Do I really need that?? You’re Twin Essentials Guide!

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One of the first things I did after finding out I was having twins was to start researching (mainly on Pinterest!). What was I going to need for TWO babies?? The more I researched, the more confusing things got! What I ended up with was a Pinterest board full of at least a dozen different posts! It was tough to navigate all of them and figure out what I really needed! (And what I didn’t!)

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My twins are 2 years old now, and I wanted to create the resource I wished I’d had in those early days. This is a comprehensive list, the only twin baby registry list you’ll need! I also provided links to Amazon. Hopefully this makes your life just a little bit simpler! Just click the links and add it to your registry! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! (If you haven’t already started your Amazon registry, click on the link below to get started! They will even send you a free gift!)

The links in this post contain affiliate links. This means I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Don’t worry, you won’t be charged any extra, and I’ll earn a little to support my coffee habit! Winning for all!

I would also recommend creating a couple of brick-and-mortar store registries! Why? Well, because it’s FUN, first of all! But secondly, you can actually see and touch the items, which can be super helpful when deciding between similar products! And also, your friends and family are going to love to shop for you in store- that’s half the fun! I also had grandparents and other friends and family who weren’t internet savvy and didn’t really do any online shopping! So be sure to consider that as well. Target Baby Registry and buybuy Baby are the two you should definitely register with! Register Your Baby Registry online at buybuyBABY and Receive FREE Goody Bag in Store!

So settle in! It’s a long list! (I mean you are having TWO babies!) But it’s the only list you’ll need!

With love, Amanda

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THE TWIN ESSENTIALS!

• Twin Bassinet– I highly recommend the Baby Trend twin nursery center! This was one of our best twin purchases! We used it from the get-go, and still use it today! I know sleep styles are different for every mama, but we didn’t want to co-sleep, and we also didn’t want full size cribs in our bedroom. Viola! This guy is perfect! Keep your babies close to you and to each other! It’s portable for nights away and also has some really cool storage, bassinets that easily are removed and stand alone, and a flip away changing table! When your babes outgrow the bassinets, just remove them and you have pack n play! PS. Don’t forget bassinet sheets! You’ll probably want at 4-6!

• TWO baby bouncers– Now there aren’t many items that I really recommend that you have 2 of. But bouncers are definitely one of those items, especially if you plan to bottle feed at all. We used the Playful Pinwheels Bouncer from Bright Starts. I hauled these things all over the house to keep the babes close to me as I showered, cooked dinner, folded laundry, you name it. But during bottle feeds they were BOMB!. You can’t hold 2 tiny babes and bottle feed them at the same time. I would sit on the floor, with a baby in a bouncer on each side of me, and I was able to feed them both at the same time this way when I was solo. Life. Saver!
• Double Stroller– Now I researched for HOURS on which stroller to buy! (I can never get those hours of my life back!) And I ended up with 3 different double strollers, of which I mainly use ONE! The one I love the best is the Grace Modes Duo Double Stroller! The biggest decision when shopping for double strollers is inline vs. side-by-side. I have both, and I can tell you if you’re only getting one, you want an inline! My side-by-side has trouble getting through doorways (it barely makes it!) and is even too wide for a lot of the paths at the zoo! The tires on the inline aren’t as rugged, but for real, unless you are hiking, they will stand up just fine! Another big thing to consider is that you want a stroller from the same manufacturer as your car seats to ensure they will be compatible! Trust me, you don’t want to try to mess with a converter kit! Disclaimer:: I am NOT a runner! So if you are, and you need a jogging stroller, I’m not your gal to make recommendations! Haha
  • Now, if you decide that you’re going to go with a side-by-side instead of (or in addition to) an inline, I would recommend the Baby Trend Navigator Double Jogger Stroller! This is one of the other double strollers that I have, and I do use it at home to take walks down the gravel road. In gravel, it does outperform my inline. It also has speakers to connect to my phone, which is pretty awesome too for walks! But it’s just too big to really take anywhere! (This one is NOT compatible with my Graco car seats!)

