Photo Credit: Liz Siebenaler Photography
Expecting Twins or more?! Well, first off… congratulations!! Secondly, have you thought about what you really need? It can be overwhelming to think about what you’ll need not for one, but two babies or more! Check out this list of favorite items that have been proven helpful necessities and loved by other local MoMs (Mother’s of Multiples)!
Before your multiple bundles arrive, you may find yourself consumed by the many “Top Rated Baby Items” lists that were created with one baby in mind! Two or more is a slightly different ball game… So, here is a great list for you to reference while you fill up your registry or prepare your home for your tiny new additions. My fraternal girls are now 3 and when I look back, I can say without a doubt that many of the items on this list were some of the best tools I used to fully, comfortably and happily function as a new mom with two little ones…while eating, playing, sleeping and more. Some of these items are still being used in our home!
Eat
Tandem Feeding Pillow: I’ve seen a few different tandem feeding pillows, but My Brest Friend Twin Plus Nursing Pillow comes highly recommended. Feeding two babies, getting two babies to latch, helping two babies (and you) get comfortable is no easy task. It may look big and bulky, but this pillow is made to support you and two babies with ease! You can quickly get comfortable with the extra back cushion and buckles, while easily adjusting your babies.
Pump: Not just any pump. You’re making food for two and pumping may be a more highly demanding task than you imagined and this will require a quality pump. A couple things to think about first.
- Check with your insurance about a pump. Some insurance companies will partially or entirely cover the cost.
- Decide what type of pump would be best. Producing milk for two babies will require a high quality pump.
Consider these options: Symphony®, the hospital grade pump that Medela offers or the Pump In Style® Advanced, a double electric pump that may also be an option through your insurance. The power and comfort that these pumps provide are built to help make producing milk for two easier. While in the hospital, I also suggest reaching out to a lactation consultant who will further guide you on what to use and the “how-to” when it comes to pumping and feeding two!
Double Bottle Warmer: Check out The First Years bottle warmer. This is a wonderful time saver. The one in the link is a little more than just a bottle warmer. This warms up food and sanitizes pacifiers too! However, any double bottle warmer will do. I will admit, we didn’t use a bottle warmer but many MoMs that I’ve asked will say this is a must! When you’re hands are full and two babies need food, convenience is great.
**Penny saving option. We always had water in an electric tea kettle and would fill up two coffee mugs about 1/4 full and let the bottles sit, frequently testing the temp on our wrist (temp should feel warm, not hot.)
Formula Pitcher: Check out Dr. Brown’s formula pitcher. With two mouths to feed, you’ll be busy making many bottles. When my girls were born, due to their size they were in need of additional calories, where supplement was needed to add to my breast milk, so I had to do more than just pump, store, and serve. Getting milk, formula, and bottles prepared for the day was a tremendous time saver with a pitcher. We used the pitcher all the time. I ended up having low production and 100% formula quickly became our (unashamed) drink of choice.
**Penny saving option. Any pitcher should work, it doesn’t have to be fancy! We also used a large Tupperware storage container and would shake vigorously to mix.
Bottle Drying Rack: Boon Lawn Drying Rack is great. We still use this and it’s truly a favorite! We actually had the smaller one (Grass) but would recommend the link – two babes make a lot of dishes. This can hold many bottles and small items in any configuration that works for you. Hold on to it and it’s still a great drying rack for children’s cups and dishes later on. Perfect for wine glasses too – something many of the other drying racks wouldn’t be able to accommodate. It also makes a great sand and water toy and cleans up nicely in the dishwasher.
Food Processor: Baby Brezza or Baby Bullet are two great products. Brezza is slightly higher in price. You may find that 1/2 the moms you talk to would definitely recommend this and the other 1/2 would say not to waste your money on a small blender… This is one item I thought I wouldn’t use much. But, if you plan on making your own baby food, you’ll want this smaller and easy to use food processor. I ended up using it a lot with first foods and still use it to make sauces and smoothies for my girls!!
