What to buy when you're expecting twins? Part 1

It starts for many of us as soon as you find out there’s more than one in there. What do I need to buy? Or maybe someone is throwing you a baby shower and you wonder what to register for.  Or maybe you need to pick a gift for a mommy expecting twins. 

Let’s face it, having two of EVERYTHING is both expensive and takes up a lot of space.  And if you are on a budget (or soon will be! ;) this should help you decide what you need most. It's a list of everything that I am glad I bought to manage my household with 2 little babies to care for. It is not a list of absolute necessities, but of items I thought were the best value and were worthwhile for me. It also tells you how I got by without some of the things many moms buy. Of course, all these items may not all be worthwhile for you, and if you talk to another twin mom, she will have a completely different list! So at the bottom, I have some links to other discussions of what twin moms found useful.

BTW - I tried to pick the items on Amazon that had the best quality, best prices and free or cheapest shipping, also, if you do put an item in your cart from my link and buy it, I'll get a small credit toward my amazon.com purchases - so if you do patronize, my gratitude to you in advance. 

For Mama

Baby Be Mine Maternity Belly Band 2 Pack 1-Black & 1-White



Therse are absolutely awesome! Wear under your clothes so your belly doesn't show. Saves tons of money so you don't have to buy as many maternity shirts. And I'm no psychic, but with twins even maternity shirts won't cover the whole package at some point in your near future!
Don't waste money on expensive nursing shirts either. Wear these under any shirt and it is instantly a nursing top. Keeps your belly covered so you can lift your shirt and nurse discretely -worked better for me than any of the nursing tops I wasted money on and was always disappionted.  Beware, not all belly bands are wide enough like these - the ones you can get at target the fabric is only perhaps 8 inches wide. It won't be wide enough to stay up over your belly as you get twin size. These you may have to fold over at first, but when you are the size of a beach ball, there is enough fabric to pull over it to stay up! Plus, there is a black and a white band so one or the other will go with almost any outfit. If you want a cream colored one too, you can get the 3 pack:


Sony Alpha DSLRA300X 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot Image Stabilization with DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 & DT 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lenses

Not a necessity, but I'm SO glad we upgraded to a DSLR. This camera snaps photos the instant I push the button AND focuses well on moving objects (2 features that are critical if you want a decent snapshot of your kids!) And that's still using the preview screen. It isn't a Rebel, but it works great for us, the batteries last and this one comes with a good basic lens and a telephoto lens. I wish I had had it about 3 years sooner!

 For maintaining your Sanity

Battery operated tap on light


Put this up by the changing table so you can avoid turning on the bright lights.  Turning on the bright light only interrupts your (and baby’s) circadian rhythms and makes it harder for you and baby to get back to sleep. Make sure you get some AA batteries!



Mesh Lingerie Wash Bag

No – this isn’t for your un-mentionables, as you will probably be washing those less often in the days to come!  Instead, hang a lingerie bag on the hamper for all those little sox and booties and mitts, etc.  It will pay for itself because you won't be paying to replace all the lost sox and bitty pieces!


Ocean Waves CD (no music)

White noise is soothing for babies...reminding them of the womb.  But white noise is annoying to most adults!  These pleasant ocean waves are familiar sound to baby who is used to hearing the ebb and flow of her mother's body sounds and is super relaxing - even for mom and dad!  This may be the one thing that I could absolutely have not gone without.

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley

Read this before babies arrive to help prevent sleep problems that are preventable,and it's easier to get reading done before babies arrive anyway and you'll have alot of time in waiting rooms for your prenatal appointments and non-stress tests!

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby by Melinda Blau


Awesome book for first time parents.  I wish I had read it BEFORE my first set of twins, as I could have avoided many difficulties.  If you read it BEFORE your babies arrive, you will absorb it much better as you won't be half asleep!  There is not much twin-specific advice, but I consider it a must-read for all first time parents- twins or not.

For Breastfeeding Mamas:

Nursing Pillows

I had success tandem nursing with a Boppy as long as I was in my over-stuffed chair. It is also nice when baby is learning to sit up as she can sit in the middle and you don't need to worry about bonkin' her noggin' if she tips over! I used blankets with the boppy to add support where needed when tandem nursing.  Wait to see if boppy works for you, if not, then drop the money on an EZ 2 nurse twins pillow.

I actually tried the EZ 2 nurse pillow and had terrible luck with it. It was too bulky to fit in my easy chair, yet if I sat on the couch with it in my lap, it wasn't large enough to be the right height for the babies to latch on, so I needed a million pillows under it, which made it unstable and I couldn't bend over to lift the babies up on to it anyway. A total waste for me, though I know others who have loved theirs. Here's the link if you are interested:




The Nursing Mother's Companion: Revised Edition by Kathleen Huggins

This is a great general resource for breastfeeding! I referred to it while nursing both my older and younger set of twins.  As for nursing twins specifically, I guess I should write my own book about that...maybe someday. Still have to get that up as blog posts! Sorry I don't have any book recommendations on multiples in general. The books I did read on multiples were highly focused on medical phenomena and not practical life.