• Double umbrella stroller– Okay, so I said that I have 3 strollers, and Delta Children City Street Side by Side is the 3rd. Although this isn’t a must have, it is super nice for when the babes get a little older and can sit on their own! We use this mainly for quick trips or crowded areas where even the inline is too big. Think fairs, festivals, walks if you have flat terrain, or if you are tight on vehicle space! If you already have one (or two!) single umbrella strollers and would rather connect them, they do sell handy connectors that allow you to connect two singles!
• Twin nursing pillow– So if you plan to tandem breastfeed, My Brest Friend is going to be your best friend! (See what I did there… Ya, I’m funny, I know) There is no way I could have nursed both my babes simultaneously (especially when they got a little bit bigger!) without this gem!
• Backpack style diaper bag– I started off my twin-life with an over the should diaper bag. It was super adorable, very roomy, and I loved it!… until I actually had to haul it everywhere! It was sooo heavy and I had a hard time juggling it and 2 car seats! I found this backpack from Haptim about a year into it (Ya, I’m a slow learner sometimes!) and I’ve never looked back! It’s super comfortable on my back, isn’t too heavy when fully loaded and has so many pockets for storage! It’s held up very well, and we are still using it!
• Matching twin outfits– Okay, so I know you’re either like, YES!!!! I can’t wait for this part, or you’re thinking, NO WAY! Regardless of which camp you’re in, you need at least a couple matching outfits… come on, they’re twins!!! We got these awesome Ketchup & Mustard outfits at my shower!

Traditional registry items!

After you figure out the twin essentials that you need, the rest of your twin baby needs are similar to the needs of a singleton, just in different quantities! I’ve got you covered below with the remaining items you need and the quantities! Keep reading, mama!

Baby beauty products and Medicine cabinet must haves

• Diapers (I don’t know if these count as beauty products per say, but listen you need ALOT, so today we call them beauty products!) Register for them! Buy them! Have a diaper party! Because you need ALL the diapers! I personally love Pampers Swaddlers, but don’t fret if friends and loved ones get you different brands because you can always exchange them! PS… if you have a boy, you are probably going to need Pampers Overnight Swaddlers too!
• Wipes (I prefer Huggies wipes!)
• Diaper Cream
• Shampoo/Baby Wash – So I actually use Euphora Aloe Therapy Hair and Body Cleanse. We tried all sorts of baby shampoos and washes at first, but we ended up with cradle cap, dry skin and eczema for days! I use Aloe Therapy for their shampoo and body wash now, and we haven’t had any issues since! We even were able to discontinue the topical steroids from the pediatrician! Bonus: I use Aloe Therapy for myself too!
• Baby Lotion
• Baby Tylenol
• Gas Relief Drops (Simethicone drops)
• Nose Frida (I know you think this is gross now, but just wait, it’s a freaking life saver!)
• Nail clippers The Fridababy clippers are worth the extra money because of the spyhole alone! It gives me so much peace of mind that I won’t cut their tiny fingers and toes!
• Thermometer You want one that doesn’t actually have to touch baby and has noise cancellation, so you don’t wake them up when you need to check their temperature when they’re sleeping!
• Towels (4 total) & washcloths (6-9 total) – I would honestly skip the oh-so-cute baby towels and washcloths. They are just so small that you don’t end up using them for long. I would skip straight to toddler size towels! I LOVE the kids towels from Norwex because they have BacLock technology, which means I go longer between washes! For wash cloths, we use the Norwex Body Packs! **This is definitely one of my SPLURGE items! They are a little pricey, but so worth it! (Send me an email if you need the hookup on a Norwex rep!)
• Bath tub– This is kinda optional in my opinion. You can use the kitchen sink too when they are little, and you outgrow the baby tubs so quickly! If you’re going to get one, I wouldn’t spend much!

baby feeding

• Bibs– You’ll need baby bibs (4-6 per baby)and then toddler bibs (2 per baby)when they start eating baby food and solids. I loved bandana bibs because they were so gosh darn cute for when they were babies and silicone bibs with pouches for when we started on baby food!
• Dr Brown bottles– 6-10 per baby- one of my babes had feeding difficulties and would aspirate her formula, so Dr. Brown bottles were medically necessary for us! But they made a world of difference when it came to decreasing gasiness and fussiness during feeds!
• Bottle brush– My dishwasher wasn’t great at cleaning bottles, so I had to resort to hand washing all.those.bottles.
• Burp cloths– I just used cloth diapers!
• Breast Pump– Your health insurance will likely cover this!
• Bottle drying rack– I love the Boon! It’s stylish on my counter (well, as stylish as drying racks come!) and I’m still using it to dry sippy cup parts!
• Nursing cover
• Bottle warmer– I didn’t get this at first, but we really struggled to gain weight, and my pediatrician recommended we warm the bottles to decrease the amount of energy and calories it took for them to digest the formula. Dr. Brown’s bottle warmer was the quickest and easiest one I could find!
• TWO Bumbo seats– Okay, so this is another item that I DO recommend getting 2 of. I used these as portable feeding chairs as they got older and were eating baby food. They were super easy to take along, didn’t take up a lot of space, and were so easy to clean!

