My twins are 13 days old and the only things we are using at this point are TONS of diapers, wipes and boppies. I nurse one baby and pump for the other so we also go through quite a few bottles per day. I also have one baby that prefers the swing and the other the bouncer. I have 2 of both so one of each is for now not being used. I'm sure that will change but for the bigger items, she might want to buy just one and make sure the babies like them before buying duplicates. The only thing I didn't prepare for was no sleep. With my daughter, I could nap when she napped. With the boys, when one's sleeping, the other isn't. Make sure she rests up!
what is really helpful is a swing!
sometimes they are both fussing at the same time and you don't want to leave one crying to take care of the other but it's hard to take care of them both (esp at first with no practice!) but i put one in the swing to take care of the other and then take the other out of the swing and take care of him ( assuming he still wants/needs it!). it's worked every time except once!.
very helpful.
i've been utilizing the pacifiers a lot and it kind of 'distracts' them if they're hungry if i need to take care of one first or something is the other doesn't cry cuz it breaks my heart when they cry so i try to make sure they are both happy.
otherwise.. you need lots of clothes.. i ran out of pajamas a lot before i borrowed some more from a friend. twice as many diapers. i used swaddles (the yellow ones from walmart) for the first month and a half and they helped calm the babies down and comfort them (as swaddling does!) and having some extra ones around was really nice (not having to do laundry as often).
a good double electric breastpump (if she is breastfeeding) to get it as fast and easily as possible (i use the lansinoh one and it's working well for me but you could post for suggestions on those if you want).
lots of bottles.. i felt crazy because i felt like i never had enough until i bought a few more the other day. (though i share bottles between the two but if they're not hungry at the same time or something then you either have to lean the one you were using or get a new one all together..).
the perhaps most essential thing for twins is a boppy pillow. perhaps the hardest part about twins is if they're both hungry and you feed one there isn't enough time to burp him because the other is hungry and fussing and you don't want to just leave him there to fuss. or if you feed them both at the same time you can only burp one!
so i use the boppy pillow to keep one proped up hwle i burp the other and then once he's burped i get the one in the boppy.
the other day i was even breastfeeding one and had the other propped up (in the recommended semi-upright feeding position) in the boppy and was giving him a bottle and it worked perfectly!
and if you breastfeed them at the same time, the boppy is perfect to position them on the sides of you.
okay enough boppy talk :p.
a bassinet that sits on the ground is nice because if you are on a couch or chair with one baby and are trying to get the other one up with you guys, then it elevates the baby on the ground up from the ground so he's easier to pick up without having to get up or completely reposition.
tell her to keep the matress on the upmost notch when they are babies because leaning into the crib really starts to hurt the ol back (and i'm just 21! ). the twins are my first so i didn't know to do that and had it on the 3rd or 4th and just raised it 2 days ago and it is so much easier and nicer.
and, finally, the last thing that is great is a recliner. my babies calm down when i hold them or when they are near me and it gets tricky with twins but sometimes i sit all the way to the side of the chair and it leaves enough room between me and the arm to fit a baby and it's a nice compact lil space and they love it and so i have one there and hold the other.
and i'd say i have an excessive amount of blankets.. maybe even "too many".
anywho, my babies are only about 2 months so my advice doesn't exceed baby stage.
sorry that is really long buti love talking about babies and especially twins.
though i have to say i didn't know anything about having twins at first and didn't really research it and got it figured out pretty quickly.. you just kinda have to!
o.. i just thought of another thing she will need: good arm muscles! to carry both car seats at the same time! haha.
well congrats to you auntie and to your sister!
when are they due and does she know the gender/s?
any other questions or anythings send me a msg or something :).
http://www.sanfordhealth.org/CradleRoll/BabyList.cfm?CradleRollParentId=22614
I don't know wht I would have done without my large rocker/recliner. Yes ugly I know, but I wouuld lay a pillow on my lap and both babies fit nicely with their heads on the pillow. I could breastfeed one and bottle feed the other one at the same tme. I could also bottle them both together. Also my 2 year old could climb up on the arm to give us all love!
1-I agree with the big recliner/rocker. I used a smaller rocker with ottoman, but it was a little too small to nurse them both at the same time, so I ended up moving to the big couch with a recliner. I wish it would have rocked.
2-I wish I would have hired a lactation consultant to come to my house and help me get started with the nursing. The RN at the hospital was just too busy, and I didn't know what to ask. I had read every book I could, but it just isn't the same. I made some mistakes that I wish I could change.
3-double stroller may sound a little obvious, but I have to mention it because it is so necessary! It was my passport to the outside world!
Good luck and congrats! (By the way, another thing that I couldn't have lived without was my twins' aunt and her very helpful actions!)
My twins are now 10 months old. I can tell you that the best thing I ever found was a jumparoo. We couldn't really use it until they were about 4 months old, but after that it was a lifesaver. I could put one in there and feed the other. It would keep the other happy and they would even jump themselves to sleep if they were tired. I would recommend getting a jumparoo to anyone...especially someone with twins!
I don't know what I would've done with out the boppy pillows and my vibrating infant chairs! Usually one of them would keep them both happy when I needed to change diapers or get something done. The girls just started using their "big girl" beds so I now have two toddler beds that I need to get rid of if anyone is interested. They have a white wood frame and look like new.
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I am curious for those of you who have multiples is there anything(s) that you wish you would have had right away when your twins were born that you didn't get. I am helping my sister get organized and ready for the twins, but beings I only had 1 baby, I might me missing something. Maybe you wish you had 2 of something or didn't need as much of another.....anyway...You get my point I am sure! Thanks Guys!