Initial Shock
There is truly nothing in life that can prepare you for the initial shock of learning that you will soon be the parent of multiples. A million thoughts rush through your head, you are happy, scared, unsure and excited all at the same time. What should you do?
First take a deep breath, it may take some time for this to sink in and that is perfectly normal. Next, take the first steps to becoming an expert on parenting twins. You may have never planned on it, but you are going to become an expert on raising twins. More specifically, raising your twins.
Education And Support
By visiting this website you are well on your way to becoming a twin parent zen master. Perhaps even more importantly, you have entered a community filled with people who are going through or have gone through the same things as you are now. Be sure to browse through the many articles on twin parenting found on this site and consider joining the discussion in the Twin Parent forums.
Here are some other ways to learn about multiple parenting and and find the support you will need:
- Talk to family or friends who have twins or multiples. You may not know it yet, but these people are about to become your new best friends.
- Consider joining a club for families with multiples. Check with your obstetrician’s office for information on clubs near you. There is even a national (U.S.) club for mothers of twins (NOMOTC)
- This is the age of the internet, but there are many good old fashioned books (remember those?) that deal with topics related to having multiples. Here is a list of such books we compiled which are available through Amazon.
Duration of Pregnancy
Average length of pregnancies:
- A singleton pregnancy is usually 40 weeks.
- A twin pregnancy usually lasts 37 weeks.
- Triplet pregnancies are usually 34 weeks long.
It is important to note that slightly less than 50% of all multiple births are premature. It is usually the case that the more babies there are in the womb, the earlier they can possibly be born.
