What to buy for Newborn Twins

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Confused as to what baby equipment to buy for your twins?
Panic not, Twinsonline will help you decide for yourselves what you need to buy and presents you with some of the choices on offer to you so you can make an informed decision on what to buy now and what to leave till a later date

Choosing suitable Transport for Newborn Twins
Buying a double buggy or twin pushchair can be quite daunting especially if your twins are going to be your first children. Don’t panic Twinsonline is here to help you make the right decision for you.

Do you have shops and other amenities close by? (i.e. within walking distance?) if you do you will probably need a buggy that is suitable for walking to the shops and will need to think about whether it will go round local stores comfortably, and will probably need to prioritise getting a rain cover for it too. Plus you will probably need to have a shopping basket underneath it to put all the great things you have bought safely out of the way whilst you walk back home.

If you travel mainly by car
If you are more reliant on taking the car most places you go you will probably need a buggy that is able to fold up neatly and be put into the back of your car. Choose one that it compact and lightweight, as you will spend lots of time lifting it in and out of your car. Double check to see how easily it folds up, some are quite fiddly

Three Wheels or Four?
There are arguments for and against buying a three wheeler buggy rather than a four wheeler one, it is a matter of personal choice, one thing to bear in mind is that Bigger wheels are generally better than smaller wheels and Swivel Wheels are better than fixed ones but again double check that this is what you prefer, do not just get a big wheeled swiveling buggy just because that is what I prefer!

Expensive or Inexpensive Buggy? What is best?
There are also various arguments over buying a very expensive pram with carrycot which later turns into a pushchair as opposed to buying a cheaper lighter model.

It largely depends on the amount you have to spend on a buggy plus what time of year your babies are born, ( bearing in mind if it is in the middle of winter you will need something that is a bit more sturdy and weatherproof than you could probably get away with in the spring and summer months.)

Tips for choosing Double Buggies, Twin Prams, Twin Pushchairs etc

When you are choosing your buggy make sure

  •  It is suitable from birth
  •  The back has a few different positions.
  • Ask the assistant in the store to show you how easily it will fold up and how heavy it is to lift up to the height of the car boot (Do NOT try this whilst you are pregnant) get your partner to demonstrate, if he buckles at the knees with the immense weight of it, then LEAVE IT in the shop!!
  • You take a tape measure with you and measure it folded up,
  • Double check it is going to fit into the car boot.

How small does it fold up? Where are you going to put it?

Also worth considering is where you are going to put it when you get home. If you are in a fairly small house and have very narrow doorways and do not have a garage or outdoor store or shed to put it in you will probably need to look towards buying an umbrella fold buggy which can be folded up very small and stored in a small space. Or possibly a one-in-front-of the other tandem style buggy, but do check they are suitable from birth as they are not all suitable!

It would be a good idea to measure the opening on your door and make a note of it, so that when you go to the shops (or indeed look at online listings for buggies) you will be aware of whether or not you are able to fit the buggy in through the front door.

Why is it so important to be able to fit it through the front door
If you get both your babies to sleep at the same time whilst out for a walk you will be able to push the babies back into the house and take off their cosy toes or blankets and let them sleep on, rather than having to wake them up again to get the buggy into the house, especially if the weather is rather poor.

Also it means that you can get the babies ready and tucked up in their buggy indoors rather than having to battle with the great British weather which is a great bonus in the winter.

Double side by side fold flat
These are great for shopping as often come with a great shopping tray underneath them, but can be hard to maneuver up aisles in shops as are quite wide and do not exactly fold down small so you will have to consider where you are going to keep it when not in use.

Also ensure that it will go into your car and measure your front door before buying one because it is no fun having a buggy that will not go through your front door, when it is raining and you just have to go out somewhere, you will end up getting very wet just leaving the house! Also it is great when you have got the children to sleep after a walk if you can bring them into the house still in the buggy without having to disturb them!

Double side by side umbrella fold
These are wonderful as they fold up small, they are generally suitable from birth (though just check because some brands may not be!) they are easy to maneuver and lightweight to lift. Often you can buy cosy toes and so on to match .

Double tandem
These are often designed for one older and one younger child, but some have been designed with twins in mind. Double check that they are suitable from birth and how small they fold up. They are very good for going round shops as they are as wide as a normal single buggy. If you are buying a buggy for your toddling twins this may be a good buggy to buy because when they start walking you can get one to hold each side of the handle bar of the tandem buggy and you can have control over them and the buggy at the same time which is always a good thing!

Twin Pram
These are great for the first few months when your babies are lying down but before buying one double check if they will fold down small and if when your children get older if there is anything to support them whilst sitting up. If not, then think twice about buying them because otherwise you might only be able to use the buggy for a few months before having to buy a different sort of buggy which does have facility to enable them to sit up.

Cots
Where are the babies going to sleep in the daytime?

Babies spend much of their first few weeks asleep so you need to think about where you are going to put them to sleep during the daytime.

There are several answers to this problem

  • Put them in their cots, and monitor them with a baby monitor and keep popping upstairs to double check they are ok.
  • Buy a good solid buggy or pram which lays flat (one that will fit through your front door without having to be folded up in any sort of way) and allow them to sleep in that.
  • Buy two Moses baskets and keep them downstairs
  • Buy a Travel Cot or an additional cot and keep this downstairs for them to sleep in.
  • Put them into Bouncy Chairs.

Where are they going to sleep at Night?

  • Are they going to be given a cot/ Moses basket in your room?
  • A cot in their own room?
  • A room each?

