'Blessed with multiples': Mum shares the 7 advantages of having twins

"Wow, twins - how awful for you!" was just one of the horrible reactions mum of three Karen got when she shared her pregnancy news.

When I announced I was expecting twins, lots of people told me they were sorry for me.

Things like: “Rather you than me!”, “Gosh twins, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone!” and even, “Wow twins, how awful for you!”

Alas, the joke really was on them as having twins turned into the most incredible experience I could have imagined.

People who aren’t blessed with multiples can’t imagine there are up sides to having more than one baby at once, and they only see the challenges. But there really are lots of advantages of having two together.

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RELATED: Four things you know if you are a parent of twins

The advantages of having two babies at the same time

Who knew that having two babies had so many advantages over having one at a time?

1 You get the difficult phases out of the way in one go.

The sleeplessness, the teething, the toddler-chaos years and even the challenging teen years I’m navigating right now – you get through all of them quickly.

While twins might not hit milestones at exactly the same time, they aren’t too far apart so you can get through them and be on the other side having fun again before you know it.

Image: Supplied

2 Your kids never need to be bored.

Twins always have their best mate at home to play with. It makes school holidays so much fun, and it takes the pressure off you needing to organise constant play dates to keep them entertained.

3 When they’re older, knowing they’re together gives you confidence.

When they’re older and finally ready to be left home alone or go out alone, it’s a lot less stressful leaving two together in the house, or waving two off on a bike ride instead of one. I have full confidence that they will take care of one another and keep each other in line.

Image: Supplied

4 They’ve always got one another’s backs.

I love knowing they’re together and they have one another’s backs. Whether that was the first time I dropped them at daycare, their first day of school, or their first school camp – it’s all so much easier for me knowing they aren’t alone in these experiences.

5 It makes you realise you’re capable of doing anything!

Becoming a twin mum and figuring out how to juggle life with two babies gave me so much confidence. It gave me faith in my ability to do hard things. There really isn’t much a multiple mum cannot do!

Having twins made me realise I’m capable of so much more than I realised. I know I can do whatever I set my mind to.

6 You have a pair of besties for life.

Knowing my two will be best mates for life fills my heart with so much joy. It’s different to the love siblings feel for one another - they’re much more connected. I always wished I’d been a twin when I was growing up as I was friends with a set of identical twins.

My boys have this unique, unbreakable bond and I’m so happy for them.

Image: Supplied

7 One pregnancy = two babies

Not everyone loves being pregnant or being immersed in the newborn phase. If you decide you only want two children, you can get your pregnancy and the baby stage out of the way in one go. If you’re having your babies later in life and you want a big family, having twins gives you two for one.

I always knew I wanted at least three kids, but I suffered with awful pregnancy sickness so the bonus for me was only having to go through two vomit-filled pregnancies instead of three to get my three babies!

The adventure of having twins

Having two babies at once is definitely a crazy adventure. While there are plenty of challenges that come with it, I don’t think people talk enough about the positive sides to having multiples. There really are more up sides than you imagine!

Originally published as 'Blessed with multiples': Mum shares the 7 advantages of having twins