The first month with twins is hard in ways that are easy to underestimate. Two babies means twice the feeds, twice the diapers and often two different sleep patterns. Twins are also more likely to arrive early, which can mean smaller babies, longer feeds and a few extra worries.
Why the nights are so hard
Newborns feed every two to three hours, around the clock. With twins, feeds can overlap or leapfrog each other, so there may be no real gap between one baby settling and the other waking. If one parent is recovering from birth, the other ends up doing most of the lifting. Both of you run short on sleep fast.
How families use a night nanny
A night nanny, or newborn care specialist, takes over overnight so you can sleep. Many families with twins book three to five nights a week for the first 6 to 12 weeks. Some start with five nights while everyone recovers, then drop to two or three as the babies go longer between feeds.
A typical shift runs 8 to 12 hours. The night nanny handles diapers, settling and bottle feeds, or brings each baby to you to nurse and then takes over again. They keep a log of feeds, diapers and sleep, so you start the morning knowing what happened.
How one person handles two babies
Experienced night nannies have routines for twins. Many feed both babies at about the same time, or wake the second baby when the first one feeds, so the twins stay on a similar schedule. Ask how they handle both babies crying at once, how they keep separate logs, and whether they can help you nurse both babies at once if that’s your plan. Ask whether they’ve worked with twins before, and with premature babies or reflux.
Book early
Night nannies with twin experience are often booked well ahead, so many families start looking in the second trimester. Plan for the possibility of an early arrival, too. Ask how the night nanny handles a start date that moves, and what happens to your deposit if it does.
Planning the cost
On our site’s typical figures, night nannies charge about $35 to $55 an hour, and many charge more for twins. As a rough example, 10-hour shifts at $45 an hour, four nights a week, come to $1,800 a week, or $14,400 over eight weeks. Fewer nights, shorter shifts or a shorter booking bring that down.
Ask about minimum shifts, deposits and holiday rates before you sign. If the budget is tight, even one or two nights a week can make the rest of the week more manageable. Some families also ask relatives to cover a night or two.
Getting started
You can search night nannies near you in our directory and contact them directly, for free. If you’d rather someone else did the searching, our Find me a nanny service works with partner agencies to find candidates for you.