Tons of questions!

Can I just say I love having a place where I can ask questions and get answers! :yahoo: !

Anyway any responses would be greatly appreciated:

1. What type of stroller do you have for the twins? There are honestly not as many out there as there are for singletons and I'm lost when it comes to deciding which one to get.

2. Amnio's : As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a rare connective tissue disease, my doc told me they could do an amnio to determine if the EDS has been given to my children or not, but that it was a decision that marshall and I would have to make. The way I look at it is, it's not going to change anything. What is ya'lls perspective?

3. Natural childbirth or C-Section? My doc said that depending on if both babies are in position that will determine whether or not they do a C-Section, how many of ya'lls twin births resulted in natural or c-section?

4. One crib or two? I've been reading that it's best to have them in one crib for a while and then separate them. If you had them in one crib, when did you separate them?

5. Swings! Holy Moly there are a ton out there, how do you decide which ones, also do I get 1 or 2?

6. Changing tables --- one of the cribs we've been looking at has the changing table attached -- do yall recommend changing tables, do you actually use them??

7. 3d/4d ultrasound -- when did you get one done (if you did)

8. Small space and tight income -- right now we're living in a fairly small house (we weren't planning for kids quite yet) and Marshall is the only one working (I was going back to school when I got pregnant). How do you make it on a tight budget and how do you maximize the space for what is needed for the babies.

9. Pets and animals : We have cats (they have basically been our children for a while), obviously Marshall took over litter box duties, but honestly the cats are so used to being the center of attention, I don't know how they're going to do with the babies. What have your experiences been?

10. This i guess seems like a silly question but if you have di/di twins that are the same sex how do you know if they're fraternal or identical prior to birth? My doc said that they could have split early on and gone into two sacs.

11. Pack n' Plays -- which ones are the best?

12. Bassinet or portable crib? I want our babies to sleep in our room for a while, which do you recommend?


I know the questions are kind of all over the place but I was typing while I was thinking about them

Thanks for all the help ladies!

 

Dang it, I was on #12 and I hit the wrong button and deleted all of my answers!

Okay, quick answers:
1. double snap and go for the first several months. That will give you time to find a good maneuverable stroller used.
2. Amnio - no experience
3. I requested a c-section, but it turned out to be a moot point since A was breech and I had pre-eclampsia
4. two cribs eventually, my two shared a crib until they were 6 months
5. One plug in swing, one bouncer.
6. Changing table - buy used
7. 3D/4D - didn't have one done because I was getting ultrasounds at least monthly from the peri
8. Buy as much stuff used as you can. Clothes, strollers, cribs, high chairs, furniture, look into minicribs and stackables if you are short on space. Just buy one of the big ticket toy items unless they both love the item.
9. Pets adjust. We have 2 dogs and 2 cats. They're all fine.
10. You don't know 100% until they're born. Get a DNA test if their blood type is the same. TS has an ad up top usually for the genetic company that does DNA tests.
11. Whatever is cheap or free. We had one cheap PnP, one expensive PnP with the changing table and basinette, and that one broke first. The cheap one was still going when we gave it away.
12. Whichever has the higher weight limit.

What part of FL are you from? I'm originally from Plant City.

 

1. I used a Graco DuoGlider. The Graco car seats fit in it, which is a huge plus. It's held up well over the years, I gave it away when I was done and it was given away after that, someone is still using it!

2. I had the same thought as you on the amnio, the results didn't change anything so I never did it.

3. My Dr. was willing to deliver my twins naturally as long as twin A was head down. When the day came, Twin A was head down and Twin B was transverse (sideways). Both were born naturally with no complications. They were also much easier to deliver than my singleton!!

4. I bought 2 at the same time simply because the store gave us a discount on the second one. They slept in the same crib until they were about 6 months old.

5 & 6. Check Craig's list or local consignment/second hand shops. I did have two swings for the twins, both were given to me. I love having a changing table, I think it's an absolute necessity. It keeps everything together and organized. When my twins were babies, I lived in a one story house so I had one in their room. With Josh (my singleton), I had one upstairs (in his room) and one downstairs in the living room. Since we moved this week, I only have one since we are in a one story house again.

7. I never did the 3d or 4d for either. It wasn't offered to me with the twins and I opted out with Josh. It had absolutely no value other than to "see" him. With the twins, I got regular ultrasounds all the time. Once a month, then every two weeks, then once a week and finally twice a week when I went overdue.

8. Somebody can probably give better advice on this than me. I worked after my twins because I couldn't afford not to, and all their stuff pretty much just took over. I packed up a lot and threw out a lot of stuff.

9. I only had my dog when the twins were born, and she took right to them. She loved them and they loved her. With the baby, we have cats. They adapted very well to having a baby in the house. I did some reading and it's suggested that you play baby noises for them or offer them something that smells like a baby before hand, I never did any of that. The only prep work I did was putting tin foil on the stuff I didn't want them getting into, like the crib, changing table, etc. Honestly now the cats are very protective of Josh. They run to him when he starts crying and if I don't get there fast enough, they start meowing! I even pet-sat a friend's cat for a month when Josh was about a month old, and my two cats would not tolerate that cat anywhere near the baby!!

