What 'stuff' has helped you the most?

I am expecting twins, but wanted to get advice from those of you who have BTDT

What item(s) has helped you the most during the first year? I am putting together a shopping list/wish list and wanted to get input.

Thanks mamas!!!

 

If I were you, I'd put together a "borrowing" list and talk to friends and familly with kids. We borrowed 2 swings and they were life savers for a time but now neither baby is interested (haven't been used since 12 weeks). I had two fancy vibrating chairs which were useless, but the cheap bouncy chairs we have are a major hit. I couldn't live without my pack and play on the first floor (the bedrooms are upstairs but we spend much of the day and do baths downstairs).

QUOTE(Mama Bear @ Jun 28 2007, 06:34 PM) [snapback]310995[/snapback]
I am expecting twins, but wanted to get advice from those of you who have BTDT

What item(s) has helped you the most during the first year? I am putting together a shopping list/wish list and wanted to get input.

Thanks mamas!!!

 

Def. swings... ours love theirs still and that was the only place they would sleep during our 8 wks of colic. I never had (or have) any use for my EZ nurser pillow but others love them. I might be interested in selling mine I guess. Besides that lots of sleepers and onsies for clothes. A double stroller for sure, we have 2 duo gliders (one borrowed to have one to keep in the car). Bouncy seats are pretty good when they are ready for some stimulation. I am sure I wil think of more!! Hope I helped a lil.

 

We loved our swing (we only used one between the two babies), 2 bouncy chairs and now that we tandem nurse fairly often, we get lots of use out of our EZ 2 Nurse pillow. I nursed one at a time in the earlier days so it collected dust for awhile, but now I am using it more and more. Oh and a snap and go stroller makes it really easy to load up and go shopping. We have a great side by side stroller which we use for long walks, but the snap and go is great for trips to the mall or the doctor's. I will be really sad when we outgrow it...

 

I couldn't live without my double stroller or my swings. I also have a schedule that I keep of the twins feedings, poops, wets, naps, medicines, etc that has been invaluable to me. I made mine in Excel but they sell them at some of the twin stores (justmultiples.com,etc.) to.

 

QUOTE(AppleDumplings @ Jun 28 2007, 06:16 PM) [snapback]311054[/snapback]
I couldn't live without my double stroller or my swings. I also have a schedule that I keep of the twins feedings, poops, wets, naps, medicines, etc that has been invaluable to me. I made mine in Excel but they sell them at some of the twin stores (justmultiples.com,etc.) to.

snap n go stroller! Love it couldn't live without it, also infant to toddler rocker Love it when I first bought the girls home from the hospital they slept it it it reclines a way back for newborns..

 

I'm going to echo the others and say the swings ... my kids love them ... my son likes the bouncy seat, but his sis is still a little small, and she kinda slumps in it, so she doesn't like it that much. I actually love my boppy pillows ... the kids slept in the them the first couple weeks and just like to hang out in them ... sometimes me and DH will put both boppies on our bed with the kids in them and all just kinda hang out together... also Jake had some spit up issues, so he would hang out in his boppy after he ate to keep him upright...

twins are fun! get ready!

 

Burp cloths, onesies, nightgowns, snap up sleeper outfits, blankets to swaddle, lots of different pacis (who knows what they will like), swings, bouncy seats, and LOTS OF HELP (I had none after 4 weeks).

 

We love our bouncy chairs, our swings, swaddle blankets, nursing pillow, sling, and our digital camera! We had way too many clothes though- and they grow out of them so fast.

 

if you are going to nurse, get a ez to nurse pillow- it makes it TONS easier to do them at the same time! i was in HEAVEN the first day i used mine! we also had 2 regular boppy's, which husband and sitters used to prop them if having to feed at hte same time.
as for the swings, we used them a little early on, but neither one really LOVED them. i would recommend getting one and seeing how it works- some take up a LOT Of room! if they both like it,you can always get another one, and if not, you saved yourself room and money. :good:
they did like the bouncy seats though, with the little bar taht goes over it with toys on it. they stil play with that.
we have 2 exersaucers and use them lots every day. you can't use them until they can sit up /hold head up well, but they're great once they can! just somewhere to entertain them safely while you put breakfast dishes away real quick or get bottles ready.
a duo stroller you can snap the carseats in is a MUST.
we still use a white noise machine to help with sleeping (and drown out some of the other more INTERSTING household noises that may interfere with sleep!)
don't worry about registering for blankets- you get a MILLION of them! i can send you a few i(or 10) f you want! :lol:
fyi-get some rest now. you are gonig to need it! good luck with the rest of the pregnancy!!

