Welcoming twins is a profoundly joyful and transformative experience — but it’s also a uniquely demanding one. Developing a postpartum plan in advance is one of the most practical steps you can take to support your whole household’s wellbeing during this intense time.

Sometimes, when words fall short, metaphors can help us capture the experience. Researcher and RN Cheryl Tatano Beck conducted a qualitative study exploring how parents describe the reality of parenting twins during that first year, and the metaphors they used beautifully reflect the emotional landscape of raising multiples.

Understanding the unique mental health obstacles that parents of twins face—and finding effective strategies to manage them—is crucial for long-term well-being. While the challenges of raising twins can feel overwhelming, there are ways for parents to protect their mental health and find balance.

Raising twins (or higher order multiples) can be an immense joy, but also presents unique challenges that can significantly impact parents' mental health. Research indicates that parents of multiples experience higher rates of mental health issues compared to those with single births.