10. My twins are fraternal boys and were in separate sacs. My Dr. told me there was no way to know for sure until they were born and then it's a blood test. When mine were born though, it was obvious they are not identical!

11. Again, I use a Graco pack n'play. In fact, the one I used for the twins is the same one I use for Josh. I had given it to someone else and she gave it back to me when I was pregnant with Josh, she didn't need it anymore.

12. I've always used the pack n'play in my room.

Hope that helps!

 

1. We also have a Graco Duoglider & we like it, no complaints.

2. For myself, we opted out of all of the 1st trimester genetic screens (CVS, amnio, etc) as we knew it wouldn't change anything & each of those tests does carry a small risk of causing adverse side effects.

3. My girls were both spontaneous, vaginal births. My OB recommended a cesarean birth but when asked why she kept giving me a list of things that "might" go wrong during labour. For myself, I didn't want to introduce the risks of a cesarean birth unless necessary to save my life or my babies' lives.

4. We had two but they slept together in one crib for the first little while as they were co-bedded for the two weeks they were in the NICU.

5. If you can find one that plugs in rather than runs on batteries, get that! Not all babies like the motion of the swing so it may be better to purchase one for now & see whether they both like it or not. You may be able to get away with rotating them.

6. I have a couple of different change "areas" in my house (one on each floor), but have never owned an official change table. I have a water proof mat at each station as well as diapers, covers (we cloth diapered), extra snappis, wipes & water, & bum cream.

7. We had so many ultrasounds with the girls (they were mono-di) that were progressively more & more uncomfortable as the pregnancy continued that you would have had to pay me to go to one that wasn't medically indicated.

8. Breastfeeding & cloth diapering are both big money savers, although can be tricky with twins. It's good to have a plan of attack & then a plan B as well. In our area, there was a cloth diaper service that had a flat rate for twins & while it cost more than using our own cloth diapers, was still significantly cheaper than disposable. We used the service for the first 6 months. Once I felt I had a handle on things & could do a few extra loads of laundry without losing my mind, we switched to our own cloth diapers. As for breastfeeding, do some reading & prep on it pre-babies. Know what resources are available to you in your area (lactation consultants, certified lactation educators, La Leche League, breast pump purchases/rentals, twin nursing pillows, etc) so that if you run into road bumps you'll know where to go for help. Breastfeeding, especially with twins, can be a huge investment of time & energy in the beginning, but it does pay off. You'll also save money because you won't be going out much.

In terms of space - think vertical! I came across the idea of using clear shoe organizers to store kids craft supplies but I think those would be good for storing all types of things & they can be hung anywhere.

9. Our cats did absolutely fine with the transition. We just made sure to keep them away from the babies when they were sleeping by closing the bedroom door. To be honest, I'm the one that's had the problems - I'm embarrassed to admit it but I can't stand our cats now. I can't wait till they keel over & we can be pet free. :blush: With so much baby work they just have been one more chore rather than the loving companions I use to see them as. Thankfully, my husband still showers them with love & attention and our girls have really grown to love them as they've gotten older so I hope that makes up for me not liking them anymore.

10. You can check their blood types after birth. If those are also the same, the only 100% sure way is a DNA test.

11. We never used them. For traveling, we used these. They took up less space & were lighter.

12. We had enough room to set up one of the cribs in our room so that's what we did.

 

1. Try them out. Make sure you try folding them and keep in mind you may have two screaming kiddos in the hot or cold car waiting for you to get it packed away. It is a personal choice really on what will work. Looks at consignment shops that way you don’t invest a ton.

2. We choose to not have any testing done other then the in depth Ultra Sound. Not even blood tests. The reason was that it would not make a difference so the slight risk with an amnio wasn’t worth it.

3. C-section but mine had nothing to do with positions or twins. I was c-section no matter what due to multiple abdominal surgeries and health reasons.

4. We got two cribs. We used one in our room after the boys came home from the NICU. At 4 months they started co-sleeping with us. Never really used the cribs after that.

5. Start with just one. Some babies don’t like them. We ended up with two but started with only one. Also check consignment stores for cheaper swings.

6. We did have a changing table and we did use it. It was sit up in our bedroom. It wasn’t a necessity and we could have managed without it but it was nice to have everything organized. I ended having several baskets around the house with diapers, wipes, creams.

7. Honestly I have never been disappointed that we didn’t get it done and the money saved was nice. I was high risk and ended up seeing my ob every other week starting my 1st trimester and sometimes weekly and the peri 1x per month until 24 weeks. At that time I started seeing both weekly. Each did u/s so I got tons of pictures.

8. Gave up cable… no time to watch anyway and you can get most shows via internet. Breastfeeding even partially will really save on formula. If you are brave cloth diapers will truly help. I cut lots of coupons for baby stuff. If someone asks what they can get for you ask for diapers in all sizes. Two in diapers is a lot of $$. I buy a lot of items used including clothes. I have a friend who passes me her sons used clothes and some of those she got from a friend. When the boys out grow them I pass them on to someone else who needs them. I take some of their nicer out grown clothes/coats and sell them at a consignment store for store credit. The babies took over the house. And now as preschoolers my house is all toys and children’s books.