Soothies® by Lansinoh® Gel Pads

Do you really need it: Oh yes,you will want these if you are breastfeeding!

For Babies' Care:


A+D Original Ointment, Diaper Rash and All-Purpose Skincare Formula 4 oz (113 g) by A+D

You might as well buy in bulk...
This is great everyday ointment to prevent rashes.  Also, when baby is a bit chapped, I apply it underneath any zinc-oxide (white) cream as many of the white creams sting chaffed skin

Baby Bottle+Dish Liquid 16.90 Ounces by Dapple

Great soap for washing baby bottles!  They don't get clean enough in my dishwasher, so we wash by hand.  This soap helps get the grime off and it doesn't contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate and several other chemicals like most dish soaps! There is also a 34 oz refill for only about $16

Burt's Bees Baby Products

Burt's Bees has great brand promise that guarantees no harsh or potentially dangerous chemicals, "made from ingredients like buttermilk, apricot oil and cornstarch to cleanse, soften and protect baby's precious skin, safely and naturally. As always, they are SLS-, phthalate- and paraben-free." They are less expensive than organic products out there. I think it is the best value in natural baby products out there. This basket has samples of all the Burt's Bees Baby products, and free super saver shipping - woo hoo!

Folgers Brazilian Blend Ground Coffee, 27.8-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2)

Sure you’ll you need some caffeine, but this container  tub is PERFECT for home made baby wipes!
Here'sthe recipe for how to make your own baby wipes:
Cut VIVA select a size paper towels in half (use a freshly-sharpened non-serrated knife)and put in empty coffee container (clean with baking soda to get out the smell).  Cut cardboard tube with scissors and pull it out.
In bowl, whisk 3 cups warm water, 1-2 Tablespoons aloe, 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite scented baby oil, and 10 drops of melaleuca oil (tea tree oil). (1 tablespoon baby wash is optional).
Whisk and pour over paper towels. Put cover on container and turn up-side-down for several minutes. Pull first wipe from the middle of the roll. You can try cutting and 'x' shape hole in the cover but I didn't try this because I didn't want to ruin my container if it didn't work. It will keep for about 5 days, which is usually just long enough to use it up with twins.

