Products You Couldnt Live Without?

My family is going crazy asking me to make lists of what I need, even though I told them to wait until after the 1st trimester. I have no clue, I am still a bit in shock that we are having twins!
So my question is, What product or things did you find most helpful in helping you with your twins? Thanks so much!!

Rachel

 

My family is going crazy asking me to make lists of what I need, even though I told them to wait until after the 1st trimester. I have no clue, I am still a bit in shock that we are having twins!
So my question is, What product or things did you find most helpful in helping you with your twins? Thanks so much!!

Rachel

 

Great question! We had helpful families too, that were always interested in what they could do.

1) Double Snap N Go Stroller -- I used this in the beginning with my infant car seat carriers. This stroller is compact, light-weight, has great storage, and made getting out by myself with two babies entirely possible. A must have!

2) Miracle Blankets -- We did not get these until a little later, but they would have been helpful from day one. Our babies loved to be swaddled, and were so calm when all wrapped up. The Miracle Blankets are great because they make swaddling easy, and virtually baby-proof!

3) Travel Swings -- These are small, compact, portable swings. We loved these because our kids loved them! And best of all, we could throw them in the car to take to grandma's or nana's. We also have a small house and so these took up considerably less room. And they BOTH loved being in the swing, so we needed two (therefore it was great that they were small).

Those are the big things. I can think of a million other things, but these are the things that I feel are great from the beginning. Let me link this to the First Year board, as I am sure they can also offer some great suggestions!

 

Thanks so much Kate!!


quote:
Originally posted by twoin2005:
Great question! We had helpful families too, that were always interested in what they could do.

1) Double Snap N Go Stroller -- I used this in the beginning with my infant car seat carriers. This stroller is compact, light-weight, has great storage, and made getting out by myself with two babies entirely possible. A must have!

2) Miracle Blankets -- We did not get these until a little later, but they would have been helpful from day one. Our babies loved to be swaddled, and were so calm when all wrapped up. The Miracle Blankets are great because they make swaddling easy, and virtually baby-proof!

3) Travel Swings -- These are small, compact, portable swings. We loved these because our kids loved them! And best of all, we could throw them in the car to take to grandma's or nana's. We also have a small house and so these took up considerably less room. And they BOTH loved being in the swing, so we needed two (therefore it was great that they were small).

Those are the big things. I can think of a million other things, but these are the things that I feel are great from the beginning. Let me link this to the First Year board, as I am sure they can also offer some great suggestions!

 

Bjorns (or other baby carrier) - these were GREAT - they were so much happier in these than the stroller.

Bumbo Seats - wish they had these when my twins were born, I love it with my latest!

 

I already love my nursing pillow.

I never had one with my singletons, but I wouldn´t want to miss it, although my twins are not even born yet. I use it for myself to sleep with, lying on my side and using it to hold my big body - it´s hard to explain, but it´s very comfortable, and even this far in pregnancy, I still can sleep relatively well.

I´d really recommend you to get one.

And, I liked some nice oil to massage my belly with to get no stretch marks. I used it all pregnancy, and until week 35 I didn´t have any - now it started, though...

And good looking, comfortable pregnancy clothes are also very usefull and very expensive, too.

 

Swings and our newset gadget. Jumperoo's. Haley loved it so much she fell asleep in it. Usually she fights sleeping.

 

Slings -- we had nice fleece ones my mom made and some cotton ones that we bought (for a ridiculous amount of money!). Our kids hated the stroller for a long time, so slings helped us get out and about. Plus they were a quick way to quiet a fussing baby -- they LOVED being in the sling.

A swing -- I would actually say that our big Fisher Price swing has been more worth it than the travel swing because the kids liked it for longer.

A glider -- I totally poo pooed the glider thing, but my SIL gave us hers and it has been a godsend. Rockers just don't compare in terms of comfort and soothing motion for babies!

