What other equiptment will I need??

hinda

Wed, Jun 03 2009, 11:36 am

A friend asked me to list what we have and what we need as far as equipment for our twins and so I made this list.
Is there anything any of you would suggest I add? I have a separate list for all the small stuff-clothes,linen,nursing equipment etc.Just wondering if this covers the first few months.
Please let em know what y'all think.

What we have:
ï‚§ 1 crib
ï‚§ 1 car seat-navy
ï‚§ 1 stroller
ï‚§ Diaper Genie
ï‚§ Baby swing
ï‚§ Pack n Play with infant insert
ï‚§ 1 Dresser
ï‚§ 1 Glider chair

What we need:
ï‚§ crib #2
ï‚§ infant bath seat
ï‚§ car seat #2
ï‚§ double snap and go
ï‚§ Baby Bjorn -carrier
ï‚§ twin nursing pillow
ï‚§ changing table or changing pad with covers
ï‚§ 2 crib mattresses with mattress covers
ï‚§ Double stroller-
ï‚§ Bouncy seat(s)
ï‚§ bassinets or infant seats

dalia1

Wed, Jun 03 2009, 2:12 pm

I have 17 month old twins. The double snap & go is a must IMO.
Bouncy seats are very important (keep only one swing until you see if they like it - then get another later if they both like it). If you have two floors, I would even get bouncies for upstairs and downstairs to minimize shlepping.
SWADDLE BLANKETS!!! Twins tend to like to be swaddled very tightly...mine were colicky so this saved me. I liked the kiddopotomus brand the best - babies r us.
Keep in mind, a bassinet attachment to the pack n play only carries up to 15 pounds (so two 7 pound twins, and you are almost there). I got an arms reach co sleeper since that goes to 30 pounds.
Thats all I can think of now...good luck!

Marion

Wed, Jun 03 2009, 2:47 pm

I wouldn't buy a 2nd crib yet. You can easily (and safely) put 2 newborns in a crib for several months. Buy it when you need it. Especially if you have the Pack 'n Play as a backup for one in the meantime. You also only need one bouncy seat. One in the seat, one in the swing. They don't have to do everything at the same time.

tovarena

Wed, Jun 03 2009, 3:22 pm

Looks like a pretty good list.
Another vote on wait and see for second bouncer and/or swing. We ended up really needing two swings at once. DS pretty much lived in his for about 4 months. Neither of ours liked the bouncy seats, so they got returned. Swings, though, we actually had about 4 or 5. One for upstairs, two for downstairs, one for at the babysitters. One of the downstairs was a portable kind that the graco snugride just clicked right into the frame. That came with us when we went to bubby and zaidy's or anywhere else we'd be for more than a few hours at a time.

mummy-bh

Wed, Jun 03 2009, 4:57 pm

I don't own a swing. I had one bouncy chair and borrowed another. I already had two cribs, but they were in one crib together until about four months old (now, at the age of two years, they still sleep together half the time!). I had a pack and play downstairs until about 6 months.

(What's a snap and go?)

MiracleMama

Wed, Jun 03 2009, 9:13 pm

Marion wrote:

I refuse to use a white noise machine. What do you do, put it on a timer for Shabbat? Or one night a week they scream because they're used to the white noise?

Ours is on 24/7. But we have "rain", not white noise.

I second the recommendation for the Miracle Blankets. They're easy to use and stay super tight.

Both my twins really liked being in swings a lot the first few months. But it's not a bad idea to wait on a 2nd one. My older child hated the swing, so you just never know.

I got a 2nd pack and play. I like that I have a separate safe space for each of them. They usually like to be together but sometimes they annoy each other. Also, even when they are sharing it, it's nice to have one on one end of the house and the other pack and play in another location and not always shlep it around. If you have an upstairs/downstairs house you might want one up and one down.

You can definitely hold off on the crib. I think we got a second crib when my twins were around 5 months. They started out sleeping together in one pack and play, nose to nose - then graduated to separate pack and plays, then shared a crib for a little while.

