Welcome back for part 2 of my top picks for newborn twin essentials! I can’t believe that nearly 2-1/2 years ago I welcomed two tiny humans into my life. Sir R and Miss B have been giving me a run for my money ever since. Literally. Twins need lots of stuff!
But newborns don’t need everything you think they need. That’s why I’ve compiled my must-have list of the essentials you should have ready before bringing home babies. In Part 1, I covered sleeping, eating, and pooping. Today, I’ll cover the rest.
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Playing
Ok, this heading is totally misleading. Newborns don’t play. They don’t really do anything, other than lay there and look totally adorable… and eat, and sleep, and poop. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be thinking about how to keep them “entertained.”
A Baby Seat
When they are awake, you probably won’t be able to devote every moment to holding them. I mean, someone has to cook dinner and fold the 5th load of laundry today. I found that having a mini-seat really helped. I would just snap a baby into the seat, and set the seat on the kitchen counter while I was cooking or doing dishes, or set the seat on the dining table while I folded laundry. That way baby could still see me and hear my voice, and I was able to get things done.
My mom said she used to do this with our car seats. I didn’t feel comfortable placing the bucket car seat on a counter or table top. It just didn’t seem stable. So, I got The seat vibrates and plays music, so it’s similar to the swings. However, it is definitely way more portable. We could toss the seat in the car for an afternoon at grandma’s house. I could also easily move the seat around the house, depending on what I was doing that day.
Miss B, chilling in her seat under the Christmas lights. She had horrible reflux, and the incline of the seat really helped.
Tummy Time
Tummy time is supposed to happen from day one, but it’s really not something to stress out over. You can lay a blanket just about anywhere and do tummy time. They make cute little blankets for the event, but with you luck, the special “tummy time blanket” will be in another part of the house anyway.
We did buy Ok, about the play mat. It came in handy when the babies developed better eyesight and I thought they needed different things to look at. I really liked having the mat when I was sitting at the table. I could hold one baby, and have the other one on the mat. Then rotate them as necessary.
What about rattle and toys? First of all, if you have any friends or family you are guaranteed to get teething rings and rattles and grasping toys and stuffed animals as presents. People just cannot help themselves when there are adorable tiny humans to buy toys for. The one thing that I would recommend registering for are
Bathing
Tub, check. Towels, check. Baby wash, check. This is one area where you really do not need to overthink. Just get a Luvable Friends Animal Face Hooded Woven Terry Baby Towel, Duck” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>towels and Johnson’s Bathtime Essentials Gift Set Johnson And Johnson Shampoo Lotion Baby Infant Wash
” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>Johnson’s baby wash. Some people are really into the all natural, organic baby products, and that is fine. Just remember that stuff is more expensive and you have to buy twice as much of it.
Oh, and while we’re at it, you’re going to need a simple Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer MODEL# 2000C TAT-2000C Battery” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>thermometer – I’m a fan of the temporal type.
Clothing
There is nothing more adorable than coordinating outfits for your newborn twins. Seriously, nothing at all. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have outfits for outings or special occasions, but on a day-to-day basis they are the biggest pain in the butt. Remember all of those diapers that you got at your diaper party? You will eventually use them. This means that every time you change a diaper you have a squirming newborn to undress and then dress again.
So whether you are having boys or girls, my recommendation is to let them wear
Real Men Wear Gowns – Baby R in his newborn gown.
I really wish I would have known more about the carriers when R & B were smaller. I’m just now learning more about them, but they are AMAZING if you use them correctly. I think we now officially have 4 or 5 in our car, and there are lots of different purposes, but I will be using them more with the next one. I think the Moby is best for newborns, and then you can try others as they get bigger. With Andy’s bad back, when he wears Page his back actually feels better.
My saviour has been twin z pillow for feeding!