 

The one thing that comes to mind instantly are Podee bottles....they were lifesavers on many occasions.

 

Baby Einstein-this makes a great gift. Ours really weren't interested in it until about 4 months, but boy has it "bought" me some time to get things done around the house.

I would suggest getting one great mobile-I loved the tiny love one that is electric, has lights, moving objects and classical music-great for when they are sharing a crib and like to look up at it.

A white noise machine (walmart-$12) has been a lifesaver...NOTHING bothers them when that is on-doorbell, dogs barking, dinner party etc. fabulous!

Podee bottles! These are great for hands free feeding before they can hold their own bottles-kind of work like a straw (with a nipple attached) can buy at BRU.

and of course I second the other stuff mentioned-bumbos, one jumperoo, one exersaucer, a jog stroller, two pack n'plays.

Good Luck, and congratulations!

 

the fisher price swing...goes side to side...i COULD not live without this- for my first dd who is 3.5 or my twins! We just finished up with the swings, and they are 6 months old. all three loved them...and they did not care much for the front to back swings. well worth the money! pack in plays...get them used, and get a few, they are great to have on all floors of the house to put the babies in a safe place. we just moved on to a superyard, since the pack n plays are too small for one baby, but we have three packnplays that we still use for naps individually or travelling. a good swaddle blanket...or many as we had to have. oh, and my favorite item is a Binky Buddy (BinkyBuddyUSA.com) they are great to help keep the pacis in their mouths..including riding in the carseats! works well with teh swaddle...a lifesaver!
AND, We love our Valco twin stroller with the toddler seat. i can go anywhere and do most anything on my own with my three year old and my twins all by myself! they are pricey, but well worth the money, and keeps its value to resell at some point.

 

quote:
Originally posted by twoin2005:
1) Double Snap N Go Stroller -- I used this in the beginning with my infant car seat carriers. This stroller is compact, light-weight, has great storage, and made getting out by myself with two babies entirely possible. A must have!

2) Miracle Blankets -- We did not get these until a little later, but they would have been helpful from day one. Our babies loved to be swaddled, and were so calm when all wrapped up. The Miracle Blankets are great because they make swaddling easy, and virtually baby-proof!

3) Travel Swings -- These are small, compact, portable swings. We loved these because our kids loved them! And best of all, we could throw them in the car to take to grandma's or nana's. We also have a small house and so these took up considerably less room. And they BOTH loved being in the swing, so we needed two (therefore it was great that they were small).




This was so great to read!!! We just ordered the double snap n go stroller last night, and we got a set of the swaddling blankets at our shower!
Helen

 

most were said by others...

-double snap and go!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be so sad in a few weeks when we outgrowit!

-two swings- now i only use one but at the beginning they both loved to be there often.

-bundle mes for the car seat- it makes leaving the house so easy because htye dont need coats.

- baby eintein videos or 'calm baby' video

-musical mobile. In the morning i oput them both in one crib and they can watch it forever. I just have to keep going in to turn it on but it is worth it.

- white noise machine. some are louder than others. I would get the loudest one you can get!

- a lullaby CD that you wont mind listening to over and over. I have about 5 CD's but one is so nice and the babies fall asleep to it everynight and for naps. I dont dare put one of the others in!

- wipe warmer

- nice big thick bath towels. We dont use any of the thin ones we got from BRUS.

 

Congrats on your pregnancy! I'd have to say my favorite items are:
-Fisher Price cradle swing (we have the papasan version)
-Miracle Blankets (for swaddling)
-HALO sleep sacks (we started to use these around 3 months when our beans began to escape the swaddle)
-Tiny Love mobile
-Bouncy seats
-Exersaucer or Jumperoo
-EZ2 Nurse nursing pillow
-Boppy

 

We have gotten a lot of use out of the cradle swings--10.5 months old and still using them!

