What do i need for twins and what is a false economy?

[neonrainbow]

I'm 14+3 with twins and have started to collect some stuff from selling sites but before i go over the top i think i need some guidance on what i actually need and how much. Also what was a waste of money for you and what was a life saver? So far I've got 2 moses baskets, a play mat/gym, one bouncer chair, about 30 baby vests (tiny baby and 0-3) and a twin feeding pillow. I have no idea what babies actually need and what is nice to have. I'm planning to try breastfeeding but am aware it may not work out.

[Mabelface]

Another chair, lots of muslin cloths, lots of sleep suits and cardigans, plus a tumble dryer.

[Ffitz]

A good double Pram that you'll still be able to push when they're strapping toddlers. Would recommend the nipper 360 or mountain buggy duet.

[HamNJam]

Any nearly new sales near you? The ones around here were so good for baby stuff.

Double pushchair, you'll want to get out eventually. Don't bother with foot muffs, they'll be too small to begin with so you'll just need some blankets.

Unless you or your partner? don't mind an emergency dash to the shops, best to have some bottles and a steriliser ready (use them for expressed milk too of course).

We didn't use moses baskets, just a cotbed. They went in together for many months, side by side then head to head - I felt they were company for each other.

Muslins and more muslins. All in ones, socks, mitts and hats. We didn't really need a baby bath - they were bathed in the bathroom sink or shallow water in the bath. A changing mat.

Family who came and stayed to help were fantastic, absolute life saver. Good luck

[twinkletoedelephant]

Another vote for nipper 360

2 bouncers and a ton of Muslim clothes

I wanted to bf ( had done successfully ) but twins were tounge tied si had to bottle feed. Most supermarket s are open late and you can get anything your desperate for.

Buy dummies.......even if you don't expect to use them.

Don't buy loads if tiny babies clothes they are not in them for long.

[neonrainbow]

I think we've decided on a Phil and ted voyager pram as it fits in the car and the side by side ones we've tried dont! Thanks for the tip on footmuffs. I was going to buy two cot beds probably ikea ones but put them in one cot together in our room till 6 months. Not sure if that's the right way to go. The moses baskets were free so not fussy if we don't end up using them.

[Iwantagoonthetrampoline]

We put them in moses baskets till about 8 weeks then both in one cot bed in our room till 6 months. Even if they are happy in the cot straight away the baskets will be handy for daytime/living room. Probably 4-6 sheets & 4-6 cellular blankets. Nice to have but not essential - rocking stands for the baskets. Def another bouncy chair.

Changing mat, nappies, nappy bags, water wipes, cotton wool, muslins (about a million). A big, easy to carry bag for all of this and a couple of spare sets of clothes when going out - a rucksack is just as good as any special changing bag. A little fold up changing mat is useful.

Number of clothes depends on whether you have a tumble dryer! get a tumble dryer I think we got though at least 3 sets a day. We didn't really bother with anything more complicated than a vest & babygrow until about 4/5 months. Get the babygrows with the built in scratch mitts, separate mitts just refuse to stay on. You might need a couple of pairs of little socks/booties, cardigans if it's a cold time of year. Sun hats if summer.

The first few weeks are all about the feeding. For breastfeeding a tandem cushion and Lansinoh nipple cream, but tbh knowing where to get good twin bf advice and support is more valuable than any bit of kit. You don't have to buy all the bottle feeding kit too, but it's at least worth knowing what you want and where to get it from quickly as you are more likely to need to express or mix feed (steriliser, pump, about 6-8 bottles). We hired a good hospital grade pump from a private bf consultant, which was great, but I think some maternity units have ones they will lend out for free.

Other things that may be essential to some but not everyone needs - baby monitor, sling/wrap, swaddling cloth, dummies, baby bath/bath support seats. Things that I've never seen the point of - top and tail bowl, nappy bin with special liners, heated wipe holder(?!).

[OrsonWellsHat]

A swing chair, essential IMO

[neonrainbow]

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply everyone.

[toomuchtooold]

We had a Weego twin baby carrier - that was awesome, as for the first 14 weeks or so they would only nap on me or in the buggy. Would second the recommendation of a swing, and jumperoos too for when they are a bit older, if you can get one second hand.

Having blacked out windows in the nursery will help them sleep - we got blackout material from easyblackout but TBH you can easily black out the windows with dampened tinfoil.

[toomuchtooold]

We had a Weego twin baby carrier - that was awesome, as for the first 14 weeks or so they would only nap on me or in the buggy. Would second the recommendation of a swing, and jumperoos too for when they are a bit older, if you can get one second hand.

Having blacked out windows in the nursery will help them sleep - we got blackout material from easyblackout but TBH you can easily black out the windows with dampened tinfoil.

[Rootvegetables]

We had a cot bed downstairs for nappy changes, the odd sleep and somewhere they wouldn't get trodden on. And one upstairs which we put stuff in as they were never in it! There are a few breastfeeding multiples support groups on Facebook if you wanted to have a look. I'd definitely stick with sleep suits and layers in the early days instead of fiddly outfits as you will always pass them up for something simple!

