Nobody at Twin Club unhelpfully told me 'oooh you have your hands full'

"I found my people and not only survived, but loved being a mum to twins."

“You’re expecting twins? Poor you!”

I heard it so many times, it drove me crazy.

The week I found out I was expecting two babies, I turned to the Internet in search of real support, not just useless comments from strangers.

Thankfully, I discovered a local twins and multiples club just down the road. I felt awkward walking in with my tiny baby bump that first time, wondering if they’d think I was crazy for joining before I’d even hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy. I needn’t have worried.

As soon as I walked through the door, another mum handed me one of her newborn twins and asked if I could hold her.

I’d never held a baby before, let alone one so tiny, but I dived straight in and instantly bonded with the mum who was juggling four-week-old twins with an energetic two-year-old dancing around in a princess dress.

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Image: Supplied

"I found my people"

As more mums arrived and unpacked their broods from their prams, I quickly realised I’d found my people.

Mums unloaded multiple toddlers, crawling babies and squishy newborns. Soon enough, a bunch of mums were in the kitchen, handing around hot coffee and biscuits.

Babies were passed around to give everyone a break. There were even mums whose kids had started school already who showed up to lend a hand to us newbies. 

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I was in awe, watching as these mums turned a hectic room full of babies and toddlers into a welcoming, cosy, organised space where the mums could chat about sleep regression, going back to work, baby milestones and the next stages. 

I realised: This is what they mean when they say: ‘it takes a village’. My village became my twin club. 

Nobody understands what you’re going through like someone who has been through it before - or somebody going through it right there alongside you. 

Here are a few of the reasons why joining a twin club was the best decision I ever made.

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Friendship

Nobody at twin club told me I had my hands full. We all knew we had full hands and full hearts. For two hours a week, we were free from the stupid comments and could just be ourselves

These people became my support network, going above and beyond during my pregnancy (and subsequent singleton pregnancy), visiting me in hospital, dropping off casseroles and chocolate and being there to answer my silly questions in the middle of the night as we were all up feeding. 

We had a unique bond as we shared something special that most people never get to experience. And this friendship wasn’t just about me—my twins benefitted from being part of a social group of other babies and toddlers. They got to see that there were other babies that came in pairs, just like them!

Avoid loneliness

When you have multiple babies, it’s easier to stay home. Loneliness would have been the easy option, but going along to twin club gave me a reason to go out. 

Getting out of the door used to take me hours, but it was worth the effort. We even did buggy walks to get fresh air and exercise together in between club meet-ups.

Connecting with the club members always made me feel stronger, even on days when I’d had no sleep and felt dreadful.

Support and help

I tried other baby groups, but they just didn’t work for me. Other mums saw me coping with my two babies and were too polite to offer help for fear of offending me. At twin club, everyone offered to help—you never had to struggle.

At regular community centres, they had frustrating rules like not allowing prams inside, even if you had twins to carry. At the twin club, they had double doors that welcomed our juggernauts, and everyone understood that life was more complicated with more than one baby.

Image: Supplied

Research and money saving

When you’ve got two babies, life is expensive. Being part of a twin club allowed me to find out which products were worth buying. We could try out prams because there were usually at least ten of them in the club each week. We all loved talking about what baby gear was worth the investment and what was a waste of money so we shared our real reviews with one another.

We could also buy a matching pair of second-hand things from other members, like baby bouncers, high chairs and cots, as babies grew and moved on to the next stage. Not to mention the endless bags of free clothes that were handed down from one member to another. Twin club was a real cost-saver!

Twin club made all the difference

I loved the early days with our twin boys. My twin club made all the difference in how I experienced raising twins. Without it, I know life would have been a lot more challenging. 

Joining a twin club didn’t just help me survive—it helped me love my life as a new twin mum and I’m so thankful for it. So, if you’re expecting twins, don’t hesitate to find your village by joining your local multiples club. You’ll be glad you did.

Originally published as Nobody at Twin Club unhelpfully told me 'oooh you have your hands full'