When I found out I was expecting twins, I was in shock.
Amazed, excited, nervous, but completely shell-shocked.
After those initial emotions subsided, I found myself in panic mode wondering, “What does a baby actually need? Wait, scratch that, what do two babies need?”
And then I went out to buy all the things. Everything I thought I would need to survive the first days, months, and even years of motherhood.
What I found out later is that I didn’t need to go out and buy two of everything.
Here’s a breakdown of the items I found helpful to keep on hand.
5 Must-Have Items for Multiples
1. Blankets
For the first few months after my twins were born I only had two or three swaddle blankets. I was always scrambling to find a clean one that didn’t have spit stains from the night before. And constantly doing laundry.
After I purchased three blankets for each baby, I felt much more organized. And I was no longer frantically running to the washer and dryer!
2. Bottles
It took some trial and error to find the bottles that worked well for my twins. But once I did, I went out and purchased eight total, four for each baby.
In my instance, I was pumping and using donor milk throughout their first year of life. My son was in the NICU and on timed feeds, I ended up using bottles to feed him in those early days. Once he came home from the hospital I was able to breastfeed him more often, but he preferred the bottle, so I knew to purchase extra. I kept extra bottles filled and in the fridge, ready to put in the bottle warmer for those late night feeds.
3. Pacifiers
For those mamas who use pacifiers, I found that we needed to have a plethora of pacifiers around the house.
Initially, I spent so much time trying to find a clean pacifier or searching for one that was missing. I was so tired of it, so we purchased four or five pacifiers for each baby. It was a small price to pay for convenience and my sanity!
We were also sure to specify a color for each baby, to limit germs being passed back and forth.
4. Clothing
I always had a large amount of clothing on hand for each baby.
Like the blankets, I was sick of constantly washing clothes. And it was so nice to know that I had a full dresser of clothing waiting if I needed an extra outfit during the day which, let’s be honest, happened more often than not!
5. Baby Swings and Bouncers
My baby swings were like a second (or even third) set of hands for me when I was alone with the twins in the early months. I used the swings often during the day for the first three or four months.
Having two swings allowed for me to rock, change a diaper, or soothe one baby while having another safely in the swing occupied by the swaying, the mirror, and the attached mobile. It was so comforting to know that I had the swing as a backup when I was really in a pinch with fussy babies.
While some might say that having two bouncers in the house will take up too much space, I disagree. I think it’s worth it to keep babies occupied or contained in the safe place when you need a minute to take a sip of coffee, warm up a plate of food, or run to the bathroom when no one else is home.
I used the bouncers a lot. Even taking the babies outside in them during the warmer months to enjoy some sunshine.
Through trial and error, there were other things I didn’t find as necessary to have multiples of.
Less Needed Items
Changing Table
I found that having one changing table where we spend the most time was the best option for me. Initially I thought I would have one changing table in their nursery and one in the living room. But I found that just moving the changing table from their nursery to the living room was much more feasible. And it was nice to have their clothes, extra diapers, and other baby necessities within quick reach. I was able to feel more organized.
Feeding Pillow
Having one twin-sized feeding pillow was so much easier than having two separate ones. It was easy to have both babies within reach to make feeding time a breeze. You might find that this item can be pretty expensive if bought new, but I have had luck finding gently used ones online. This item is quite large by itself so having a twin-sized one was much easier in the long run.
One Bottle Warmer
Having one bottle warmer instead of two was just fine for feeding time. Whether you are breast feeding or formula feeding, I discovered that if I planned ahead it worked out just fine. If I had a general idea of when they would need to be feeding again, I could start the bottle warmer ahead of time and still get two bottles warmed and ready before feeding time. And having just one bottle warmer meant less items on the kitchen countertop.
No matter the must-have items for multiples you purchase, find what works best for you and your family and enjoy those early days, weeks, and months of life as a mom of multiples. It really does go by so very fast!
What were your “must-have” items for multiples? Drop a comment below!
For more on must-items for multiples, see What Do You REALLY Need for a New Baby?