We really used our Bumbos, Exersaucers, and bouncy seats. Sometimes we have to prop their bottles and the bouncy seats are still useful for that since they still don't hold them! We have two really thick blankies for bottle propping, but I have read on here that you can actually buy some.

Dr. Brown Bottles have been great for us!

Swaddle blankets were imperative.

Eventually a side by side stroller is nice to have too.

We used two Boppy Pillows quite a bit too.

There is so much stuff available.

Good luck!

jenny

 

Our Must-Have's

Bottle proppers

Door jumpers

Swing

Gymini

HTH

 

Baby Einstein is the best! No matter how fussy or cranky they were when I turned on Baby Einstein they were mesmorized. It was great to keep them up a little bit longer before their nap or bedtime while I cleaned up the kitchen or threw in a load of laundry.

Baby Bjorn was great too! If one was fussing and wouldn't sleep I would attach her to me in the baby bjorn and vacuum and she would calm down. Also when we went out when they were really little it helped so I could hold one and still do some things and push the stroller. I even used it once when they were about 8 months and their jogging stroller had a flat tire and we needed to walk to the park. I strapped one to me and put the other one in the single stroller so we could get there!

We didn't use white noise machines. They had a radio in their room that played smooth jazz on it at all times. It provided background noise so they didn't hear what was going on in the rest of the house and wasn't too loud either.

 

Carter's Bouncy seats!!! They are the best and I have a few different kinds to compare them to and none of the others come close!!

 

Boppy Pillows and Bouncers - I don't know what I would have done without these.

 

For us:

*swings
*slings-I have several, and I LOVE them
*rocking recliner-I wish we had a 2nd one
*EZ2Nurse pillow for nursing twins

 

Get 2 Boppy's! We use ours all the time. They were (and are) so little when they were born, that it's difficult to hold them for long without getting tired.

Sleep wedges - they hold the babies in place in their crib so they don't roll around.

 

For us I would say - in no particular order

Double Snap-n-Go
Miracle Bankets
Excerise Ball - to bouce them when they get cranky - we sill use it every day!!!
Swing (for us just one)
Pack-n-play (the girls slept in it till 3 months)
Fisher Price infant to toddler rockers - they still nap in them during the day

 

Well, this isn't a very exciting, but as many burp clothes as you can store and then some more! There is a lot of spit up at our house and I got quite tired of feeling like I HAD to do laundry just so we had enough burp clothes.

Blankets for swaddling. Most receiving blankets are going to be too small very quickly. I found that the Amy Coe ones at Target are larger and have worked really well for my guys. I also have a couple of The Ultimate Swaddle Blankets by Swaddle Designs which are super soft and warm and big (at first too big for my little preemies, but now are fantastic).

A sling and/or Baby Bjorn. I have a few slings that I really like. We got a Baby Bjorn recently for DH who never really got the hang of the sling. This way both of us can wear babies and get some stuff done around here.

Baby stations. My guys don't love their swings as much as it sounds others do - however, it is another place to put them and now the mirror on it is starting to be very fascinating to them (I have the Fischer Price Papasan one, Natural Touch or something like that?)and they also sleep pretty well in them (as long as they are asleep before you put them down). So whatever "stations" you prefer (swing, bouncy, etc.) so you have a place to put a baby while you tend to the other baby.

Those black and white infant stim cards. I printed a bunch out from the internet and put them up around our house and it is amazing how much my boys love to stare at them! And they really notice when I change what pattern is up. They coo and smile at the cards and love being held up to them.

I second the exercise ball - it calms our babies down when nothing else will work. I couldn't survive without it. I only wish I felt like bouncing on it was actually doing something exercise-like for me .

 

Okay, so you know all the big stuff but also ask for the things that you aren't thinking about now

1. Receiving blankets (we had about 15)
2. Diapers, diapers, diapers, we got enough at our shower for 4 months, our hosts just asked people to bring them to be entered into a special raffle and we got tons!
3. burp cloths (tons)
4. crib sheets, especially if they will sleep apart, mine were always spitting up on them and had to be changed daily)
5.A really good diaper bag (I went through 4 before I found one that I liked) Eddie Bauer
6. Onesies, mine were born in the summer and they lived in onesies and socks.