Play
Floor Pillow: The Boppy was a favorite in our house. I placed this in the “play” category but this is actually your 3-in-1 must have item and a favorite amongst many! Labeled as a “feeding pillow”, two boppies quickly became our most essential multipurpose item. I would sit on the couch and put the babes in their boppies on either side of me while I held bottles and tuned into my favorite show. After a bottle, some playtime and a nice little swaddle, they easily dozed off in them. If you have a baby with reflux, this slight incline is great! Bonus: my 3 year olds will use them as a pillow when they are watching a movie.
Swings and Bouncy Seats: Favorites for these are all over the board. Some moms recommend getting two of each for both babes, but we ended up with one of each for a couple reasons. 1. They take up more than enough room, and 2. My children didn’t ended up liking them much. However, when I did have to quickly get something done and wanted them to be happy and busy for just a moment it was nice to plop them in a swing or bouncy seat. You never know what your children will like or what will keep them happy and it’s great to have some options.
First baby seat/positioner: Bumbo Floor Seat just might be your child’s very first seat, encouraging confidence and support in an upright position while they interact, play and eventually eat! I recommend getting the tray that attaches as well. My girls were a little too small for their highchairs when we first started eating solid foods and the Bumbo chair with the tray was perfect for mealtime. During playtime, mixing up the scenery kept us all happy. Besides a swing or the floor, the Bumbo was a great option that gave them a new view too!
Sleep
Rocker: The Rock N Play by Fisher Price was listed as a top favorite amongst MoMs. This rocker by fisher price is made to comfortably cradle your little one at a slight angle, while they are securely strapped in. Made with a blend of cushion and breathable mesh and built at the standard bed level making it easy to reach and rock. Or you can find the auto-rock version with vibration and music! If your infant has any issue with any degree of reflux, where an angle to sleep is needed, this is the item to have. Also easy to fold up and transport. Fisher price has yet to make a double rock n play, or a way to connect them when needed, but an easy trick that I always did was interlock the legs so they would rock together!
Sound Machine: Dohm by Marpac is our favorite and continues to receive great reviews. One on and off button with no timer, it is a constant white noise machine with the ability to change the volume. Basic, simple, consistent – perfect for sleep! You’ll find a huge variety of sound machines and everyone has their own preference, but this is my favorite. Something to think about… people sleep harder in a constant and familiar environment. If their is an audible change in your environment (ie. song change or noise stops), your body will react and either partially or fully wake, leaving you lacking that much needed deep sleep. So, this might explain a crabby child in the morning or wakeful child throughout the night. We used music for a little while that would turn off after 15 min and when we switched to a constant noise for the entire night, they were sleeping harder.
**Penny saving option. There is an app for that! At a fraction of the cost, you’ll find many basic white noise apps. I always had a couple on my phone. Great for travel!
Easy to access jammies: Jammies that open from the bottom up or completely open at bottom for quick changing (gown), will save you time and keep baby cozy. Picture this… middle of the night changing for two. One wakes, cries, wakes the other and you’re in a zombie like state. Quick and easy is what you need! You might want to think twice about buying too many cute snap up jammies. Most of ours ended up sitting nicely and barely used, in a drawer.
Swaddle Blanket: Aden and Anais swaddle blankets are a favorite all around (no need to be a swaddle expert), comfortable, breathable, beautiful and so easy to use for different purposes besides swaddling… I used mine as a burp cloth as well as a feeding cover since they can come fairly large. Also, the light weight muslin material makes for a great shade over carseats in the summer. This company has many great products designed for the specific purposes I’ve listed but you’ll be vary happy with the versatility of the simple swaddle.
Sleep Sacks: You’ll find SwaddleMe® by Summer Infant, Halo and Aden and Anais in many top favorite lists. We had all three and loved them all. Many hospitals will send you home with a Halo sleep sack. We loved ours so much, I ended up buying a couple more.