Nursery

• Baby monitor– You definitely want a video monitor. Unless you plan on having them in separate rooms, you don’t need a dual camera one because most of the cameras can tilt/pan/zoom. We used this one from Motorola!
• White noise machine– You really don’t need anything fancy here. Just something that will produce white noise!
• Crib mattress X 2- You’re going to want a firm or extra firm mattress! And if your mattress is waterproof, you can skip the extra mattress protector!
• Crib sheets 4-6 total
• Diaper Caddy– Okay so trust me on this one… you are going to want one in every room that you plan on hanging out with your babes in! Not only will you always have diapers and wipes within reach, but you can also store other items that you want within quick reach! We have one in our living room, one in the nursery, and one in the car. If you are planning on feeding in your bedroom, you’ll want one there too! In the car,I use a 31 tote because it’s a little bigger, but really you can use any basket that you already have or anything that matches your decor!

• Changing pad and covers (2-3 covers!)- Definitely spend a little more to get covers that are wipeable!
• Changing pad liners– I used these when we weren’t changing on the changing table to protect the carpet, couch, our bed, or whatever surface from any accidental “spills”
• Diaper Genie– This was one of the items that I really wasn’t sure if I needed or not… couldn’t I just put them in the trash and take it out frequently?? Well, you can, but you are probably going to smell those bad boys from a room or two away! Trust me, you’ll want a diaper pail!
• Cool Mist Humidifier– Your babes will need this in the dry winter months!

The big items

Okay, so before I get into these items (and we already listed the stroller and twin bassinets, which are a couple of the biggies!), let me tell you… Put these on your registry! I was hesitant to put the biggies on my registry because I didn’t want to appear as if I expected friends or family to get these pricey items. Remember- Amazon gives you a baby registry completion discount of 10% (sometimes up to 15% for Prime members) that you can use starting 60 days before your babes are due for any items that haven’t been purchased through your registry! That can save you some dollars! So put it all on there! And heck, you may be surprised that you receive some (or all!) of them!

Okay, here’s the list…

• Cribs X 2- Which crib you get really depends on your style and decor! They actually discontinued the crib we use, but it is a Graco, and I’ve been overall pleased with the quality of their brand! Just look for a crib that can convert to a toddler bed in the future! (Because that will for sure sneak up on you!) The Delta Bentley 4-in-1 Convertible Crib is very similar to what we used!
• Dresser with changing top– Most manufacturers offer a matching dresser for each of their crib styles, so just look after you’ve found your crib! The Delta Bentley 6-Drawer Dresser is what we use and love! Each baby has 3 drawers, which so far has been sufficient in addition to their closet! With Delta brand dressers, you do have to purchase separately the changing kit (this is the frame that attaches to the top of the dresser to complete the changing table portion)! I do highly recommend this so you have a designated place to change diapers and clothes! Think of this as home office, and all of your diaper caddies are like satellite offices!
• Car Seats– This was another item that I spent HOURS researching! Infant car seats, infant car seat bases, convertible car seats, front facing, rear facing… so many options! Which one is best?? Well, we ended up going with the Graco SnugRide SnugLock and loved them! We also invested in additional bases for my hubby’s truck as well as Grammy’s car. With the click connect feature from Graco, you literally just snap them into the bases and go! So much easier than trying to fumble with buckling them in with the seat belt or trying to move bases from car to car!
  • PS. I would also suggest these Munchkin seat protectors to protect your vehicle seats! These have reservoirs to catch those stray cheerios and spilled juice!
  • PSS. Baby mirrors are also totally necessary! They allow you to see baby (for peace of mind that they aren’t choking or something!) and allow your baby to see you (which means less fussing!)
  • After your babes outgrow their infant car seats, you’ll likely transition them to a rear-facing car seat. After hours of research, I was stuck between the Graco Milestone and the Graco 4-Ever. We went with the Graco Milestone All-in-One Car Seat because it was a little cheaper, but didn’t lack on safety or comfort. It didn’t have the backless booster option like the 4-Ever did, but it was more cost effective, and I figured we could buy the backless boosters when it was time.
• Pack N Play– Another item that I do recommend doubling up on! If you are going with the Twin Bassinet Nursery Center that we talked about earlier, then you only need to register for 1 more pack n play. Now, let’s talk about pack n plays for a second… honestly, we’ve only ever used ours for the babes to sleep in when we aren’t at home, after they had outgrown their bassinets. So think about whether or not they will be staying overnight outside your home… Grammy’s? hotels/vacation homes? camping? We use ours for Grammy’s house and at the lake. If you aren’t going to be overnight anywhere, then you really don’t need Pack N Plays in my opinion!
• High chairs– You can definitely wait on these if you want! You won’t need them for awhile, and remember you will have to store them if you get them now! We used the Graco Table2Table because it was so versatile and could be used as a booster too! If you need something for smaller spaces that folds up and stores away easily, I would suggest the Cosco Simple Fold Highchair!
• Baby swing – These are totally optional, but having at least 1 is nice. Some babies need constant motion to fall asleep, and if that’s your babe, this could be a life saver! We had the Graco Simple Sway Swing!