 

Mine aren't here yet so i can't add anything to the list but i will add that a lot of these items you can get gently used...check out your local craigslist.org, or see if there is a mothers of multiples club where you live....

There are some things that I want new, but it seems like a lot of these items are just fine if they are gently used, and that will leave a little more $$ for the millions of things that will pop up!

 

-Double Snap n Go
-Swing (we had just one and it was a lifesaver)
-cloth diapers - i don't use these as actual diapers, but they make great burp cloths, I love them since my son spits up a ton
-all those little colorful rings and keys they make for babies. they have been playing with them forever and still really enjoy them
-the safety first blue baby bathtub - i love how it had the hammock, then the recline side for when they were small and the upright "toddler" side for when they are bigger
-Tiny Love Mobile - they still love this and I've left it up even though they pull on it

 

1. PODEE BOTTLES (there are a couple of folks on here who sell them)
2. PODEE BOTTLES....yep, they are the greatest!
3. Replacement tubes and nipples for PODEE BOTTLES!!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT PROP YOUR BABIES BOTTLES UP IN THEIR MOUTHS
I am very passionate about this. I live in a small town and right before the twins were born a 4mo baby died due to asphyxiation b/c a bottle was propped up in his mouth. That is reason #1 that I got the PODEE bottles.

Okay, now besides the bottles and replacements, you need swing, mobile, crib tents (especially if you have cats, but also great for escape artists or toy pitchers), double stroller (snap and go, and side by side).

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

BTW did I tell you PODEE BOTTLES!

 

Amen to the previous post: no bottle propping. I've never used a podee and probably won't because I fear the nipple confusion after it happened with my son. I could go back and forth b/w playtex naturalatch slow flow with no issues, but a definite amen to the bottle propping bit.

I have seen some items posted that I actually threw away I hated so much, but it was a must have for others. I think you're going to have to look for things that show up over and over on here and weigh it against your own lifestyle. Each child is different.

With my singleton I absolutely loved Carter's fleece sleep sacs (halo is armless and you put a sleeper on under it, but these have arms and I just used them by themselves so it didn't get too hot since we live in a warmer climate...they also go from 0-9mos which is a great value). I loved the fisher price infant to toddler rocker. It takes D batteries so they last a while. You don't want to buy any bouncer/vibrating seat that takes AA batteries. I have one that is a good brand and there is just no way an AA or AAA battery will last any length of time on an item like that...even if you do a good brand. I liked the mesh feeding bags by munchkin at Target and Walmart for when my DS was teething (cold fruit) and learning to eat. It was the only teething tool I could get him to go for. I also loved the medela quick clean steam bags. They are 5 for $5 at target and last around 20 times each. You can sterilize nipples and pacifiers in these cheap portable bags in any micro in 2-5 min. They are great for a nursing mom who only occasionally used stuff that needed sterilizing. You can also sterilize many pumps (check the instructions first) in these bags)

 

I think most of these have been mentioned already, bet here's my list anyway.
Definitely 2 Boppy's, I actually have 3, and they've been quite handy.
Slings/wraps, some type of 'babywearing' device
Swaddling blankets
Bouncy seat that vibrates
Swing for later and maybe have one extra ready in case they both really like them

I think that's it.

 

quote:
Originally posted by Overachiever:
Get 2 Boppy's! We use ours all the time. They were (and are) so little when they were born, that it's difficult to hold them for long without getting tired.

Sleep wedges - they hold the babies in place in their crib so they don't roll around.



I agree with the 2 boppy's! They are great to prop them in and feed at the same time or just to prop them in to get them in a different position than lying on their backs.