9. Before the kids our cat slept in our bed. After the kids we hardly saw her. She was an older cat (put to sleep due to health decline) and did not adjust well.

10. You can do genetic testing if you choose to after they are born. It became obvious that mine were not identical.

11. Never used one and didn’t miss it.

12. Didn’t use either. We rearranged our room so one of the cribs could fit. I wish we had gotten two arms reach cribs since they both ended up in our bed eventually.

 

Thanks for the replys, it certainly helps! I never thought about the swings and being plug ins and forgot about the consignment shops, we have a few around here soley geared to kids. Ill have to go check those out before I buy brand new. I had a good friend that got a lot of clothes/toys from goodwill, she would bleach the toys and clean them really well and then when her son grew out of them she either redonated them or passed it on to someone elae. Many people in our family that have little ones along with our friends have said we could go baby shopping at their house bc they have an over abundance of infant clothes and what not, seems like people are more than willing to pay it forward. One of my friends that has a 3 ye old gave me two huge Rubbermaid totes full of maternity clothes.

 

1. What type of stroller do you have for the twins? I had a snap n go until the boys were out of their infant seats. It was just way easier and I didn't have to wake sleeping babies to put them into a stroller. Once they were out of that I got a baby trend double jogger which I love and I also have a peg perego aria that I keep in the Odyssey for shopping trips etc.

2. Amnio's : As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a rare connective tissue disease, my doc told me they could do an amnio to determine if the EDS has been given to my children or not, but that it was a decision that marshall and I would have to make. The way I look at it is, it's not going to change anything. What is ya'lls perspective? If it won't change anything, why take the risk

3. Natural childbirth or C-Section? My doc said that depending on if both babies are in position that will determine whether or not they do a C-Section, how many of ya'lls twin births resulted in natural or c-section? My plan was for a natural delivery however my boys had different plans when Baby A turned breech at 28 weeks and refused to move and Baby B turned transverse around the same time and refuse to move as well. So c-section it was for me!

4. One crib or two? I've been reading that it's best to have them in one crib for a while and then separate them. If you had them in one crib, when did you separate them? They were in 1 crib until they were about 10-11 weeks old. I moved at that time and inherited another crib and decided to separate them.

5. Swings! Holy Moly there are a ton out there, how do you decide which ones, also do I get 1 or 2? I had 1 swing and one bouncy/vibrating chair. I just alternated them. I had one from my first son that was battery operated. It was a cosco brand swing. It was nothing fancy and served it's purpose.

6. Changing tables --- one of the cribs we've been looking at has the changing table attached -- do yall recommend changing tables, do you actually use them?? I have a changing table in the boys room, I use it in the morning, after nap and after bath, and have since they were newborns. They are now almost 28 months, so yes I would recommend one and yes I use it.

7. 3d/4d ultrasound -- when did you get one done (if you did) Didn't get one done, and regret it!

8. Small space and tight income -- right now we're living in a fairly small house (we weren't planning for kids quite yet) and Marshall is the only one working (I was going back to school when I got pregnant). How do you make it on a tight budget and how do you maximize the space for what is needed for the babies. When I became pregnant with the twins I was living in a small 3 bedroom apartment, and the 3rd bedroom, which was the twins room barely had room for a crib and a change table. They shared a crib, I only bought what was absolutely necessary, and I shopped at a lot of consignment shops. ATM I am a single mom and I go to school and live on a VERY limited budget and I still do a lot of consignment shopping!

9. Pets and animals : We have cats (they have basically been our children for a while), obviously Marshall took over litter box duties, but honestly the cats are so used to being the center of attention, I don't know how they're going to do with the babies. What have your experiences been? No pets here so no help sorry!

10. This i guess seems like a silly question but if you have di/di twins that are the same sex how do you know if they're fraternal or identical prior to birth? My doc said that they could have split early on and gone into two sacs. You would need to do a DNA test, which is a swab on the inside of their cheeks and they send it off to be tested. There is no way to tell before birth.

11. Pack n' Plays -- which ones are the best? I have a baby trend one with the bassinet and change table attachment which I used ALL the time when they were NB as they slept in it during the day and I did all the diaper changing during the day on it as well. I also have a smaller cosco sport pack n play that doesnt have anything fancy on it. Both did/do their jobs.

12. Bassinet or portable crib? I want our babies to sleep in our room for a while, which do you recommend? I don't have any feedback on this as my boys slept in their own room in their own bed/beds from the first day they were brought home from the hospital.

 

1. What type of stroller do you have for the twins? I had the graco duo glider at first that their cars eats just popped into. At about 1 year I got the jeep sbs. It was a lot easier to maneuver and lighter

2. Amnio's : there is a real risk for miscarriage with aminos so unless you would be terminating the pregnancy as an out come of a positive I would do it

3. Natural childbirth or C-Section? C-sect both twins were transverse no choice

4. One crib or two? My girls were in one crib till 14 months then we put Jess in the crib and jazz in a toddler bed

5. Swings! One as neither of my girls ended up liking swings

6. Changing tables --- nope just the bassinet of the pack in play

7. 3d/4d ultrasound -- I was at the top teaching school in the state all their ultrasounds are 3d

8. Small space and tight income -- a small house is great. A) less room to make a mess b) less space for them to hide

9. Pets and animals : my cat loved the twins but she was an indoor out door cat

10. This i guess seems like a silly question but if you have di/di twins that are the same sex how do you know if they're fraternal or identical prior to birth? You don't

11. Pack n' Plays -- graco is what I had a bassinet attachment is a must

12. Bassinet or portable crib? Unless the room is tiny put the pack in play in there. A bassinet or porta crib gets too small too quickly for twins

 

I'm still expecting my twins so I can't answer everything but I will say that everyone else's responses have been very helpful.