Wed, Jun 03 2009, 9:52 pm

IMO a second swing is a must, but another crib can wait for a long while since you have a pack n play. At first, we kept one swing upstairs, one downstairs, then after realizing that it was the only way for them to sleep, moved them both up to my room for several months. I also kept my pack n play downstairs to have another safe spot to put them without older kids having direct access (until they figured out how to climb in and out...). I was given a second bouncy seat, kept one upstairs and one downstairs as well, but I didn't find it as necessary as the swing or pack-n-play.

I also found that I needed a few extra mattress covers and changing table covers - somehow two babies together make way more messes.

Re strollers, for the lifestyle that I have where I live, I have been very happy with my graco duo-glider - I can use it with or without the carseats, and I use it a lot in and out of the car. If you live somewhere where you do a lot of walking, then you will probably be happier with the snap and go at first until you decide which double you really like.

bassinets and infant seats are unnecessary - if you have carseats and a swing and pack-n-play and bouncy, you are more than set in that area. A baby bath is a must, (though I did find that my twins got bathed much less that my singletons ;-). )

hinda

Wed, Jun 03 2009, 10:43 pm

Keep the input coming.I am finding this verty helpful though clearly some of this is wait and see and will vary per our living circumstances. We do live in a one floor rach and I guess it sounds like that should make things a little easier even though space is pretty tight around here.
Miracle blankets-where do I get them and are they really just for the swaddling stage?

RachelEve14

Thu, Jun 04 2009, 1:33 am

My twins slept in one crib until they had beds, with the exception of a brief biting phase Rena went though. I seperated them for a month or so until she got over it (one in the pack and play).

I had one bouncy seat and one swing and switched them around. If I needed a second seat there was always the carseat. I would stick to one for now, if you see you NEED two, you can always get a second.

A playmat is nice to have to lie them down on with toys over, especially if you have hard floors. Or a blanket with a toy arch over it.

mimsy7420

Wed, Jul 01 2009, 10:19 pm

I don't know if you still check this thread but I thought I would just stick in my two cents Smile

I found 2 bouncy seats and/or 2 swings a must. My twins did not start liking their swings until they were 3 months old. When they were newborn I put them in their car seats a lot because they loved it so much but it was BIG mistake. Car seats are the worst place to leave your baby all day- ESPECIALLY twins because it changes the shape of their head and can put them at a huge risk for flat head syndrome. Swings and bouncy chairs are bad but the car seat is the worst culprit (even if you give tummy time also).
This is especially crucial for mothers of twins to be aware and watch to make sure the babies heads aren't getting flat because its just impossible to hold both babies all day. My 2 year old who is a singleton never really was at risk for this because I was always holding her. So when you make your equipment purchases you should count out using car seats as place to put the babies all day.

I didn't end up actually buying any equipment, I borrowed a swing and a bouncy chair as I already had one of each. I borrowed 2 exercausers and 2 bumbos (having 2 of each of those is not necessary at all, but it was borrowed).

Double stroller and double snap and go - a must!
Someone lent me 2 cribs and when they were newborn they shared a pack and play.

hinda

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 12:58 pm

Thanks everyone for all the input. I guess it is going to be a very personal decision as to what ends up being the 'most needed' equipment and what the kids barely look at. I appreciate that you've each taken the time to respond and please continue to do so as I check this twin area often.Also, what chair is most comfortable for nursing two at once and how on earth does one remain even semi covered while doing so/What type of shirts work best for this endeavor and how do you cover yourselves?
I am planning to get a woman who does a breastfeeding multiples class to come to our house and give us the class privately.I think my dh needs to hear it too if he will ever be supportive.Also, if I'm having a hard time he might be able to remind me of things she said...

Pizza

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 1:27 pm

I would make space in my budget for a lactation consultant, multiple visits, and a pump rental (or purchase, depends on if youre going back to work or not, also if you are at the beginning of kids - worth it to buy - or at the end of kids - just rent)

TwinsMommy

Fri, Aug 21 2009, 2:11 am

You have the crib, so don't buy this, but for the first few months IF someone offers to lend this to you.... try the double bassinet system (Graco). We loved it and it was nice and secure for our kids. We didn't want to buy or borrow cribs until we really needed them and this worked out great. But since you already have a crib it's not a necessity if you swaddle well. By the time my kids were in cribs they didn't want to be swaddled and the crib was HUGE for their little bodies and I appreciated that we had kept them really cozy and secure in the bassinets for a while.