The Marshall babies

What was your first reaction when told you were pregnant with twins?
Deborah: As I already had one child, I had no illusions about the workload involved. I was excited and terrified at the same time.

What was your husband’s response to the news?
Deborah: The news was given during a desperate phone call in the parking lot after an impromptu scan. “I have big news... No, not bad news... Big news!”
He was really excited. We had joked about it because twins are in the family, and we’d obviously tempted fate.

How long did it take for the news to sink in?
Deborah: As I felt really ill in my pregnancy, it was very much a 'one day at a time' journey. I think the moment it really sunk in was when I was in the hospital getting induced. My midwife had laid out two outfits and labeled ‘Twin A’ and ‘Twin B’ on the bassinets.

What did you do in your pregnancy to prepare for the arrival of twins?
Deborah: I was so focussed on getting through the pregnancy and looking after myself that I didn’t focus too much on their arrival. I needed a two-hour sleep every day and tried to eat well, despite my nausea. Once I even cooked up a steak in the middle of the day because I was craving iron.

Luckily I have an awesome sister who made sure I had lots of clothes. In saying that, we did run out of warm clothes and sent out a desperate text for woollies. They were so small when they were born that, even in summer, they needed their merino, especially at night.

One thing I would recommend is booking in the click-in capsule carseats from Plunket. This is something I didn’t do and quickly realised I would never leave the house unless I made my life as easy as possible. My lovely friend also picked up some wheels for our capsules as there were none at my local Plunket.

How do you bond with two babies at once?
Deborah: For me, I just did what I needed to do and it came naturally. I remember looking down at them when they were feeding and feeling so proud. Babies are so vulnerable, it helps to keep perspective about how small they are and how much they need us.

What did other people do for you that was really helpful?  
Deborah: Meals, meals, and more meals. My church organised a meal roster and I asked them to do one day a week for ten weeks, rather than all at once. A friend also took my toddler for outings so I could snatch a moment of sleep. It also stopped me feeling guilty for not doing fun things with him.

What advice would you give to parents expecting twins?
Deborah:  Having twins is a really humbling experience. It is one time in your life when you have to accept that you need the help of people around you, and you feel like you can’t give anything back. If people offer to help, take them up on it.

Also, keep your expectations realistic and don’t be too hard on yourself. It may seem as though you have achieved nothing at the end of the day, but if your little ones are fed, freshly changed, and cared for you, are doing an amazing job.