Do you want them to share a cot at first or would you prefer them to have their own cots right from day one?
There are arguments for and against allowing twins to share a cot. From a purely personal point of view I would suggest that you get two cots/ Moses baskets right from the start. This way you will not have to teach an older toddler how to get to sleep without the presence of his or her sibling. They will eventually grow too big to share a cot so you will have to buy a second one anyway, so why not start as you mean to go on?

Choose a solid sturdy cot with a range of positions for the mattress, you will need to have the cot mattress fairly high at first and then lower it when your children can stand up. Some people buy cot beds but bear in mind that babies can be quite hard on their cots and by the time you are thinking of turning your cot bed into a bed you will probably find that it is in no fit state to convert and will have to buy a junior bed anyway.

Mattresses
These for some reason are sold separately to cots, make sure you chose the correct size for the cot because they are not one uniform size, and if you can buy one with a zip off cover that would be an advantage too because when a child is sick you can then unzip the cover, pop it in the washing machine and let it dry on the line and it is fresh again.

Moses Baskets
Some people love Moses baskets and find they are wonderful for the early days after birth as you can allow baby to sleep in them and you can carry baby in his/her Moses  basket around the house. However other people find that they are expensive for what they are and that baby quickly grows out of them, so use your judgment as to whether you need them or not!

Baby Alarm
Choose one that has different channels on it and preferably battery back up and flashing lights.

Bathtime

Baby Bath
A plastic baby bath is a good idea, especially if you can get one that will slot over the bath. You can buy these at car boot sales and charity shops often in pristine condition as again, they are something that get used for a relatively short time before your children get big enough to go in the big bath.

Please note that baby baths are not compulsory, I know of several people who managed perfectly well without a baby bath. They can be a bit of a pig to fill and empty

Changing time

Changing Mat
Choose a changing mat that is wipe clean. If you have a downstairs lavatory why not buy two changing mats and have one upstairs and one downstairs.

Baby Box
Some people buy a box to put nappy kit in. This is quite useful to have. It can be a specially designed one or just a plastic or wicker box that you keep wipes, nappies, nappy cream, nappy sacks, and so on in

Nappies
There are three main types of nappies

Disposable : Choose ones for babies 6-11lbs for newborn babies, and choose the best quality nappy you can afford.

Bio-degradable See the internet for details of stockists. These are kinder to the environment than ordinary nappies as they will slowly over time bio-degrade, causing less environmental damage.

Terry Towelling Traditional style nappies, or reusable cloth nappies, don’t forget to buy plastic pants and liners and nappy pins and a bucket to put dirty ones into. Some areas offer a nappy-laundering service look on the internet for details of availability in your area.

Nappy Sacks
These are great for putting smelly nappies into, you can usually buy really cheap ones

Feeding

What about feeding the Babies?If you are going to breast feed you will need to buy nursing bra’s and possibly a breast pump and a selection of bottles and a sterilizer so that you can allow someone to feed your babies whilst you are out.

Do not get measured for your nursing bra until the very last minute as your breasts are likely to increase in size towards the end of your pregnancy/ in the first few days after birth.

You could get measured for a bra whilst you are in hospital if you have anyone who you could trust to buy you one. If not you will have to buy one just before you have your babies.

If you are planning on breastfeeding exclusively you may want to have a look at some sterilizers and bottles and breast pumps so that you can express your milk and leave your babies some milk ready for someone else to feed your babies whilst you are out.

If you are not sure if breastfeeding is going to be for you then wait until you feel you need a breast pump before buying one.

Bottles
If you are going to bottle feed your twins you will need 12 bottles, a sterilizer, a bottle brush and a tin of formula milk. Choose teats that are medium flow or for newborn as fast flow is too fast and slow flow teats will probably be too difficult for the babies to get enough milk without getting too tired.

If you are planning on bottle feeding you will need

  • At least 8-12 bottles,
    a sterilizer,
  • a bottle brush and
  • some formula milk.

Teats come in a range of sizes, choose newborn ones for newborns and faster flow ones for hungry or older babies. Always check that teats are not worn before use

Sterilizers

Sterilizers come in several formats

Steam ones plug into the mains and operate in a similar way to your kettle, reaching the required temperature and then switching off

Cold water ones use chemicals to sterilize and take longer and are messier to use, but some people find them ideal as they are relatively cheap.

Microwave sterilizers These simply slot into your microwave and sterilize fairly quickly.

Self-sterilizing bottles You can buy bottles that you can sterilize directly in the microwave, stockists of this type of bottle include Mothercare.

Bouncy Chairs

These are great to have. Get them one each and check their covers are removable and washable.

Car Seats

There are several types of car seats on offer.

Bucket Type These are great for the first 6-9 months of your children’s life. You will have to replace them with a different kind after they reach 9 months of age though, so bear this in mind when thinking about what sort to buy. They are good though when your children are babies as they can be taken out of the car and carried ( still fast asleep if necessary !) into where ever you are going!

Reversible ones These car seats can be used from birth right up till school age, you put the car seat facing the rear when your babies are tiny and then once they get to around 9 months old you can turn them around and use them facing forwards. However ensure that they will fit into your car before you buy them.

Booster seat with removable back these are fine if you are choosing a car seat for a slightly older toddler.

Whatever type of car seat you chose to get, make sure that you get them fitted professionally and that they have removable and washable covers.

Buy Later

· High Chairs

· Potties

· Baby bouncers

· Ride on Toys

· Playpen

· Feeding bowls and spoons

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Page Last Updated

February 05, 2010 

Disclaimer:- Twinsonline is here as a guide only - anything you do you do at your own risk
 If you have a health concern please go see the relevant member of your health team (GP, Health Visitor, Midwife, Obstetrician)

What to Buy

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