unsafe for your baby.
Instead, look at things like blade locks, bowl seals, and smart little touches like date markers, so you know when the food was made.
How Much Food Can You Prepare at a Time?
Pretty much all infant food makers measure food in cups, with one cup of food pre-blending making around 3 or 4 servings.
Now, you might not want to make more than a half dozen servings at a time, in which case a two cup maker will be fine, but it’s worth sitting back and working out how often your little one feeds and how much they tend to eat at a time.
How Easy Is It to Take with You or Store?
Most of these baby food makers are pretty portable, but you’re probably not going to take it with you unless you’re going away on holiday.
Instead, look at what comes with your new baby food maker. Does it come with storage containers or cups, or maybe you have to buy them separately?
How Easy Is It to Clean?
Because you’re going to be using this a lot, you’ll appreciate something that’s simple to clean out. The top models are dishwasher safe, so you can throw it into the dishwasher with everything else and relax, knowing that it’s all fine and dandy.
Does It Come with a Warranty?
Again, expect to be using it a lot. Whilst most things like this are built to last, accidents happen, and things break. If it does, you’re going to want the security that a good warranty gives you.
Does It Come with Any Extras?
There’s a lot of things that you can have here. Extra storage containers. Ladles, spoons and spatula, recipe books, extra cups. It all adds up, and everything you get here is something you won’t have to buy in the future.
At the end of the day, a good baby food maker is basically a machine that works as both a steamer and a blender. Think of what you’d look for if you were buying those for yourself, and you’ll be fine.
If you want to feel like a professional chef when you’re whipping up batches of baby food, then we recommend BEABA’s Babycook. In my opinion, it’s the best baby food maker on the market.
For a start, it’s designed to be used completely with one hand, from adjusting the timer and starting it up, to even opening it up so you can put whatever you’re cooking inside!
It’s got a really generous capacity of over 4 cups, or 18 servings of food, and once you’ve started it up the patented steamer will cook anything in less than 15 minutes, including meat like chicken.
Once it’s done, the alarm will ping and let you know so you can go and sort it, but just in case you’re too busy, the auto shut off will make sure that nothing bad can happen.
The bowls are dishwasher safe, with graduated measurements and two safety locks. There’s space for the spatula to fit, and it comes with its own recipe book, but I’m sure that after just a couple of goes with this, you’ll be confident enough to start throwing your own personal flair into your recipes.
When you look at everything this offers, it’s obvious that BEABA know what they’re doing. I mean, they invented the first baby food maker, so it’s fair to say they wrote the book.
Batch tools and dated storage system, so you can’t get it wrong
Large capacity
Cons
Not a steamer, so you’ll need to steam food separately
Made by the guys and girls at Magic Bullet, who make some of the top food processors on the market, you know that this baby bullet is powerful and efficient.
I was actually really impressed with the storage cups, too. They’ve got a really smart design choice; a little clicky dial on the lid that you can rotate to the date you made it, so you always know exactly when your last batch was made and how fresh it’ll be, so no more wondering if something is safe to eat and throwing it out to be on the safe side.
It’s made of high quality material, and it’s completely safe for baby. In case anything does go wrong, then there’s a 1 year warranty as well, so you can get this repaired or replaced.
There is a downside, though. And it’s quite a big one. This is only a blender. It’s not a steamer. You’re going to have to steam all of your food separately.
But if you can deal with that, this is pretty much the best food processor for baby food on the market.
Baby Brezza One Step Food Maker
Source: babybrezza.com
Pros
So simple to use
Completely safe and easy to use
Dishwasher compatible
BPA and phthalate free
Cons
Small capacity
Customer service isn’t great
The easiest baby food maker I’ve seen, this can be used with a single hand. It’s so simple. Fill it with the food of your choice, set the steamer time with the handy dial, then let it do its thing.
That’s it! That’s all you need to do, which makes it absolutely perfect for busy moms, especially when one arm is taken holding a child!
It’s just as easy to clean, too, considering that you can just throw every part that touches food into the dishwasher. Plus it’s made of safe plastics, and it’s completely BPA and phthalate free.
Another downside is the small capacity. This can only really hold about two cups of food at a time, which makes it badly suited for small batches. But then, when it’s as simple as this to use, that’s not as big a problem as you might expect, especially if you’re a mom that prefers to make a new batch of fresh food every day.
If you want easy to use, set and forget blending and steaming power, this is a brilliant little baby food maker. Just bear in mind the downsides and you’ll be fine.
Cuisinart make some of the top kitchen products around, so when you’re looking at a baby food maker, this should be a no brainer, right?
Yes. Yes it is. The only real problem there is with this is that sometimes it breaks, but that’s a problem that you’re going to face with every baby food maker, not only this one, so you can’t really deduct points for that.
It’s got a nice 4 cup food capacity, with strong blades that blend smooth. There’s also a second blade that works to evenly distribute steam, so whatever you’re cooking is cooked thoroughly and properly.
Cuisinart’s patent pending blade lock keeps you safe as you’re using this, too, so you can be guaranteed that there’s going to be no unfortunate accidents, even if you’re distracted.
It comes with a whole kit. Spatula, bottle adapter ring, comprehensive instruction and recipe book, and a measuring cup, plus an 18 month warranty, which is huge. There aren’t any containers for the prepared food, though, so be ready to grab some of those when you’re done.
Plus, there’s the bottle warming function, so you can buy this before your baby even gets on to solid food, knowing it will perform admirably and you’ve got it for exactly when you need it
Once you’ve finished with your baby food maker and you’re prepared a Michelin starred meal for your little one, you need somewhere to keep it.
A lot of our products come with storage containers, but they can be bulky, unnecessarily large, and hard to have more than half a dozen at a time.
That’s where this amazing piece of kit comes in. All you do is pour whatever you’ve made, whether that’s soup, smoothies, or just blended veg, into the top funnel, then use the included plunger to push it into the included pouches.
Then you just seal the pouch and throw it in the fridge or a cooler bag, and it’s ready to go.
It’s so easy to use, and replacement pouches are cheap and easy to find. It’s an essential part of any prepared mother’s toolkit, and considering that it’s so reasonably priced, it’s hard to say no.
The Bottom Line: Best Baby Food Maker
You’ve come to the end of our best baby food maker write up. Is there anything we’ve missed, or maybe you’ve had a good experience with any of the above blenders and food processors. If you’ve got anything to add, or even just a question, feel free to comment below!
