Love the Unexpected

It’s hard to build a baby registry for your firstborn. There are so many options and mixed reviews on everything. What worked for one person, didn’t work for another and so on.

You don’t want to waste a lot of money on things that’ll never get used but the trouble is that as a new parent, you just don’t know which items those are going to be. Then, throw twins into the mix – do you really need two of everything? What if one baby likes one thing and the other doesn’t?

At the risk of adding noise to an already loud sphere, I can only say what I found to be true: having the right equipment made all the difference in caring for my twins.

In saying that, we did try to take a minimalist approach to what we purchased. There were some things that we knew we’d need; the rest were either gifts or things that we bought as we identified a need.

In this list, you won’t find the obvious must-haves: things like cribs, high chairs, car seats, bottles. You know you need them, you know you’ll need double and you know what criteria you’re looking for. There are lots of places you can look for comparisons and reviews when weighing your purchase.

Instead, I wanted to focus on the less-obvious things that I found hugely helpful in taking care of our twins in the first twelve months. Here were the top things that made our lives easier:

1. A baby carrier

This was one of those “we didn’t know we needed it until we needed it” purchases. Though the road to bringing our son home was somewhat arduous and we would have 100% rather have brought him home the same day his sister and I were discharged, it did have one small advantage. We had some time to learn how to take care of one baby before taking care of two, and learn a little about our daughter’s personality.

We learned that she was a snuggler and prone to being cold. She was never happier than when she was cuddled up close to us. She was never angrier than when she was alone in her bassinet. I hadn’t given baby wearing much thought before the twins were born but we quickly realized how important it was going to be to be able to put her in a carrier if we wanted to get anything done. We stopped on the way home from the hospital with our son to pick up a baby carrier.

I wanted something soft that mimicked a baby wrap, but was nervous about figuring out how to tie one. The Boppy Baby Carrier was great because it had a really comfortable feel, was easy to put on and felt super secure.

The only place it needed adjustment between my husband and I was around the waist, so we didn’t have to be constantly adjusting different parts of the carrier depending on who was using it. It was super easy to tie and put baby in. It also folded up neatly into a small bag, so it didn’t take up a lot of room when we were on the go.

I may have been in a rush choosing our carrier, but as it happened, we really loved the Boppy and it was a lifesaver.

Do you need two?

Eventually, yes, but not right off the bat. We were able to get by with a single carrier until probably around six months. Our babies were born in the fall, so we spent a lot of time cozying up at home during those first few months. We didn’t go on a lot of outings and when we did, we used the stroller. I was home alone with the twins most of the week, so it wasn’t something we missed.

It wasn’t until the kids outgrew their clip-in car seats that we started to feel the need for a second carrier. At that time, the weather was getting nicer, the kids were becoming more interested in their surroundings and we no longer had the convenience of clipping them in and out of the stroller. If there were any outings where we needed to bring something back in the trunk (hello, IKEA and Costco!) and didn’t have room for the stroller, it was nice to have the option to pop them both in a carrier.

2. Pack n’ Plays

We knew we were going to need bassinets to keep our little ones in our room with us and also wanted to have a travel option if they needed to go down for a nap at Grandma’s. Enter the pack n’ play. We intentionally selected one that would give us a standalone bassinet and changing station, aiming to get the most bang for our buck, which was the Graco Pack ‘N Play Day2Dream Bassinet Playard.

The bassinets were great for the first couple of months, although they outgrew them faster than we anticipated. By two-and-a-half months, we had setup the playards in our room, and the babies slept well there for the next few months, until they could be moved into their nursery and cribs.

In those first few months, we setup one playard in our living room, which was a huge help. The babies were small enough that I could put them both down in the playard if needed, and having the changing station handy was great.

Do you need two?

It really depends on what you’re planning to do for sleep while the babies are under six months. We bought two and didn’t regret it, but they also ended up being their primary beds until the twins were old enough to move into their own nursery and full size cribs.