1. What type of stroller do you have for the twins? There are honestly not as many out there as there are for singletons and I'm lost when it comes to deciding which one to get. I went with the duoglider because I can snap the car seats in (which will be helpful in church, for dr's appts, etc until they can sit up on their own well). Once they can sit up well, I got a fold-up from Babies R Us that will take up less space and be easier to maneuver.

2. Amnio's : As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a rare connective tissue disease, my doc told me they could do an amnio to determine if the EDS has been given to my children or not, but that it was a decision that marshall and I would have to make. The way I look at it is, it's not going to change anything. What is ya'lls perspective? If it's not going to change anything, I wouldn't bother.

3. Natural childbirth or C-Section? My doc said that depending on if both babies are in position that will determine whether or not they do a C-Section, how many of ya'lls twin births resulted in natural or c-section? Can't answer this yet but my doctor won't even talk much about natural vs c-section yet until we get closer to full-term. It helps though that she was my doctor with my oldest and already knows that I want a natural birth if at all possible.

4. One crib or two? I've been reading that it's best to have them in one crib for a while and then separate them. If you had them in one crib, when did you separate them? I used a bassinet with my oldest until she could almost roll over. I plan on using the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper with these two until the same point. By then, I'll put them in 2 separate cribs. Of course, that's all future plans, so take it with a grain of salt!

5. Swings! Holy Moly there are a ton out there, how do you decide which ones, also do I get 1 or 2? I'm getting a second swing this time around but not because it's twins. We are in a 2 story townhome and I don't want to have to haul anything extra up and down the stairs unless absolutely necessary.

6. Changing tables --- one of the cribs we've been looking at has the changing table attached -- do yall recommend changing tables, do you actually use them?? I still use the changing table attached to my oldest's crib but it probably isn't strictly necessary. I just happen to prefer it.

7. 3d/4d ultrasound -- when did you get one done (if you did) Not getting one

8. Small space and tight income -- right now we're living in a fairly small house (we weren't planning for kids quite yet) and Marshall is the only one working (I was going back to school when I got pregnant). How do you make it on a tight budget and how do you maximize the space for what is needed for the babies. To help save money, I would look for a mothers of multiples or similar group in your area. Many of them have nominal fees and hold regular massive yard sales where other moms of multiples sell the things that they had for their babies. You can check this national organization's website to see what they have in your area: http://www.nomotc.org/index.php?option=com_clubsearch&Itemid=7. You can also google around to see if there are any others. Your doctor or childbirth class instructors may also know of groups in your area. Space can be tricky. I would say to buy certain bulky items that may not be the cheapest (like a stroller) used and that way you can find out whether you'll use it or have room for it without a major cash layout.

9. Pets and animals : We have cats (they have basically been our children for a while), obviously Marshall took over litter box duties, but honestly the cats are so used to being the center of attention, I don't know how they're going to do with the babies. What have your experiences been? Unfortunately, I'm no help here. No pets of our own.

10. This i guess seems like a silly question but if you have di/di twins that are the same sex how do you know if they're fraternal or identical prior to birth? I had wondered this myself. Looks like we'll just have to guess or pay for the DNA test.

11. Pack n' Plays -- which ones are the best? I went for the cheapest one Target had with my oldest - which also happened to be the smallest. I honestly didn't use it that much but it was great for trips and didn't take up a whole lot of room in my car. We'll have that one and after the girls are in cribs, we can convert the arms reach co-sleeper into a PNP.

12. Bassinet or portable crib? I want our babies to sleep in our room for a while, which do you recommend? The bassinet was a huge help for me. I didn't even have to get out of bed to feed my daughter once she got past the point of needing her diaper changed every single time she was fed. But I know several moms that used portable cribs and really like them.

 

1. Double snapngo all the way! It lasted until they were 9 months then I got the Kolcraft Countours which I still use. I bought my DSNG used for $40 on Craigslist and sold it for the same amount a year later on craigslist.

2. If it doesn't change anything don't worry yourself with a test that may not be accurate :hug:

3. Having had both, natural is much easier to recover from. If its not medically necessary, don't do a c/s.

4. Two. My boys hated being in the same crib. Only happened twice as newborns.

5. I'd start with one and see how they like it. Plug ins are best - we went through a pack of D batteries a week with our non plug in.

6. I did most changing on the floor. They can't roll off of it.

7. Nope.

8. Amazon Mom for diapers, make our own wipes and laundry soap. As they grow out of clothes/things keep a donate bag and get rid of it.