 

2 swings, bouncers, swaddle blankets, lots of bottles (don't buy the 4 oz size!), gowns, bibs, and double stroller. I've borrowed most of our "2nd" items since we aren't planning to have any more kids. Even if you do have more, you'll probably only need 1 and it's hard getting your money back on some items. Plus they only use a lot of the expensive things (exersaucer, swing, playmats) for a few months.

 

For the first 6 months I could not have lived without our Miracle blankets and an exercise ball. I know it sounds crazy - and I didn't believe it till I tried it, but if you sit and bounce on the ball with the baby they LOVE IT!! When the girls were super cranky and nothing else would work the ball ALWAYS did. There were times that my mom and I would fight over it when both girls were crying. I even traveled with a smaller ball - as I said it sounds NUTS but it saved my life!!

 

I agree with Hillybean, the yoga ball has been one of the most valuable things we have. It got us through colic and reflux (it was the ONLY thing that made the boys calm down - rocking didn't even come close to the ball) and still will calm the boys down and helps get them down for naps of nighttime if they have crossed that line into waaaay too tired. Will I be bouncing them for the rest of my life? I hope not, but for now I wouldn't trade that ball for the world. We got swings and the boys never really took to them. However, you never know, so I say get one and see if it is a hit first so you aren't overwhelmed by stuff. Good luck!

 

My lifesavers are/were: bouncy seats; bottle propers; Baby Bjorn; breathable bumpers; and the exersaucer! Best of luck!

 

We wouldn't be sane now without:

2 Swings - 1 cradle, 1 forward only
2 Boppy Pillows
2 PNP's
2 Bouncy Seats
2 Jumpers - the kind that hang in the doorway
2 Baby Carriers - Snugli
1 Excersaucer
Double Snap N Go stroller
Safety First Monitor that can monitor 3 rooms
Baskets to organize diaper changing supplies on 2 floors
Log book to keep track of everyone's food, sleep and meds
Humidifier - for winter
Fan - for summer
Lots of burp cloths, sleepers, swaddler blankets

We also had way too many clothes in the beginning. They never wore them since they were so small and spent most of the time in sleepers. We didn't get out much for a while.

Congrats!

Help, help and more help -

 

Definately the swing, and the snap-n-go stroller and two very reclining bouncies. These 3 things I used all the time

 

I couldn't live without:
2 swings
Fisher Price Kick 'n Play chair
2 Baby Bijorns
Dr. Brown's bottles
Medela Pump in Style pump
Mylicon

 

Try multi-purpose, easy-to-move stuff. Below are a few inexpensive but amazing items. We tried every expensive piece of gear, but didn't use most of it. Both boys had reflux, so there were lots of positioning issues with cribs, boppies, etc.

Fisher Price baby-to-toddler rocker: vibrates AND rocks (when batteries die), stationary setting for feeding, adjustable head rest for reducing reflux, comfy enough for sleeping, easy to wash liner. 2 yrs later, it's still in use!

Fisher Price 3-in-1 Swing: basically same multi-function seat as above, but it fits into a swing frame or can be used on its own. In hindsight, we could have just gotten 2 of these.

DH swears by the double bottle warmer from first years, called night'n day or something. Ice pack keeps bottles fresh, no need for fridge runs, really fast steam warming, fits all bottles. DH said it made late feedings idiot proof. (I was BFing.)

CHJH hit the nail on the head - try to borrow short time things like double snap-n-go for infant car seats.

Congrats!!

 

I don't think I could survive taking the kids out without the double snap n go stroller. It is truly my favorite item of all and I was fortunate to find mine at a second hand store and bought it for $45. You have to make sure the car seats you choose fit, though. Some don't.

Second, I would say the swings were also a lifesaver. My boys still nap in them (as a matter of fact, they're napping in them right now).

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

 

OhOhOh I almost forgot. We are now using the Evenflo Discovery highchairs. They recline WAY back and are on wheels and can go from room to room easily. Even though our babes are not eating yet and they can not sit up yet they love to sit in them while I am cooking because it gets them up off the floor and they can watch me!! I absolutely love them (2 of them by the way)!!! I got one for a shower gift from several people pooling together and one from my mom for her "big" gift to us!! They are also adjustable highth wise to fit any counter or table and they have lil pull out trays for baby food jars to fit in when we get to that point. The girls also sit in them when I get a phone call or something and they sit and watch the ceiling fan in the dinning room... and I will admit they even have napped in them once or twice. I dont like to leave the room however when they are in them just because they are "high" chairs but they do have buckles and there really isnt anyway they can manuver out of them.

 

Okay that was the Evenflo Reflection series highchair not the Discovery series... I just went and double checked.

 

I didn't read other posts so sorry if someone already put this. We bought the $20 bouncy seats at Walmart and they were so nice because they could recline back and the babies could lay in them without slouching over. I definitely recomend them. I also bought a regular swing and then a fold up swing to help with space.