We didn’t have room in our master bedroom to put the cribs, and having the smaller bassinets that we could keep close to us was really helpful. The kids slept well in the playard for the rest of the time, so it ended up being a good solution for us. That said, if you’re opting to put the babies straight into their crib or buy a longer-term bassinet, one is really all you need. They were most useful to us in the first six months and since then, we only use one off and on.

3. Bouncers

I have to give credit to my older and wiser sister for these – we received one as a gift and it was so hugely helpful that we ended up getting a second.

As the babies started to get a little more aware of their surroundings, I found that it wasn’t as easy as in those early, early newborn days to simply put one down in the playard. With the Fisher-Price See and Soothe Deluxe Bouncer, I was able to put one in the bouncer and keep them occupied while I fed the other. They would listen to the music, or look at the little characters. Both babies found the vibration setting soothing.

I avoided feeding both babies at the same time as much as possible. I found that they didn’t feed as well when I tried to do it – the angle wasn’t quite right and made it difficult for them to eat properly. Still, in the odd times when it was necessary, putting them each in their bouncers was the best way for me to do it. I’d hold the bottles and watch carefully, taking breaks more often than if I had them in my arms.

Do you need two?

This is one thing that I would recommend purchasing two of pretty early on. I had two of the same one, which meant both babies were at the same height if I needed to feed them at the same time.

Being able to put both babies down and have them happily entertained gave my husband and I a few minutes with our arms free, which meant we could eat a meal or drink a coffee. We tried not to overdo the amount of time they spent in them and mixed it up with belly time, time on their back, and lots of contact naps.

4. Baby Brezza

The Baby Brezza was something we received secondhand from someone who kindly passed it on, and we didn’t really start using it until the kids were around four or five months. The Brezza is for powdered formula and we had started with ready-to-feed, then moved on to liquid concentrate in those first few months. Our son needed a more concentrated formula and it was just easier to use the same type for both, so we’d mix it in batches and warm it in our bottle warmer.

Once the kids got older, we switched to powdered formula and this was when we realized the convenience of the Brezza. There’s something wonderful about waking up for a night feed and just pressing a button to instantly mix a bottle for your screaming baby. Or with two screaming babies, to be able to have it ready so fast. It was something we never would have bought on our own but now that we know how useful it is, it would definitely be worth the money to replace.

Obviously, if you’re able to breastfeed, that’s amazing! This is one you can skip. For us, when it came to formula feeding, this was a huge help.

Do you need two?

The linked model isn’t the exact one that we have, but both hold 50 oz of water. One was definitely all we needed, but just keep in mind that while they advertise 50 oz as enough water for one day of formula – it’ll only get you through half a day with twins. So long as you remember to keep it full, you won’t have any problems.

5. Twin Cart Cover

Once the kids were old enough to sit up on their own and we had transitioned them out of their clip-in infant car seats, it was less convenient for us to go out to places like the grocery store or Costco with our stroller. Our stroller seats take up quite a bit of room in the trunk of our car.

Cue the twin cart cover. It’s not a necessity, but it has definitely made our life easier. It makes the shopping cart a little more comfortable, allows you to use your own belt buckles so you’re not having to adjust the ones on the shopping cart, and has loops to attach toys (hopefully deterring them from chewing on…well, anything other than their toys).

Do you need two?

No, so long as you buy a twin cover. There are also single covers, but the nice thing about one made for twins is that you can still use it in a single cart. Which reminds me – take note when you go the grocery store of which ones have double child seats. Not all of them do! In those cases, make sure to also bring a carrier for one baby.

Conclusion

I could go on, but these were really the most key pieces of equipment that helped me stay sane, especially in the early months.

Most other things – cribs, stroller, high chairs, bottles, etc. – are more self-explanatory and will really depend on how you want to do things, what you’re looking for, and what works best for your babies.

While there are many things you need in double, it thankfully isn’t everything! We were able to manage with one play mat, one sit-me-up chair, one exersaucer – you get the picture. Finding those items that you can skip purchasing double of can help ease some of the financial stress of twins.

Managing twins isn’t easy, especially in that first year, but I hope some of these suggestions might give you some ideas on how to manage and make life a little easier!