Handy Baby Checklist for Twins and Multiples

A writer from the examiner shared an article on my site offering a Handy Baby Checklist for Twins and Multiples. I know I looked for a list when we found out we were having twins since we had no idea what to buy. This is a great basic list with some tips for those with two story homes or to make it just a bit easier. Of course your own preferences will dictate how much of anything you need or what brands to buy or items to substitute but thought this might be helpful to some!

Baby Checklist

 

Thanks!

 

This list is great...and a little excessive. There are already so many extra expenses with multiples, some of this is too much. Here's my 2 cents about what is unecessary:
* 1 Bassinet (It is common that multiples are preemies or are small in birth weight. You can just buy one bassinet and then transfer them to cribs when bigger.)Most every pack n play has a bassinet on top

* 2 Car Seats (Buy another set if you have a second car.) If you really need to just get additional bases

* 2 Rocking Chairs with footstools (Its helpful to have 2 since you will probably be rocking the babies to sleep in varying rooms.) I understand the reasoning, but seems excessive, (we have one upholstered glider chair in the boys' room and just started using it this past week.)

* 1 Diaper Genie (You may want to buy an extra Diaper Genie if your home has a second floor.) Just my personal opinion, but the diaper genie is gross...it just makes diaper sausages. Any other diaper pail is great...

* Microwave Bottle Sterilizer sterilize the bottles before the first use, then use the dishwasher

* 6 Hooded Towels seems like a lot...you'll be doing a lot more laundry so could probably use fewer

* 4 Halo Sleep Sacks (Great for swaddling.) Maybe not excessive, but I totally recommend swaddling blankets (we have 5 for the boys...1 set to use, 1 in the laundry, and 1 to spare)

This list is great for registering though, it will give you way more than you need.

 

Ive been wondering about this - does it need to be a double bassinet? Ours has a bassinet, but it says to only use with 1 baby at a time.

 

My twins aren't here yet, so this is just from what I've read so far. We got a pack and play and the arm's reach original co-sleeper. The co-sleeper holds up to 30 pounds in the bassinet part (I think our pack and play was only 20 or 23 pounds) and then can be used as a pack and play later on. I figured the extra 7 pounds make a big difference with twins while sleeping in our room and then we can use it as our second pack and play later on. Hopefully it works out as well as we're hoping!

 

Looks like we are almost due date twins

I'd have to check the specs on our PnP, but supposing it holds 20lb, it seems like it should be ok to hold 2 babies as long as their combined weight does not exceed 20lb, but I obviously wouldn't want to miss some important piece of information that would render this assumption untrue.

Hmm, yes, I thought about getting a cosleeper and ended up not doing it. For one thing, we don't have a bed yet, so I was not sure a cosleeper would properly sidecar to the mattress/boxsprings. Instead of actually confirming this, I switched gears. :ibiggrin:

Also, we hoped to try out the crib for starters; have them sleep together, side by side. This way, we can hopefully keep the cats out of their bed (they already think it is the greatest thing ever) and allow them to continue sleeping with us. (Is that bad - not kicking the cats out of our bed? I feel kind of guilty)

 

We used the regular graco pack n play (in the deco design) and it seemed like the same dimensions as the ones made for twins. Some of the restrictions the companies put on are to cover their own behinds. Both boys slept in it side-by-side width-ways (if that makes sense) the same way the set up is for the twin bassinet, until they outgrew the length (about 2 months) and we put them in cribs. We didn't have any worries about the weight limitations, it never seemed unsteady. And I liked how they were closer to each other, rather than having a barrier between them...I mean they were smooshed together for 9 months

 

That's a great question!
Could someone, please, also post a link to things that are absolutely necessary to have? I saw it earlier on this website and just can't find now.
Thank you!

 

I also used a Graco Pack and Play with the bassinet top for my girls until they could no longer fit in it side by side. I had a friend (who also had twins) who called the company and was told the normal Pack and Play could be used for 2 infants and could tolerate the same weight as the one made for twins (which is MUCH more expensive). We did have 2 (I borrowed the second one). I kept one in our room and one on the main floor for naps and found it useful but I would not waste money buying 2...they ended up napping in swings or bouncy chairs for months and seemed to find them more comfortable.

 

Wait, so I don't need to get the double pack and play? That's good news! The things you learn here So, just to double-check - if you just use the regular-sized pack and play, do you use the bassinet at all? Or do you just lay the twins on the bottom together?

 

Yes use the bassinet on the pack n play, it's so much easier than reaching all the way to the bottom.

 

We tried the twin pnp due to the weight/area restrictions of a reg pnp bassinet. I hated itm because the babies had to be separate and there was so much fabric that made me nervous with SIDS warnings. So we got an Arms Reach cosleeper and it was great (until 3 months when they were too long for it!)