9. Our cat meowed to let me know a baby was crying too. When they got mobile the cat then had to run.

10. You dont. I have di/di identicals myself. I did a DNA test at 2 weeks- it was so much fun to get the results!

11. One with a bassinet top.

12. Use a PNP. I have the FP Rainforest Bassinet and my baby is the 3rd in a row who hates it.

 

1. Graco duo glider. I had a little bit of a hard time figuring out how to open the thing but I eventually got it. I liked it, especially in the early days, because I could snap the car seats right in it.
2. Hmmm...I don't know much about your medical condition but my feeling is I wouldn't do it. Especially if you feel the results won't change anything.
3. My OB's office would not deliver vaginally if Baby A was breech. Since she was breech, I had a scheduled c-section.
4. We had our two in one crib for 6 months. Then they got too big to share it and our rooms were not big enough to hold two cribs, so at 6 months they were separated into their own rooms.
5. I had the Boppy swings. My son loved the swing, my daughter could only tolerate it for a few minutes. I'd start off with one for now and maybe get another later if it turns out they both like it.
6. I used changing tables, so I would recommend them. My daughter's crib had the changing table attached, which was nice until she started to be able to climb and we had to move all of the supplies out of her reach, since one day I found her crying on top of her changing table covered in petroleum jelly. I got a 30.00 changing table from IKEA for my son's room.
7. I did not get the 3d/4d u/s done.
8. Trim from your budget what you can. Buy generic/use coupons. Our house is small and we just had to figure out what would work with our space and what didn't.
9. I have cats. When the kids were born we had two cats. I had two blankets that my husband wrapped the kids in and he took the blankets home for the cats to smell. Believe me, pre kids, our cats were (and still are) spoiled rotten. They did wonderful with the kids. I still can remember if one the babies was crying in the nursery our black cat would come in the room and meow at us to make sure we were getting the baby (or tell us to keep the child quiet). The cats really did not miss a beat, they were curious but very cautious around the babies.
10. N/a
11. I had a Graco pack and play. We used the bassinet part quite a bit when the kids were newborns and then after that mainly for traveling. Some friends gave us their old pack and play, so we had a second one for traveling as well.
12. N/A Our twins did not sleep in our room.

 

Oh I did have 2 boppy's

 

type of stroller do you have for the twins? We .moved the snap n go! So easy I hated when we had to stop using it. After that we got a side by side, but I can't remember the brand. I like it much better than the long strollers .

2. Amnio's : if your disorder would impact something with the babies during or right after birth, then consider it. Otherwise, there is no need.

3. Natural childbirth or C-Section? I had a drug-free vaginal birth with the twins. They were both head down, so I was very lucky. Really the outcome of healthy babies is what matter, not the method they get here.

4. One crib or two? We has 2 but only used one until they were standing up in the crib and waking the other up.

5. Swings! All of my kids have loved swings. We had one from our first and borrowed one from a friend so we had 2. The swing is one of those things that is used for a few months and then done. We got the aquarium swing, loved it,

6. Changing tables --- 3 kids, never used our changing table-not once.

7. 3d/4d ultrasound -- when did you get one done (if you did) Did not get one.

8. Small space and tight income -- no matter how much space you have baby stuff will be all over for a while. My house has never been and will never be neat and tidy though. Stick to whatever budget you have set. Buy used as often as possible.

9. Pets and animals : We had 6 cats when the boys were born. They didn't miss a beat. We did lock them out of the bedroom while the babies were sleeping in our room. They regained access whenever the babies were not in the room. We did no pet preparations, they all did fine. Some cats will get jealous or be a little mad for a bit, but they usually do fine. Be keenly aware of their health when the babies come home. Stress can cause urinary tract infections. Don't assume they are just mad if they pee on something, go to the vet. Watch food intake too. We also have 2 parrots, but they didn't care either.

10. This i guess seems like a silly question but if you have di/di twins that are the same sex how do you know if they're fraternal or identical prior to birth? Already answered.

11. Pack n' Plays -- we got a Graco, never used the changing table thing. Ours had a vibrating thing in the mattress which the boys loved. The pack n play had a bassinet top that was removable.

12. Bassinet or portable crib? We used the pack n play for them to sleep in until they moved to cribs. No need to buy multiple things.

I know the questions are kind of all over the place but I was typing while I was thinking about them

 

Can I just say, Ya'll ROCK!!! :hug: Being able to get answers so quickly and answers I understand is phenomenal!!

 

1. Double snap and go for sure, and my next stroller is going to be a city mini double because I love the fold, AMAZING for getting in and out of the car.

2. We had the same feeling about amnios and didn't do one. To us the risks far outweigh the benefits.

3. I had natural, I'm terrified of C's and so thankful I didn't have one, but would have done what was best for the babies. However, I've spent A LOT of time researching natural CB so I knew what risks I felt comortable taking in order to avoid a C.

4. mine are 10 wks and still in one porta crib.

5. I got two hand me downs. Easy decision, work just as well

6. As my older daughter got older and her poops got grosser and messier, I definitely started to use it. But we just have a changing pad on a low dresser, not a designated changing table. Also a good way to save space Otherwise I just use my bed or the couch.