Viva Choose-A-Size Paper Towels - 15 Big Rolls

Preparing your Home for Babies

This is one of the really fun aspects of becoming a mommy and daddy. Preparing your home is a fun way to anticipate your coming bundles of joy. But rather than just glancing through the latest Pottery Barn Baby catalog and needing your jaw re-aligned after seeing the price tags, here are some other things to think about.
You probably have already scoped out a room or space in your home for babies. We had two bedrooms in addition to our own and chose the one that shared a common wall with us, ensuring that we would hear any beckoning calls, even if our bedroom doors got shut. It also faced west, so it would be getting evening sun, instead of morning sun – which as night owls, was a significant factor for us! You might also consider other environmental factors like noise - the sump pump right below a room that runs 3 times a day in spring, or the neighbor's loud motorcycle that he revs at 6 am every nice summer morning, or how that corner room doesn't stay very warm in winter.
The problem we faced is that the best location was the smallest room and we weren’t sure how everything was going to fit! Two cribs, a dresser, changing table, nursing chair, clothes hamper, diaper pail, lamp, and toys…all in 10 x 13 foot room!  For that, Mr. Geek (DH) made a diagram on graph paper and actually cut out little models of all the furniture we had to fit! It actually worked out quite well.
We decided that though we would have 2 cribs, we would only set one up at first; it gave the room a little more ‘breathing space’.  For our younger twins, we did use a crib separator (essentially 6 inch square strip of foam covered in cloth) which helped keep them from kicking one another for a little longer, maybe an extra month is all. They slept together in the one crib until around 5 or 6 months before they began to roll all over one another despite my best efforts.
We forwent a changing table in favor of a dresser, because we needed the clothing storage space and because the dresser doubles as a changing table by just putting the contoured changing pad on top of it. We hung wall-mounted baskets above it to house diapers, wipes, creams and other supplies. Instead of a diaper Genie or similar expensive diaper disposal system, we opted for a plain foot-pedal operated can. I found that the diaper disposal systems often required 2 hands to operate (something I don't usually have - especially while changing a diaper) and that they required specially-designed refill bags that are not cheap. And with 2 babies, we figured we would be emptying the can often enough to keep the smell at bay. Sure it smells when you open it, but only for a millisecond, not enough to permeate the room!
We also hung a battery-operated ‘tap light’ next to the changing area. This was great because it cut down the need to turn on the bright lamp in the middle of the night, which can of course signal to an infant is that it is morning and time to wake up! I recommend putting the light to the right of the changing tale (if you are right handed) so that it shines toward babies’ bottom and not in her eyes!
Also handy were a set of TV trays which were small enough to fit in most any cranny and provide flat space for wipes and supplies, Kleenex and reading material next to my nursing chair.
We bought a clothing hamper for the room and a nice floor lamp (since there were no overhead lights in the room, it needed that anyway). I also got a mesh lingerie wash bag to hang on a corner of the hamper for baby sox and mitts. It helps keep all the pairs together!
In the closet, we assembled a cube storage system of metal mesh panels that I had from my college days. It was perfect for tucking boxes and baskets of toys, books, shoes, socks and other clothing and supplies. You could also use something like this – which would be useful outside the closet when baby gets older.
Though our living room and hall floors were laminate, the bedroom was carpeted, so baby would have plenty of soft, snugly area for playtime. But if your home is wall-to-wall hard wood floor or tile, you might consider ‘softening’ it up a bit. These large foam floor tiles
can be arranged wall to wall for a pretty reasonable price. You can either leave them visible (these have a nice natural wood appearance), or buy a carpet remnant from your local home improvement store to lie on top. Just line the remnant up with one wall and cut it to size along the walls or edge of furniture and it will look just like wall to wall carpeting!
For seating, we had a stuffed chair which was not too large and the perfect height for my short legs. The pattern was outdated and overbearing for a nursery, so I picked out some fabric and asked a friend make a cover for it. This was also great because the cover can easily be removed and thrown in the washing machine - which is priceless when your kid has the stomach flu! I also got a nursing stool, which was really helpful because having it under my feet raised up my knees so they were about the right height for supporting the babies’ heads on a boppy, enabling me to tandem nurse in football hold. Without the nursing stool, tandem nursing would have been quite difficult. Making a cover for the chair and buying a nursing stool was much less expensive than buying a rocker or glider…especially a Pottery Barn one!

For the one window in the room, we bought a blackout roller shade. Anything to help babies sleep during daylight hours.
Some people choose to get a co-sleeper or bassinet to place in their own bedroom. I did debate on doing this, but the babies’ room was so close to our own I decided it wasn’t necessary and that they could sleep in the pack ‘n play in our room any time I wanted. For our second set of twins though, I did end up buying a guard rail for the edge of my bed, deciding that if I wanted them close to me, I would just bring them to bed with me – which worked very well for us, in fact I wish I had done it with my first set of twins as we would have gotten much more sleep! For more on sleeping arrangements, check out this post.
I think in total, we spent less than $1000 for furniture and everything in the nursery, which we thought was pretty good for a nicely furnished room. We did have help though because the bedding and several decorations were given as gifts and we were really fortunate to find matching cribs being sold as floor models at a local children’s furnishing store that was going out of business.
You could always buy used and find other ways of saving money too. Mothers of multiples clubs often have huge sales of their members’ baby items that can be tremendously helpful (and are very helpful even if you don't plan on buying used!). If you are interested in saving money, do your best to find similar bargains locally and online with websites like Craigslist or ebay local.

When the time is right: Getting ready for Babies!

One question that some couples ponder is whether they should set up the nursery and buy all the furnishings sooner or later in pregnancy. Some are tentative to do so early in pregnancy for fear that something should go terribly wrong and they would have to face a fully furnished nursery where such is no longer needed. On the other hand, if you wait until late in the pregnancy, you are more likely to be on bed rest or simply too tired and uncomfortable to help in putting everything together. There is also the possibility that you wait so long that you will be trying to get everything put together in time for the babies to come home from the hospital! Another less-than-ideal situation.
It is a personal decision. But for us, it was a no-brainer – only partly because we never dwelt on the things that could go wrong nor anticipated them. We bought our cribs early on simply because it was opportune to find them at a going-out-of-business sale. We had no choice in much of the matter because a friend of mine was staying in the room until I was about 30 weeks. We had a lot of fun, and she helped me paint the room while she was living there. As soon as she moved out we were working full-bore to put up cribs and furniture and wash bedding and clothing and get it ready. Being 30-34 weeks at the time, that was no fun task and thankfully I was never put on bed rest. If we had the opportunity, I think we would have started much sooner, perhaps around 25 weeks. I think this is a good time because once in the 27-30 week range, it is a common time to be put on bed rest.
The same principle applies when considering baby shower dates – early is good! Don’t plan a baby shower for when you are 34 weeks along! You won’t be comfortable and there is a good chance you won’t be able to attend your own shower because you’ll be on bed rest, or already have babies!
If you are like me, packing your bag for the hospital is another event that you will probably procrastinate on until the day you are flying down the freeway to the Birth Center! Packing for the hospital was a process for me. I think I started haphazardly packing things that I wouldn’t want to live without in a bag around 28 weeks. These were only items I would likely otherwise forget if I were packing in a hurry though. As the weeks went on, my packing became more thorough as I added items to the bag and finally considered it complete around week 34. Then, when my induction was finally scheduled I went and threw in a bunch more items! Of course, for my second pregnancy – after having one full-term twin pregnancy that was induced at 39 weeks – I don’t think I started packing anything until 34 weeks! Despite my own habits, I again urge you that sooner is better though!
That said, do what is best for your own sanity. I’m simply giving you food for thought.

