what items do twin newborns need

[kriscurran]

Hi
We have some good friends who are having identical twin boys in October. I am helping them figure out the things they need to get but I wasn't sure what they would need two of(ie exersaucers,boppy pillow, bassinetts) Any suggestions would be great.
Thank you
Kris Curran

[melly]

Every baby needs a travel swing IMO.

[emersons mom]

definitely need 2 papasan style swings, the kind that allow you to tilt it so the baby can be swaddled and still belted in that swings left to right and not just forward and back, lifesaver for our friends twins and our singleton!

[kriscurran]

thank you for the info. I appreciate the help

Kris

[catherine]

One comfy sling... so that one parent can comfortably handle two babies at once! Possibly even one sling that fits mom and one that fits dad? I didn't have two newborns at once, but Lucy and Chloe were close enough together that I often encountered issues where I needed both hands free, but had one baby that wanted to be with mommy (or simply moob).

[alexp]

This isn't two things, but if she is planning to breastfeed a twin nursing pillow is essential (at least it was to me :)). They're a lot bigger and shaped differently that the standard boppy. I don't thing I could have managed to breastfeed without mine.

That said, boppies are great for tummy time, so it certainly wouldn't hurt to get two.

I TOTALLY agree with the suggestion of the travel swings - yes yes yes- those were all my girls would nap in for a while - those things saved mine and my husband's sanity.

We were actually able to get by on only one crib. My girls were teeny, though, and liked sleeping very close to each other. However, I'm betting they could get by on one crib for a while. Bassinets were kind of useless for us - the travel swings were more portable and the girls were much happier in them.

What else? Umm...carseats, of course. (Like y'all hadn't already thought of that!:P)

Highchairs, definitely. My experience was that muliples do NOT like to take turns eating...heh. This also ties into the boppy/travel swing thing - I know plenty of twin and triplet moms who were able to bottle feed more than one kid at once using those things!

A lot of this stuff will be easier to figure out after the boys are born...being identical, they are likely to have similar tastes (as in types of pacifiers or bottle nipple or whatever) and similar needs (for example, if one is prone to reflux, his brother will likely be too...so mom and dad will require a lot of burp cloths). So telling everyone to give twice as many Target and Babies R Us gift cards would be a good idea ;).

Also - in my experience, simpler is better with twins. Cute, comfy sleepers with feet, or little snap front rompers got used a lot more than the elaborate outfits with coordinated socks. I had so much bottle and breast pump equipment that I just bought a large clear rubbermaid container and kept it all on the kitchen counter. I used those big white cloth diapers as burp cloths (those really are the best burp cloths ever IMO)...most of my girls diaper changes were done on a mat or towel on the floor. I didn't use the changing table much at all, alhough it was great for storage.

And GATES. They'll need lots and lots of baby gates, and every type of baby proofing device in the world. I'm firmly convinced that twins do everything sooner and get in more trouble than singletons because they are able to egg each other on.

HTH - and congrats to your friends :)! They are in for a wild but wonderful ride.

[kathyc]

I don't have twins, but I helped out when my best friend had hers four years ago. She used baby gates like you wouldn't believe!! She eventually bought a couple of sets of the "superyard" type and linked them together to make a big play area. She would also use them to block off areas like the entertainment center and the Christmas tree.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266978

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266977

Also agreeing with the two swings or bouncer seats. They are a definite must. My friend had two bouncers, as they didn't make the portable swings at the time, and the big swings would have taken up too much room. She was a pro at bouncing them both at the same time with her feet while folding laundry, etc.

Seems like, more than anything, my friend just needed help. Several of us took turns with this. We would go over and take care of the babies for a couple of hours so she could catch a nap. That seemed to be the most appreciated thing of all.

[kriscurran]

Thank you very much. I am giving her the consumer reports baby book and adding all the info you shared with me. It will help them alot.
Kris

[dohertyab]

Hello. I just wanted to add - a really comfortable chair to sit in if she's going to nurse. You spend lots of time sitting! If you have to use your arms to hold the babies then it gets old really quick.

Something that allows you to be hands free (sling, wrap, backpack carrier). We used baby trekkers and loved it. You could put one in the trekker and hold the other. We managed quite well with one bouncy chair, one swing, one exersaucer and we'd just rotate them around.

Good stroller. We didn't have a car then, so our stroller was used all year, all weather, all the time. We got one that moved from bike trailer to stoller. If she's able to drive, then one that will fit easily into the car and will work for car seats. They've become much smaller and more versitile than when I had the twins.

Finally - join a twins group. They're really the best resource for what's happening locally. Good luck. It's a wild ride, but so much fun!

[melly]

Great idea about the chair Andrea! My mom bought me a lazy boy and its the best for nursing.