Must Have Twin Items

Now that I have been a twin momma for a month, I thought I would share baby things that I love. This is not an all-encompassing list, but more of a list of things I didn't know would be so helpful... things I couldn't live without!

A battery-operated nail file- I got this on clearance at Target a week ago, when I was frustrated that I had spent an hour of prime nap-time filing 20 fingers, and two days later they needed filing again. I love my file, and it was only five dollars! It files the nails so fast, and my babies don't mind it at all. In fact, if I start filing when they are sleepy, but not asleep yet, the hum and the vibrations actually put them to sleep. I highly recommend getting one, even if you don't have twins!

The Sleepy Wrap- I knew I wanted some type of baby carrier, and did a little bit of research while pregnant to pick the right one for me. I went with the Sleepy Wrap because it said it was good for your back (I often have back problems) and it stated that you could carry twins in it. I liked that you could use it for newborns up to 30 lbs. This carrier is so helpful when you have two babies. If one is fussy while the other one sleeps, I can pop that child in and get stuff done, like washing bottles, laundry, or a blog post. If they both "need" me, I can comfort one hands-free in the wrap, leaving my hands available for the other baby. Yesterday I changed a diaper and fed one baby while wearing the other. The only drawback I've found is that it is cumbersome and takes longer than I'd like to get the wrap put on.

Our side-by side swing- We have the Nature's Touch Cradle Swing by Fisher-Price. My children tend to prefer swinging side-to-side over front to back. This swing is higher off the ground which has proven to be very helpful with our two labs too.

A formula pitcher- I remember reading about this must-have on another twin blog months before our babies arrived. It really does make bottle making so much easier. We have the Dr. Brown's formula pitcher. With the pitcher, we can quickly pre-make enough bottles at night (18 right now) for one day.

Lots of lap (multipurpose) pads- we use these on top the bassinet or crib sheet and on top of the changing pad cover. When there's a mess (like spit up or other bodily fluid) it is much easier to swap out the pad than remove the whole sheet or cover.

Our Tiny Love Sweet Island Dreams mobiles- although they don't coordinate with our nursery decorations, I had registered for these because everywhere I looked they got great reviews, and they came with a remote. In theory, I figured that we could use one remote for both mobiles and synchronize the music rather than have the music clash for the two cribs. However, no matter what, they seem to be a half second off- so that doesn't work. I still love the mobiles though, and my twins do too!

Miracle Blankets- Although my kids still fuss when we first put them in for the night, the miracle wrap has been the best swaddler for us. We tried receiving blankets the first night, and they quickly unwrapped. We tried a SwaddleMe, and Anna broke free of that pretty quickly too.

Two boppies- for bottle feeding both babies at the same time.



Things that were a waste for us:

Carseat covers- I thought having March babies (that would likely come in February or even January) we would need carseat covers for the cold temperatures this time of year. We only used a cover once; on the way home from the hospital for Sam (because Anna was in the carseat bed)

All the nursing gear I bought- 3 nursing bras, EZ-2 Nurse twin pillow, etc- Since I nursed for 2 days and pumped for a week, most of this was not worth spending the money for us.

Arms-Reach Co-sleeper- I wish we had been able to use this as a bassinet for a longer time, but our babies were too noisy to have in our bedroom with us. We simply sleep better now that they are in their cribs in the nursery, and the babies sleep better on their own.

Two swings and multiple bouncers- We got these as gifts, but so far one swing and one bouncer have worked out well for us. We rotate who is in each one, and our living room stays less crowded with only one swing and bouncer