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The First Year |
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The First Year
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Initially, there is a lot of work involved in raising multiples so the more helping hands there are, the easier it is. If possible, for the first few months, get in some paid extra help to look after household cleaning as this means more time for yourself with your babies. If you are struggling to cope then tell people. Use any available Childcare and Support that you can access.
Get into a routine as soon as possible and ensure that anyone else caring for the babies keeps to it. You will soon manage to feed the babies at the same time and try to put them down to sleep at the same time. This will help give you more time to yourself. Try to rest yourself as much as possible and spend time with your babies just relaxing and enjoying them. Post-Natal Depression is common in mother's of multiples so it is important that you look after yourself for both you and your babies.
You may experience Common Problems with your babies and it helps to speak to your Public Health Nurse, GP or another parent of multiples. Try and come along to our Multiples Clubs or ring our phone support line to chat with another parent of multiples. The first year may seem like the longest year of your life, but once you are through it you will realise that it was the shortest year of your life.
Another condition that can arise in multiples due to the presence of more than one baby in the womb as well as singleton is Placiocephagly.
Placiocephagly is defined as a condition in which pressure is exerted on the skull of a baby resulting in the flattening of theat portion of the skull. It can also be refered to as 'flat head syndrome'. For more information on the condition please follow the link http://www.rotunda.ie/pdf/PL_Pcephaly.pdf to the Rotunda Hospital's information sheet on this condition.
Tummy time is the one of the recommended aid for Placiocephagly as well as an essential part of everyday playtime for babies to help in their development. It has become even more essential since the introduction of 'back to sleep' in the 1970s which has significantly reduced cotdeath in infants. For more information and tips on tummy time please follow this link http://www.iscp.ie/images/stories/leaflets/tummy_time_web.pdf to the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists information sheet for tummy time with your baby.
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