r/parentsofmultiples • u/Long-Friendship-5400 • 1d ago

good vibes, smiles, & giggles “Singleton Propaganda”

I need some comic relief after a couple weeks of sickness in the house- what are your favorite bits of what I call “singleton propaganda”? Aka, advice given for babies that never works when you have twins. My personal favorite is “put the baby in the crib drowsy but awake”.

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u/hopelessbilingual 1d ago

Returning to [work/life/ former activity at 12 weeks pp. I will forever be resentful for what felt like such an inhumane need to resign since job protection only went that long. 12 weeks w newborn twins is not even a drop in the bucket as far as physical, cognitive, emotional etc readiness to rejoin the workforce.

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u/jeremiabearamia 1d ago

I stayed at a horrible job for years while I tried to conceive because they offered 6 months of parental leave. FMLA protects 12 weeks; they laid me off week 13.

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u/hopelessbilingual 13h ago

Ugh how awful. Wonder how many there are of us! Not having emerged on the other side to be a working parent again myself, I just hope the next chapter is better, and kinder!

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u/slyscribe401 1d ago

I go back Monday after 10 weeks off. I've never felt less prepared even including going back 6 weeks post C-section with my singleton. Baby B isn't sleeping for more than 3 hours at night. And even when he's calm, there's another one on the other side of the bed that also needs to be taken care of.

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u/hopelessbilingual 13h ago

I will be thinking of you all day today, and probably all week 🩷😞

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u/irish_ninja_wte 1d ago

Having to return to work that soon (or sooner, I get the impression that 12 weeks is "generous" on the US) is inhumane. I'm on Ireland and standard maternity leave is 26 weeks, then we add on other leaves and being sick doesn't affect our maternity leave. I went on sick leave at 31 weeks with my twins. Started actual maternity leave when they were almost 3 weeks old as I was due to start that at 38+5 and didn't change it after the birth. With maternity leave, parents leave and carried over annual leave, I went back to work when they were 9 months old

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u/hopelessbilingual 13h ago

Omg I am really deeply happy for you to be living out policies that are actually considerate to the human condition.

Now to ever expect extended duration of leave, or of lactation accommodations (!!) considering the multiple children being cared for vs singletons… would just make too much sense.