Fisher Price Rock N Plays
Before I had the twins a fellow twin mom told me that these were a must! I totally concur! They are so portable and easy to store when not in use. We would move them from room to room as needed and would even take them with us on vacation or just to a family dinner. I would definitely recommend the auto rocking version. These are perfect for newborns. They keep them swaddled and secure. For babies with reflux (which Hagen had) it keeps them propped up. An absolute must have!
Baby Car Mirror
So the first couple months that I had the twins I did not have these. Driving around I was always nervous that the babies were ok because I couldn't see them. A few times I even pulled over to check on them. Well this solves that problem! When they are newborns you can see them and know if they are sleeping or awake. When baby gets a little older these become built in entertainment while they are in the car. The twins will sit and laugh and talk to the baby in the mirror while we drive. There are several versions and can be found pretty much everywhere baby gear is sold. This is just an example of one from Amazon. (no that is not my baby)
Nose Frida Snot Sucker
Gross! It really is disgusting but once you have a baby snot just becomes a part of your daily life! Let's be honest those bulb things they send you home from the hospital with don't work ... like at all! This thing works! You put the blue tube end up against the babies nostril and then the red end in your mouth and you SUCK! Don't worry there is no way for the snot to get into your mouth. Your baby will get a look on their face like you are sucking their brains out. I am guessing that is about what it feels like. But then they can breath and aren't so stuffy. You need this!
do'Terra Purify Oil
I was given a very nice diaper pail that is not suppose to stink as a baby gift. Well guess what? It stinks. Twins = SO MANY DIAPERS!! Right now (16 months) we go through about 300 diapers a month! Diapers = stink! So here is one of my best mom hacks (not really a hack). Put a couple drops of do'Terra Purify Oil on a cotton ball and put that in the bottom of the diaper pail (and garbage cans too). It really does help kill the stale smell of dirty diapers. It's also a great oil for laundry and all other cleaning things.
Umbrella Stroller
In preparation for the twins we got the jumbo double stroller with the matching click in car seats. It is an awesome stroller! But I hardly ever use it. It was nice in the very beginning when I would leave the babies in their car seats and just click the car seat in but it is big and heavy and definitely takes more time to set up. Now my go to is a double umbrella stroller. I got one for under $100 on Amazon. It is so light and easy to set up. For quick trip or walks this is all you need. I personally think you can skip the fancy stroller all together. I even got one to leave at my moms house.
Here is the one I have.
https://www.amazon.com/Jeep-Brand-Double-Stroller-Burgundy/dp/B019JNHJCA/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1515988240&sr=1-6&keywords=double%2Bumbrella%2Bstroller&th=1
Hands Free Pumping Bra
My twins were born 9 weeks early. They spent 50 days in the NICU growing and learning to eat. For the first few weeks they were fed only through a feeding tube. Preemies can't suck, swallow, breath at the same time which means they can't eat. This is something that happens later on in their development. While I had totally planned on breast feeding it just wasn't an option for me in the beginning. By the time they came home they were so use to the bottle that we never made the transition. So I pumped! I pumped for FIVE months! I know there are some that do it much longer and hats off to them. It is not fun, it is time consuming and just kind of sucks. But you do what you have to do. One thing that made it SO much easier was a hands free pumping bra. That was a game changer for me. So if you find yourself pumping instead of breastfeeding get one of these!!! Again you can get these lots of places. But Amazon does deliver!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00295MQLU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
Bottle Warmer
If you bottle feed at all you need a bottle warmer. Did you know that you aren't suppose to put breast milk in the microwave. You have to put the bottle in hot water and let it sit to warm up the milk. Well guess how NOT fun that is in middle of the night! A bottle warmer heats up the bottle in like 90 seconds using steam. Every second counts at 2 AM so I would say this is a must have product if you are bottle feeding. Night feeding tip: I would prep the bottles before going to bed and put them in a little cooler bag with an ice pack. I would put the cooler bag in the bathroom by the babies room along with the bottle warmer. When the babies woke up I would warm up the bottles while setting them up on the boppy pillows. I never had to prep anything or go downstairs to the kitchen for night feedings.
Sound Machine/Night Light
Having spent the first seven weeks of life in the NICU my babies came home 1. use to light (it is never totally dark in the NICU) and 2. Use to noise. It is surprisingly noisy in the NICU; doors closing, monitors beeping, nurses talking, other babies crying. This can be a perk as NICU babies learn to sleep through light and noise. We don't black out their rooms, ever! In fact we open the blinds during the day so that it is light during naps. We have sound playing whenever they are sleeping. My babies have been the best sleepers so it must work! This is the sound machine we use. I like it because it plays a variety of sounds, is small and portable and is a night light. Its by Skip Hop and can be found anywhere that baby products are sold.
Diaper Caddy
This one might seem silly but its one of those things I can't live without. We live in a two story house. The twins rooms and changing table are upstairs. But I spend most of my day in the family room/kitchen on the main level. So having a changing station on the main level is a must! I always have what I need to change those 300 diapers a month! It is easy to stash away when not using. I think I got mine at Babies R Us but again you can get them anywhere! There are a bunch of them on Amazon.
Boppy Pillow
I bet this is one of those items that most moms would agree goes on the must have list. Especially for twins!!! I actually had four of them when the twins were newborns, one set upstairs and one set downstairs. How do you feed twins? You prop them up on a boppy pillows and sit between them holding a bottle in each hand. We also used them for tummy time and just for hanging out. The twins still use them at 16 months. Make sure you get the kind that has the removable cover for washing.
So there you have it, some of my baby gear must haves!
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