But the AAP does recommend that you room-share — having your twins sleep in your room, each in their own bassinet or crib — ideally for the first six months. It can be tempting to pull one or both of your twins into bed with you in an attempt to get more sleep (or more snuggles).
"Newborn twins can certainly remain in the same crib initially," Walker says. "If they sleep better when they know the other is close by, crib-sharing can last up until they move into their childhood beds."
Some twins will start sleeping through the night as early as 8-10 weeks. Typically you can start seeing longer sleep stretches around 12 weeks. Many twins wait until 4-6 months. The bottom line is that every twin is different.
As your babies grow, there will be less room for them to be comfortable in the same cot, and their waking patterns may start to differ. You may want to move them into separate cots when they begin to roll over.
Slowly Introduce the New Space: If your babies are sleeping in something other than a crib in your room, start making the transition by getting them comfortable with their new sleeping environment. Start Slow. Have them spend time in their cribs while you fold laundry or sit and read stories aloud in a chair.
Be sure to always: Place your twins in separate sleep spaces. It bears repeating: Twin babies should be put down in separate, safe sleep surfaces such as cribs, bassinets or pack 'n plays.
You can put your twins to sleep in a single cot while they're small enough. This is called co-bedding and is perfectly safe. In fact, putting twins in the same cot can help them regulate their body temperatures and sleep cycles, and can soothe them and their twin.
How Many Cribs Should We Buy for Twins? Just because you are having twins doesn't mean that you need two of everything. Families may be able to get by with one crib—at least initially. Newborn babies are small, and they don't move around very much.
If you have twins, you could carry them both in a twin carrier, leaving your hands free to carry the backpacks and wrangle doors and hold your toddlers hand. Or alternatively use a single carrier and tuck the other twin under your arm.
Both co-bedded and separate sleeping twins should be put down to sleep on their backs, as this reduces the risk of SIDS compared to side or tummy sleeping.
It is perfectly natural for your twins to cry because that is the only way they have to communicate with you. They cry to express their needs, their wants, and even their dislikes. The most common reasons for crying include hunger, a dirty diaper, sleepiness, boredom, overstimulation, or sleep regression.
There are definitely some difference and a lot of extra factors that come into play but I've actually come to find that my twin babies are my best sleepers. They are so adaptable and resilient - they've had to be! They have to be able to sleep through their siblings' noises and that can be a lot of noise!
1 Multiples who are co-bedded seem to sleep better, gain weight better, have fewer episodes of apnea and bradycardia, and (as long as they're about the same size), keep each other warm.
Unless you have many extra bedrooms in your house with no one using them, it makes more sense to keep twins or multiples in the same room. If you are worried that their noises will wake each other up, keeping them together will help them get used to each other's sounds, rarely disturbing their sleep.
Can I feed my twins from the same bottle? The official answer here is a resounding no. However, if you find that you accidentally feed both babies from the same bottle, don't panic. Many of us have in the middle of the night.
Caring for twin babies is a lot of work. There are two mouths to feed, two diapers to change and two different cries to soothe. So don't be afraid to get help from friends, family or a nanny.
For a start, most twins will arrive earlier than the standard 40 weeks for a singleton. Fraternal twins are encouraged to be born no later than 37 weeks and identical twins at around 36 weeks and this is assuming you have had a complication-free pregnancy. And remember… twins have a habit of arriving early.
Newborn twins should sleep in their parents' room for at least the first six months, but ideally for the first year. Some safe sleep options for newborn twins are two bassinets, a play yard with a double bassinet, mini cribs, or standard-sized cribs.
This isn't a weird twin thing, it's a practicality thing. Babies and toddlers have the same schedule, the same needs, and realistically the same interests. Keeping them together and on the same routine helps life run smoothly. This makes alone time all the more important for twins.
Two safe bouncer seats
One of the absolute must-haves as a parent of twins is a bouncer seat for each twin. The Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker is our favorite choice for bouncer seats. These seats are comfortable, well-made, lightweight, and adorable.
The reality is that although a good night's sleep is coming, it is safe to assume that your twins will be waking each other up during the night. And it's not just twins. Often two children of different ages who share a room will wake each other as they get used to sharing a room.
Can twins have different fathers? In rare cases, fraternal twins can be born from two different fathers in a phenomenon called heteropaternal superfecundation. Although uncommon, rare cases have been documented where a woman is pregnant by two different men at the same time.
Key points on co-bedding:
It is not advisable to place your twins in the same Moses basket, even when they are very small. This is to minimise the chance of them overheating, which is known to increase the chance of SIDS. Even with small babies a Moses basket is too small for two babies to sleep safely.