We also love our bouncy seats. Ours didn't like using them at first, but they love them now. We bought one that plays music and one that just has toys hanging from it. I'd suggest getting 2 that play music. Ours really love the music, and you can always turn it off if it's too much stimulation.

Congrats on your pregnancy. Being a twin mom is the best!

 

Definitely swings. I highly recommend two...one for each kid. The Fisher Price Rainforest swing has a plug-in option, so NO batteries needed! It also goes side to side or front to back.

A rocking recliner. We have a glider in their room too, but the recliner in our living room is a godsend and can easily handle me and two babies (and a dog occasionally).

2 boppy pillows.

2 cribs. We just separated our boys at 3 months, so you may need it earlier than you'd think. It's helped our boys to sleep better.

Some kind of diaper disposal. We use Diaper Champ. Easy to use and you can use normal trash bags.

Cloth diapers as burp clothes. Ditto PP's post about getting a ton so you don't have to do laundry every 5 minutes. Same for bibs, but you may want to wait on these until you know you have a spitter.

Diapers. You can never have enough! Just be sure you can exchange some if necessary. Our guys grew out of the size 1s before we could finish them all. (Primarily due to the amount of liquid they could contain rather than their actual size.)

Bottles - You'll want a full set of bottles for each baby. Right now, we're at 12 bottles total (6 for each kid).

Dishwashing gloves - See # of bottles needed to know why you want gloves. I swear the pads of my fingers started peeling from being in dishwater so much! You'll also want one of those dish drying racks if you don't already have one.

Gift cards for all the formula you'll have to buy (assuming you don't BF). That stuff is EXPENSIVE! And, the gift certs are great for all the things you don't think of until after they get here!

Hope this helps! Shannon

 

I thought of two more things:

1) Comfy bear bath sponge (great for sponge baths in the beginning as a place to set them, and then great to use in the baby bathtub to keep them from slipping down).

2) Land's End Diaperbag Backpack.

 

I know this is gonna sound crazy, but my must-have list only consists of 4 things....

lots of baby einstein dvd's ( not vhs's, cause they don't have repeat play) Very important for sleeping babies, and worked amazingly when the girls were as young as 3 months, calmed them down every time.

2 walkers, kept them busy cruising around our house when I needed a break- also great for concrete patios come summer.

2 swings, ( battery operated) luved these too, and only changed the battery once.

I also loved Robeez, those great little shoes never came off and I went through 4 pairs each, expensive but worth it!

try anything once, with 2 babies it's a whole new deal-
congrats, and wishing you a great pregnancy! p

Drew Dakota & Shae Leighanne Nov 24/03
Our little man, Stone Jackson Oct 24/06

 

I read the first 10 and so if this repeats anything sorry!

FYI on the tiny love, they have a multiples program. Call their 800 number to find out more, it's buy one, get one free (people can call and buy things for you for your shower this way as well)! They have such great products, they tiny love play mats are WONDERFUL!!

Bumbo, Jumperoo, GOWNS for the first two months, I loved my papasan chairs - my kids just outgrew them at 9 months, baby einstien is a MUST (baby Noah is a FAV)!

OH! We have the Fisher Price Intellitainers. Hard to find now, not sure what that is about but they are wonderful for twins because they can slide the little chairs toward each other and hold hands (if you put them end on end). Anyway, for an "exersaucer" it's twin-friendly IMO - my friend said she saw them at Big Lots the other day. If you want two - RUN!! LOL! They are not at Target anymore. There are days I couldn't live without these!

 

We definitely needed our Duoglider, 2 Graco Snugrides, some type of baby bed (for us that was two pack n plays), 2 bouncers, a swing, Medela Pump in Style, and lots of diapers/wipes/diaper cream. Everything else was negotiable.

At 2.5 months old we got the Podee Hands-Free Bottles and those became my one must have baby item. I liked that they let me hold both girls during feeding and I could also feed them in the stroller or car if they suddenly got hungry.