Last updated on April 26th, 2024 at 11:05 pm
After the shock of being pregnant with twins sets in, the shock of “HOLY CRAP I HAVE TO BUY TWO OF EVERYTHING” takes a nice, cozy seat.
The first thing I did when I found out I was pregnant was to reach out to all my mommy friends and get their opinions on what worked, what didn’t, what they loved and what they hated. The list I gathered, while geared towards a singleton, helped me compile my own master list.
I am now due with my second set of twins and I’m not stressed out at all about what I need. With that said, however, each baby is an individual and what worked the first time around might not work this time.
Below are categories that I broke down into what I recommend two of, one of, more than you imagine you need, take it for a test drive first and something to think about.
Two Things
There is much controversy about giving each twin their own crib or sharing. We chose to get 2 cribs. I believe it is safer and as they grew they would need their own space anyway.
High chairs
Umbrella strollers – in case you need to only take one somewhere or need to divide and conquer
Diaper bags – we had one big main one but we also had a little one with just a few items for running quick errands. It’s also great to leave a spare in the car just in case.
One Thing
Double stroller
Changing table (or dresser top)
Bassinet
Pack-n-play
Journal to track feeding and diaper changes. These days you can find tons of great apps.
More-Than-You-Can-Count Things
Diapers
Wipes
Butt paste or other ointment
Baby wash
Detergent
Bibs
Burp cloths
Bottles
Nursing pads
Onesies
Get-One-to-Try-Before-You-Buy-Two Things
Johnny jumpers
Papasans
Swings
If you can borrow, then BORROW!
Food for Thought
Use onesies that zipper or close magnetically. It is impossible and annoying trying to line up snaps in the middle of a sleep-deprived night.
Get a wipe warmer. Last thing you want is to startle a sleepy baby in the middle of the night (especially if it’s winter time) with a cold wipe.
Don’t over-spoil. We never heated up their bottles for mainly one reason, waste. If your babies go to daycare, once the bottle is warmed up, the center must toss any leftover away. That gets expensive if your child, like mine, is on a special formula. Not to mention if you worked hard to pump that breast milk!
Stick with a sleep routine. You will never regret it.
That is just a bit of my two cents and you will quickly find, if you haven’t already, that EVERYONE has an opinion. Listen and do what you want with it — you never know when it might come in handy one day.
Lastly I leave you with this. Having twins is NOT double the work. Don’t let people scare you. It is definitely more work but it is also more love and that will always win.
Kerry Bergeman is the founder and the mastermind behind New2Two.com peek at my life as a Mother of fraternal AND identical twins! Kerry is a full-time stay at home mother of six year old fraternal twin girls and one year old identical twin girls. She also teaches part-time at the local community college and runs Mommies of Multiples on Facebook (a group dedicated to helping moms of multiples with their daily questions and concerns). Her blog, New2Two is about life with twins, dealing with infertility, raising awareness for bully prevention and the challenges of having a daughter with a severe intolerance to dairy. What does she do on her time off? She is the Brand Ambassador of the Twingaroo twin carrier- the first and only ergonomic twin carrier that features a built in diaper bag (yes, that’s her on the box)! She sells Usborne Books to help encourage all to read! She’s bringing the book back one kid at a time!
For a more detailed and printable list of needed items see: Baby Basics: What Will You Need for Two? For tips on registering see Twin Baby Registry. And make sure you check out this page for a lot of tips for expectant parents.
Are You a New Twin Parent?
Check out Natalie Diaz’s book:
“What To Do When You’re Having Two
The Twin Survival Guide From Pregnancy Through the First Year”
In What to Do When You’re Having Two: The Twins Survival Guide from Pregnancy Through the First Year, national twins guru and founder of Twiniversity (and twin mom herself!) Natalie Diaz provides a no-holds-barred resource about life with twins, from pregnancy and birth all the way through your duo’s first year of life.
Accessible and informative, What to Do When You’re Having Two
is the must-have manual for all parents of twins.