7. Didn't do it.

8. tight budget: We just don't buy anything. Twins and twin pregnancy are very conducive to not shopping, you will see No seriously, I don't buy clothes for me, my daughter has mostly hand me downs, second hand and grandparent gifts. We don't have cable, don't buy expensive cuts of meat, before my twins were born I hang dried everything besides for socks and underwear and towels and sheets. We don't use papergoods, including paper towels. I look for everything on craigslist before I buy it new. I get updates from a few niche deal bloggers who post deals for things I'm interested in. (baby deal blog, kosher deals, etc) Space: I am still trying to figure this one out, we live in a 1000 sf apartment. I throw out/goodwill things constantly. I keep things under beds. If we don't have space for it, I don't buy it, and that includes toys, furniture, tchochkes, etc. We have very little 'stuff'.

9. No pets, sorry.

10. Mine don't look alike at all! Completely different coloring and faces.

11. I've honestly never seen the point in having a pack n play for use in your own house. What does everyone use it for? We have one, but that's because we frequently go away for the weekend.

12. We have a portacrib, I think many have a higher weight limit than bassinets. Hope this helps!! Good luck!

 

1. We had a snap and go inline double stroller and then a jeep side-by-side umbrella stroller when our girls outgrew the inline one.

2. We didn't have an amnio but it sounds like your circumstances are different than ours.

3. My wife had a c-section by choice at 36 weeks.

4. We started with our girls in one crib and then moved them to two by 6 months.

5. We bought a used swing at a consignment shop. We only had one and that worked fine since we were able to rotate the babies through it. The swing was really handy when you needed to take care of one baby and needed the other to be content without being held.

6. The changing table we used was left over from our older kids. It was much more convenient than changing diapers on the floor.

7. We had a 3d ultrasound in the 2nd trimester. In contrast to the regular ultrasound it was amazing to see our girls moving around in such detail.

8. I considered moving to a bigger house when we found out we were having twins but decided to make due with what we had. We doubled up the kids in the same bedroom. The question we always asked was: "how can we make this work?" and that often lead to creative solutions to budget and space constraints.

9. Sorry, we don't have any pets.

10. Our doctor always said that you won't know for sure until they are born. A DNA test can ultimately settle the debate.

11. We've loved our Graco Pack n' Plays. They have been durable and served us well even when the kids got a little older and would jump in them like crazy.

12. You might be able to reuse your pack n' play. We had our girls in their own room as soon as we were home from the hospital. So they slept in their crib from the beginning.

Best of luck in your preparations!

 

1. I have the Chicco Together because it went with the carseats we used. We also have two separate cheap-o umbrella strollers that we got before going on vacation last year because there was no way that beast of a stroller would have fit in our rental car with all our luggage!

2. Amnio was not needed for me- I would do it IF there was indication of other issues. I turned down the screenings the first few times they were offered then finally did it just because it was just a blood draw, but I wouldn't do invasive amnio testing unless ultrasound or screening indicated a need for more testing and that is just because I would like to know what I'd be facing so I could be prepared.

3. I was all prepared to go natural. My peri would have delivered even if breech but my regular OB delivered and ended up scheduling a c-section for the following day at 36 weeks after non-stress test/ulrasound showed low fluid for baby B. I was fine with it- it wasn't that big of a deal to me and I just wanted them out and healthy. That is a personal decision and I know delivery is very important to some people.

4. We use two now but they shared until about 3 months whe they started moving enough to bug each other. They still share a room and now stand in their cribs and toss stuffed animals back and forth. I've put a video camera in their room on the shalf and recorded them playing. Hilarious!

5. My kids weren't that into swings. I got a basic used one from Craigslist that plugged in or used batteries and I received one of the fancy ones that go back and forth. Neither of mine liked that one (but my cousin's baby loves it). I alternated one in swing, one in vibrating chair (they liked those more...we had two of those). Every baby is different! Buy one, see how it goes and get another if they both love it is always an option! Craigslist is great for nice, inexpensive used stuff like that!

6. Changing tables - I do use mine and I love it. My kids are reaching the weight limit though and I kind of wish we'd gone with the dresser with changing table top rather than separate changing table. Maybe base on how much room you have? I think it's nice to stand while changing them, not hunch over on a bed or floor. Easier for my husband too, especially because he is very tall. (His height was a consideration for double stroller too- the Chicco has an adjustable handlebar that can be raised or lowered)

7. I didn't know we were having twins until after my quad screen (blood draw only) came back with high numbers and I was sent for 4D. The high numbers were because there were two babies. This was found at 17 weeks. I went in for 3d/4d almost monthly after that and I think you will find frequent ultrasounds are pretty standard in a multiple pregnancy as it's considered high risk no matter how healthy they are. Mine always did 2 d then switched on 3d and I always came home with stacks of photos. I didn't make a special appt for it. The 20 week ultrasound where they do the anatomy scan was almost 2 hrs of ultrasound fun.

8. Small space and tight income -- Rummage sales, Craiglist. If you plan to breastfeed/pump....food is free for as long as you continue or until you add solids anyway. I made my own baby food easy, cheap, and healthy. Later- have them eat what you eat as much as possible. We go out to eat a lot and I have yet to order the junk they sell on the kids menu. They eat bites of our food. As for space...they don't require a lot for the first year or so. You can always take them to parks, to the mall play areas, etc. I work p/t at night and my husband works f/t during the day. We don't see a ton of each other except on weekends, but we don't need childcare either. Do you have family/friends that can help out?