Preparing for Birth: Birthing Classes

30 Weeks with Twins
184 pounds - Measuring 41.5 Weeks

I remember enjoying the drive ‘downtown’ and eagerly anticipating what we would be learning that night in our ‘Multiples’ birthing class. Somehow, each night, I was disappointed – yes, about having to pay for parking – but more so because I was hoping that we would cover more in class the next time. Not that the class was terrible, it covered the basics – options for pain relief, the basic stages of labor, a few laboring positions, maybe more, but I certainly can’t recall much more, except for what was thinly-veiled propaganda to make you an easier-to-manage patient.
What I do recall is being shown the operating room where even M.O.M.s delivering vaginally were to give birth - and then quickly realizing any notions I had about stretching, changing positions and choosing a productive pushing position flew quickly out the door. I remember being told by the instructor that I should find a new physician because my family practitioner would never be competent enough to manage a twin pregnancy. (When I asked one of the Perinatologists she coordinated with about this, he laughed and said my doc could hold her own! Too bad I lost about 2 weeks-worth of sleep before I had that  appointment!)
I also remember being told I could not have a doula because the delivery room 'would already be too crowded' – another falsehood.
But, I still recommend you take a hospital birthing class, for all the wrong reasons! If nothing else, you learn the basics and what to expect from the hospital and its staff. It gives you a hint on what you want to be clear about in your birth plan, what to ask your doctor special permission for and what you should prepare to accept if you must.
If you are the woman that wants to get an epidural the minute you get your hospital gown on, the woman who doesn’t care how it happens but just wants the baby out, then read no further. Take the hospital class, and follow doctor’s orders.
But if you are looking for ideas and methods on how to manage labor pain without drugs, how to increase the possibility of vaginal delivery, how to help your labor progressing and avoid failure to progress, you should take a birthing class in addition to the hospital class that provides more focus on this. There are many types of these methods, I’m sure you’ve heard of some of them like the Bradley method, HypnoBirthing, or Lamaze or ANYTHING that you think will help you. I’ve put links on the names to help your research.
I did not take any of these classes – mostly because I was largely ignorant of them going in to this whole experience. But I was fortunate enough to take maternity yoga classes from an instructor who was our doula. Please understand, the only yoga class I had ever taken previous to my pregnancy was once on vacation. I did it because appreciated the stretching and strength training it provided, just as I enjoyed dancing and theater in a former life!
I met our doula through an organization called 'The Childbirth Collective’ which is basically an group of doulas, lactation consultants and other birth & baby-related service providers in my area. The organization offers free info sessions on various topics surrounding pregnancy, childbirth and infant care. That is where our more comprehensive birthing education took place. After our first twins’ birth, our doula started an awesome business which I am totally going to plug here called Blooma. They offer a huge variety of, yoga classes, birthing technique classes, services, and ‘therapeutic services’ (ie.-massage) for expectant mothers. Look for such an organization in your area.
The yoga classes really helped me – especially with the yoga instructor there talking me through what we learned in class. I honestly cannot remember specific techniques anymore, but I do remember focusing on what she was saying seemed to take me away from the agony of the moment…even if I did end up asking for an epidural while hyperventilating in a bathtub! It got me through a completely induced, horrifically painful labor to 7cm - far enough to be assured that I wasn’t going to have a C section for failure to progress – which is a high risk for induced mamas!
You would think that I took a great birthing class in some technique for my second pregnancy, but sadly, no. My baby A had been breech until 36 weeks, so I was too afraid, and frankly, depressed that I would be having a surgical birth. Finally, when baby flipped, I flipped too! Mr. Geek and I immediately went in to Blooma for an emergency last-minute birthing basics refresher course!
Should we ever come across the need for anticipating giving birth again, I will do a better job of researching and taking a birthing class ahead of time, breech or vertex!