On the Go
Snap-N-Go: Your little ones will be in infant car seats for a little while. Carrying carseats on each arm is just awkward and not usually convenient unless, 1) you’re comfortable with a teeth grinding smile while silently gasping for air or 2) you’re simply amazing (and I want your stamina!). In an effort to help you save your arms, the Snap-N-Go® Double, by Baby Trend is a must. It’s light weight and folds up nicely when trasporting.
Double Stroller: You’ll find so many to choose from but it is best to keep a few things in mind: ease of use, comfort and durability. Two favorites amongst MoMs or any parent with two small ones have been the City Mini® Double by Baby Jogger and any of the double stroller options by BOB. Both strollers are on the higher end of cost but well worth it. If price is a concern, I would suggest checking out local garage sale sites where you can find either of these favorites lightly used, at a much lower cost, with many miles remaining. I found our BOB used for less than 1/2 the cost and it is still going strong after three years of use with my two. Check them out to see the differences!
Baby Carriers/Wraps: Double baby carriers are out there but not recommended by most MDs. Whether you have one or five babies, having some sort of carrier is a must. It’s important to give your arms a break and strap those babies on! Here are just a few top favorites… Baby Bjorn has made some popular carriers that many moms have loved since the 70’s. Baby Bjorn was a favorite by both my husband and I and we wore them more often when our gals were big enough to face outward and see the world. Ergo Baby is another much loved carrier. You’ll get many miles on this carrier if you start with the infant insert and continue to use the durable carrier while you little ones grow. Baby K’Tan is a great transition from carrier to wrap – very comfortable, goes on like a shirt and makes you look like a baby wearing pro! The Moby is a popular, comfortable, and easy to use wrap. Intimidated by wrapping? YouTube offers a plethora of instructional videos. You’ll even a safe way to wrap and wear twins! Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty wonderful and you can join the baby wearing crew of Moms who have mastered snuggling their babies while tackling hands-on tasks throughout the day! The list can go on but this is a great start from many experienced moms who have fallen in love with the above.
Large Diaper Bag: Two of everything is not always necessary but when you’re juggling babies on the go, two of some things are just unavoidable – two bottles, two changes of clothing, more than enough diapers, etc, etc. You’re also carrying your own little life around with you. So think “mom purse on steroids”… Petunia Pickle Bottom makes some great bags. They come in lovely stylish designs and many options. As for space, you’ll want to look at the Boxy Backpack or the Abundance Boxy Backpack. If price is a concern, check out used options! Another tried and true bag on the lower end of price, is the Duo Signature Diaper Bag by Skip Hop.
**Penny saving option. Duffle bag! If we were going somewhere for a long day and I knew I needed more than my diaper bag would typically carry, I’d grab a duffle bag and be on my way!! You can find great duffle bags with many pockets that are just as functional as some diaper bags, but bigger.
You
You cannot forget about yourself and making life easier and convenient is so important. Here are a few suggestions to keep your sanity and keep you happy in your new busy life!
Become a local MoM club member: You may not know, but you are surrounded by MoMs who want to connect, relate and support you on your journey. Facebook is a great place to start. If you can’t find a local group, request to join the Private Page of National Organization of Mother’s of Twins Club Inc.
Netflix: In the early days when you’re in true zombie mode, you’ll need a nice little distraction from the daily repetition of eat, play, sleep, repeat. Get hooked on a new show everyone is talking about and you’ll feel a little closer to the real world while you’re in your cave with your babes!
Grocery Delivery: CobornsDelivers, Schwans, Amazon Prime NOW, Gopher Grocery, Lakewinds.com are just a few. Consider downloading the Instacart App to see if it’s available for delivery in your area and what stores will deliver! Recovering after your little ones are born takes time and getting out of the house with two (or more), may not happen very often at first, so consider the convenience of shopping for your groceries from home!!
Wine, Coffee or both: These two things have a way of calming you down when any sort of chaos ensues. At least it does for me! No, this is not a scare tactic – you’ll be fine – just stock up… now.
Cheers to you and your sweet little bundles!!
