Bringing your babies home with you is a cause for celebration, but it can be daunting to take on the responsibility of caring for twins or more. Looking after one newborn baby can be hard enough, but when you split your time and energy between two or more, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.

The Twins & Multiple Births Association (Tamba) advises that the best way to cope with caring for twins is to develop a routine that suits you. Think about your babies’ needs – feeding, sleeping and playing – and develop a routine around these activities that works for the whole family.

If your babies have been in neonatal care, they may already be in a routine and it’s probably worth sticking to this when they come home. However, you'll need to adapt the routine as they grow up and their needs change.

Creating a routine
Whether you breastfeed or formula feed your babies, you'll need to create a routine that suits you and your babies. Some mothers feed both babies at the same time, some prefer to feed one after the other, while others feed on demand, whenever the babies seem hungry.

You will need to adapt your method according to your babies’ needs. For example, if one baby is smaller and needs to feed more often, you won't be able to feed them at the same time at first. If you want, you can work towards bringing their feeding routines together as your babies grow.

If your babies are small or were premature, always follow your doctor's advice on feeding. If you have any concerns about your babies’ growth, you can take them to your local baby clinic to have them weighed to make sure they're putting on the correct amount of weight. Your health visitor can tell you where to find your nearest baby clinic.

Feeding
Most parents take the decision of how to feed their babies very seriously. It's not only important for nutritional reasons, but feeding will also take up a lot of your time in the first few months of your babies’ lives.

While all parents choose which method of feeding suits them best, it's important not to be put off breastfeeding because you're having multiple babies.

It's possible to breastfeed twins and, in some cases, triplets. Many are breastfed until they are weaned. The advantages of breast milk for your babies are the same as for single babies.

However, as multiple babies are more likely to be born prematurely, there are even more benefits to breastfeeding. Breast milk is better for premature babies as their gut is immature and it's easier for them to tolerate and digest breast milk.

Formula feeding may be necessary in combination with breastfeeding if you have triplets or more, or you may choose only to formula feed your babies.