Clothing

So I went a little hog wild with baby clothes before my babes arrived. We had so many outfits that they never even wore! See, babies mainly survive in onesies and cloth shorts or pants and sleepers. Now, don’t get me wrong, you have to have some cute outfits right! But you don’t need a ton! Here’s my list of essential clothing. My suggestion is to buy both newborn and size 3 month. (I refused to purchase any preemie size clothing, as I swore I was going to carry them to term! My babes came a month early, but they were still big enough to start out in newborn size clothing, be it a little baggy!)

• Blankets– Okay, so not really clothing, but you do need some baby blankets. I’m not sure why, but everyone seems to get you baby blankets! Don’t worry about registering for any, unless there’s something specific you want! I know, I know, you’re wondering, “Well what if I don’t get any?!” Well, that’s next to impossible. Trust me on this one, mama.
• Pacifiers– Again, not exactly clothing, but you’ll want a handful around! Think one for each diaper caddy plus 2!
• Sleep sacks– 3 per baby- It’s recommended that your baby not go to sleep with blankets! You’ll want these to keep them warm!
• Swaddlers – 3 per baby
• Onesies– 8-10 per baby (We love Carter’s!)
• Cotton pants or shorts (Depending on the season!)- 6-8 pair per baby
• Sleepers– 5-7 per baby Trust me, you want zip up sleepers! Ain’t no mama got time for all of those snaps

The things you can skip!

Really, mama, if you’ve made it this far you are all set! Now sit back, relax, and let your friends and family do the shopping!

And just in case you were wondering about the items below, just skip them! You’ll save yourself some money and clutter!

• Teething toys- rolled, frozen washcloths work just as well!
• Sophie la Girafe- just Google Sophie la Girafe and mold. Yep, cross Miss Sophie off your list.
• Socks and crib shoes- your momma is probably going to insist on baby socks! I say you can take them or leave them. My littles wouldn’t keep socks on to save their lives, and they hated shoes until they could walk!
• Mattress protector pads- crib mattresses are already sleek and waterproof, making this additional protector pad not worth the money!
• Wipe or lotion warmers
• Baby powder- We’ve all seen the news stories linking baby powder to different cancers… not worth the risk!
• Baby hair brushes/combs- I’ve always used my hairbrush… until we recently invested in Disney princess brushes.
• Nasal syringe bulbs- Go straight for the NoseFrida!
• Crib bedding sets- only a tight fitting sheet is recommended for safe sleep! Skip the expensive sets that include bumpers, pillows, comforters, and the like.
• Additional car seat accessories that go in or connect to your child’s car seat, including toys, strap pads, head and neck supports. Only accessories that come with your seat from the manufacturer are considered safe!
• Receiving blankets- They are too small to be useful for long!

PS. If there’s another tried and true baby necessity that I’m missing, please comment or send me an email and let me know so I can add it to the list!

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