9. Pets and animals : They will adjust. I have two dogs I(a boxer and a bassett hound) and they learned quickly that their place in the household dropped two notches when the kids came home. We do make time for them after the kids go to bed and have them up on the couch for snuggle time. the kids are now old enough to play with them too. They will get used to it.

10. I don't know this one

11. Pack n' Plays -- which ones are the best? I don't know...we got two used. They both have the top bassinet thing- no changing table incorporated but just an attachment that is all level and basically just brings the bottom up a lot higher. Nothing special. Honestly I feel a lot of that stuff is gimmicky. Do you really need a changing table in your pack and play? I had one set up in the living room and they napped in it when they were small and I use them for cribs when travelling if there's no other option. One is a Jeep brand one and the other is Graco. Graco was easier to take down (putting up was the easy part for both!)

12. We never did this so...? If you're getting a Pack & Play anyway though and money is kind of tight, I would personally just go with that. probably would get longer and more varied use out of it.

 

I won't be able to answer all questions, but here's a couple thoughts.

I never used a pack-n-play...that's just me but saw no need for it.

Don't get 2 swings at first (unless it's shower presents, but don't open both). One of my boys was not a swinger, and thankully we just borrowed and extra one (I already had one from my first born).

Don't get a changing table attached to a crib. Once those little monkies start climbing, they'll use that and they'll be out of their crib in no time. It's too risky and there's a high chance they could fall. My DH made a dresser (waist high) that I just threw a changing pad on and used that.

Get 2 cribs. Mine lasted about 3 weeks in the same crib as one boy would leak through and I would have to change sheets in the night while the other was sleeping peacefully...I had to wake a sleeping baby to do that which is NOT a good thing!

I didn't find out genders before they were born, so I didn't know if there was a chance that they would be identical or fraternal. I knew they were in separate sacs so there was no chance of TTTS.

I had a 3D US, complimentary (I work at the hospital and it was a new piece of equipment and they wanted to experiment on a mom of multiples). It was a bust as there was not enough water and too much baby.

Bassinet - I never used one. They were in their room the entire time as I could hear them just fine. I used a bassinet for my oldest and she was too loud of a sleeper and would keep me awake at night.

Amnio - never had one as it wouldn't change anything for me.

Strollers - I had a Graco Duoglider until they were about 15 months old and the boy in the back would start to pull hair/kick the boy in the front. Then I switched to a Chicco side-by-side, which then they would hit each other. You just can't win. But anyway the side-by-side was a little hard to navigate in stores (if they're packed with shopping racks), but I loved the baskets in it better and it was perfect for zoos, Disney, etc.

Good luck!!!!!

 

1. What type of stroller do you have for the twins? There are honestly not as many out there as there are for singletons and I'm lost when it comes to deciding which one to get. Double snap and go! I was able to use it until my girls turned 1 when they were out of the infant seat.

2. Amnio's : As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a rare connective tissue disease, my doc told me they could do an amnio to determine if the EDS has been given to my children or not, but that it was a decision that marshall and I would have to make. The way I look at it is, it's not going to change anything. What is ya'lls perspective? I agree with everyone else about the risk. Unless the results will help your doctors better prepare for their birth, I don't know if I'd do it.

3. Natural childbirth or C-Section? My doc said that depending on if both babies are in position that will determine whether or not they do a C-Section, how many of ya'lls twin births resulted in natural or c-section? C-section- both were breech and I have medical issues that prevented me from even trying a vaginal birth.

4. One crib or two? I've been reading that it's best to have them in one crib for a while and then separate them. If you had them in one crib, when did you separate them? Two. We didn't even use the cribs until my girls were about 5 months old. Before then, they shared a pack in play with bassinet attachment in our bedroom. Then we separated them at 5 months because they were rolling on each other.

5. Swings! Holy Moly there are a ton out there, how do you decide which ones, also do I get 1 or 2? I had a big graco and a little travel boppy swing. I didn't think we'd need two, but both of my girls napped well in swings when they were teeny so it was great to have 2. I loved the little travel swing. Folded up great and the music was much less grating than the graco.

6. Changing tables --- one of the cribs we've been looking at has the changing table attached -- do yall recommend changing tables, do you actually use them?? Yes to a changing table. In the beginning I just use the changing table attachment for the pnp, but when they got bigger I used the dedicated changing table in their room. I bought it used off craigslist and its now their dresser in their bedroom. I would suggest NOT getting the crib with the attachment because it makes it easier for them to climb out of their cribs AND easier for them to reach and throw off diapering accessories on the floor when in their cribs!

7. 3d/4d ultrasound -- when did you get one done (if you did) I had regular u/s all the time during my pregnancy because I was high risk. 4d wasn't an option at my peri's office.