[carmells]

Congratulations I have 8 month old twins. It's an absolute joy but also exhausting! I would advise plenty of clothes. 2x cots you will need eventually I used 2 from 4 months. 2x bouncer chairs, pack of 10 baby bottles just incase or for expressing. V shaped pillow for feeding I found better when they were small rather than twin feeding cushion. No need for two of each toys 2x gro bags. Sorry if this is jumbled but I'm quite sleep deprived atm but twins are lots of fun really

[Freco010]

All the above are spot on! You prob don't need as much as you think and we brought everything in good second hand condition. Swing was a big help and I had a ergo carrier when they were a bit bigger. In the first few weeks mine share a Moses basket in the day for sleeping downstairs and then a cot bed in our room at night. The only thing I didn't have enough of were tiny baby clothes.

[RoganJosh]

Have you double checked whether the Baby Jogger city mini double fits in your car?
My friend with twins said her whole twin group went for side by side rather than one in front because they're more sociable for the babies and easier to push.

[RoganJosh]

Sorry, should have added that it's one of the smaller doubles that are side by side.

[Freco010]

One more thing I thought of! I started buying a pack of nappies a week and we had a great stock pile. We had quite a lot of newborn and size 1 which we used all of and then lots of size 4 as my son was in that size for a while

[AlpacaLypse]

The most useless thing was a disposable nappy wrap and pack device. I'm very glad it was a hand-me-down and that I hadn't wasted my own money on it!

NCT nearly new sales were wonderful. I used to go and help just so I could cherry pick good stuff.

We had a large wicker laundry basket with a pillow in the bottom and lined with a bath towel as a downstairs cot. They both fitted in there for several months, then for a couple more months I had a second one, then they started to move...

A big playpen to put them in (once they get mobile) while you go to loo/answer door/anything else where your attention is going to be distracted for a few minutes.

The playpen was also handy at Christmas, we put the tree up inside it so the little monkeys couldn't pull it over.

We also built a baby proof wall in the sitting room to keep them from destroying the television and its associated bits (Skybox, dvd player etc).

[eeyore2]

I think it would be good to have another bouncy chair. Often you want to put them both down and, for example, go to the loo! A double buggy is very important as are two car seats. Think also about what you can bow wow short term from friends and family. For example a bouncy chair is useful only for the first five months-ish until the babies are rolling. So someone might have a bouncy chair they used, don't want to sell as they may have more kids but won't need for those five months. A few other things that have been really useful to us - swaddle blankets for the first 3 months or so, sleeping bags after that. Two slings - I love the Ergo. Steriliser. Cot top changing mat (cost very little from Amazon and worth it for your back). It slides under the cot when they are asleep. Few blankets for pram / car seat etc. Good luck!

[andadietcoke]

We had two cot beds - one in our room and one downstairs, and then had Sleepyheads for each of them so they had their own space. I co-slept with them for a while in the spare room and they were either side of me in a sleepyhead - worked really well for us and meant I could cope with the night feeds on my own.

2 bouncy chairs, definitely!! I bottle fed and found it much easier to feed them in there than the pillow which they'd then fall asleep on after a feed and I'd be stuck.

I've never been a fan of tandem pushchairs. We had a Bugaboo Donkey and then bought a second hand Baby Jogger City Mini Double about 9 months ago (they've just turned three) and it's amazing. The easiest buggy ever to collapse/put up, and wish we'd had one from the outset.

Join your local twin club and/or some multiple FB groups - you can pick stuff up second hand really easily and you'll get some good advice along the way.

I'd get a steriliser even if you're planning to breast feed. You'll use it at some point and it would be better to have one in for when you get back from hospital if you end up bottle feeding. For everything else sign up to the free Family Prime trial that you get for 6 months.

Last recommendation: a Contigo thermal mug. This is for you. It will keep coffee warm for hours and is completely sealed, ie you can chuck it in a nappy bag/pram and it won't leak. They're not cheap unless you know someone going to the US, but they always go into Debenhams' sales. But so so worth it.

[neonrainbow]

Thanks so much everyone I'm getting stuff from facebook but its very useful to know what to look for. I can't remember what brand i tried of tandem in the car it was a fairly small one and it definitely didn't fit sadly. I do want to get some slings so I'll check out the ergo. Ive picked up a twin feeding pillow but i don't mind if breastfeeding doesn't work as i don't think I'll cope very well with twins and sleepless nights with the added pressure of breastfeeding as well but I'm going to try... if only to get colostrum into them. I'll see how it goes.

[eeyore2]

I second the comment about a steriliser. You need to sterilise dummies, nipple shields, syringes for medication etc so often need one right from the start.
Also the vests are good but the majority of people dress their babies in vests with babygrows (sleep suits) on top - people often have millions to pass on from baby to baby so make sure you pick some up from friends or family in various sizes if they're offering!

[ElodieS]

Loads and loads of clothes and a tumble dryer!

[neonrainbow]

I saw a thing called a tommee tippee perfect prep which makes a bottle up in 2 minutes. Are they any good?

[NotPayingAttention]

Can I recommend a facebook group called 'Breastfeeding twins and triplets uk'. So much good advice and inspirational women on there, it's great support if you want to give bf a go. I would even join it in advance of the babies' arrival as there are some things you can do/buy in advance to make life easier for yourself and prepare. Also you might want to research and get yourself a good breastpump, bottles and steriliser. Again I would join the group and have a read or ask any questions there, the group leader is fantastic and tries to answer most questions herself. My in laws bought us a plug in steriliser which takes about 6 bottles plus some more bits like dummies, it's not something I would have ever thought was necessary but it's been our best buy and most used item, makes life so much easier

[JellyTipisthebest]

That phil and teds looks really complicated to fold especially when the babies are in the carrycots. What car do you have someone may be able to suggest a different one.