8. Small space and tight income -- right now we're living in a fairly small house (we weren't planning for kids quite yet) and Marshall is the only one working (I was going back to school when I got pregnant). How do you make it on a tight budget and how do you maximize the space for what is needed for the babies. Buy second hand. I got my girls' cribs and changing table on craigslist. Beautiful furniture for a bargain price. Don't buy everything at once. I didn't get exersaucers or walkers or anything until my girls were ready for them- and again, I got them used. If you have a BJ wholesale near you, consider joining. They take manufacturers coupons and their own coup's. We saved a ton of money on diapers and wipes at BJs.

9. Pets and animals : We have cats (they have basically been our children for a while), obviously Marshall took over litter box duties, but honestly the cats are so used to being the center of attention, I don't know how they're going to do with the babies. What have your experiences been? No experience.

10. This i guess seems like a silly question but if you have di/di twins that are the same sex how do you know if they're fraternal or identical prior to birth? My doc said that they could have split early on and gone into two sacs. It was very obvious after my girls were born that they were not identical. They were practically the same size, but had very different features. Also in the NICU we found out they don't have the same blood type.

11. Pack n' Plays -- which ones are the best? I had two eddie bauer ones. We had one set up in the living room for the daytime, and one in our bedroom for night. They had a bassinet attachment, a changing table attachment, and a mobile. I liked them.

12. Bassinet or portable crib? I want our babies to sleep in our room for a while, which do you recommend? We just used the pnp with bassinett attachment.

 

1. I had 3 strollers a duo glider , a Countours stroller where the twins can face each other, a Fisher Price All terrain stroller which looks more like a wagon what I REALLY WANTED. Was a
City mini double stroller but I had already spent a fortune in strollers and my twins are stroller haters and have been since day 1

2. My family has a history of Down syndrome, I refused the amnio because like you said it would not have changed my plan

3. I had a c section my baby A was breech and B was transverse

4. I had 2 cribs but ended up using one as a changing table, my girls love(d) to sleep together

5. I had travel swings with the twins, with this new baby I found a swing at a yard sale and bought it. Good thing because he is a swing hater LOL!

6. I ended up using a crib as a changing table at times but I was hardly ever in their room, I tend to always change diapers on my bed, on the couch or even on the floor (on a bath towel)
With this new baby I didn't even bother with a changing table. The pack n play that I bought has one attached which I use from time to time.

7. With my twins the peri did a 3D because I asked but we never got a good pic - with this baby I went to a place that only does 3D/4D ultrasounds i had mine done at 31 weeks and it was
AWESOME, I loved every second of it, I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!!! This place took the time to get great shots!!

8. We already had 3 kids when I got pregnant with the twins, I was put on bed rest at 28 weeks and never went back to work. We lived in a tiny house. I had a great baby shower which
Helped, I went to yard sales, We had smaller travel swings, I actually saw a swing thing at babies r us that you set their infant car seat on that I would have bought had I not gotten the
Travel swings. With this baby I didn't even bother with a crib, he has a pack n play that is in his bedroom (he shares a room with my twins) but he sleeps with me or in his Fisher Price
Newborn rock and play bed thing. Which is AWESOME!! He is 8 months old and still sleeps in it

9. We have a little dog that runs and hides under the couch from all of our kids LOL!!

10. My girls were di/di I had a hard time telling them apart at first but the older they got the easier it was. Now they look a lot alike we have strangers assume they are identical but they are
So differient to us that we assume they are frats!

11. I just got one with my twins that had a bassinet that went all the way across so that both girls could sleep together. I only had 1 pack n play with the twins.

12. Neither, I highly recommend buying 2 Fisher Price newborn rock and play sleepers!! If you want them to sleep together I would just use the pack n play!

 

1. What type of stroller do you have for the twins? We got a hand me down Graco DuoGlider. It's worked well for us. We also got a side by side Jeep umbrella one... it's hard to steer and we've hardly used it. Mostly at the zoo where we need to fold it up and take it on the train.

2. Amnio's : Didn't have one.

3. Natural childbirth or C-Section? My twin A was breech, so I had a section.

4. One crib or two? We used two cribs since coming home from the NICU

5. Swings! We had just one of the Graco travel swing frames that the car seat just snaps into. It was great. We also used rechargable batteries. We did have two bouncy seat (infant-toddler rockers) which were invaluable to us. Envirably one twin would get rocked with our foot while we were feeding the other one.

6. Changing tables --- ours was a separate unit... we used it tons

7. 3d/4d ultrasound -- didn't have one.

8. Small space and tight income -- my hubby is a teacher, so our income is pretty tight too. We shop resale shops, garage sales and hand me downs. We are WIC and medicaid eligible which helps too. We just make due with little space as well.

9. Pets and animals : My pets were my babies pre kids too... I had 3 cats and 2 dogs when we had the girls. Everyone adjusted fine except me. I was just so busy and overwhlemed, that I found homes for the dogs.

10. This i guess seems like a silly question but if you have di/di twins that are the same sex how do you know if they're fraternal or identical prior to birth? Mine are ID

11. Pack n' Plays -- we had a new Graco one, and a hand me down Graco one. In the early days, I used the bassinet part of the new one. Then, we used them only when we traveled.

12. Bassinet or portable crib? Didn't have either.

 

Thanks for the questions and all the great answers!!! This is great reading for me as I'm expecting.