5 "Must Haves" for Your Twin Registry

You are having twins! YAY! Twice the fun! Twice the love! Twice the stuff?!?! Not necessarily. Of course, you will need double the diapers, clothes, cribs, sheets, bottles, car seats to name a few. There are many items available that are designed just for twins. Other items that you might think you need two, but may not. Some items like swings, pack-n-plays, playmats, and bouncy seats you can get away with just one. I have had the pleasure of working with numerous sets of twins. During these twin adventures I have had an opportunity try out all kinds of twin contraptions. That said, here are my 5 "must haves" for your twin registry.1. The Twin ZWhether you decide to breastfeed, bottle feed or any combination, theTwin Z pillow is a life saver! The pillow can be positioned to tandem breastfeed and bottle feed. It can also be used as "seat" for both babies. They boast "6 ways" to use the pillow. I find that feedings and using it to seat the babies in an elevated position to be the most beneficial.For breastfeeding only, theBrest Friend Twin Pillow works well. It just isn't as versatile as the the Twin Z. When you are buying for two, more bang for the buck seems to be more appealing!2. Joovy Twin Roo + Carseat StrollerWith twice the baby comes twice the carseats. At first, the babies are small and light. When you add two babies and two carseats, you get double the weight and no free hands. As time goes on they quickly become heavy and it gets awkward to carry the car seats. TheJoovy Twin Roois perfect to throw in the trunk of your car and pull out to get the babies to and from the car. The Joovy is easier and lighter than trying to wrestle the twins from the car in their car seats into stores and appointments by hand. The Joovy Twin Roo is designed for hold two carseats. Click them in place and you are off and running.There are other comparable carseat strollers out there, this is the one that most my twin families prefer and I have the most experience with.3. Baby CarriersBabies like to be held. So what happens when both want to be held? Well, you have options. You can hold one twin, you can use a baby carrier for one and hold the other or you can use a baby carrier for both. There are a handful of twin carriers on the market. Among your choices are theTwintrexx2,Twingaroo,Weego,Moby,DoubleTake Twin Sling, and theK-tan(pictured above). Most of my families choose to use either the K-tan or Moby for the first few weeks and months. The advantage to using the K-tan and Moby is you can use it with one or both twins. 4. Double Time Log BookA big concern with any baby and especially with twins is, "Are the getting enough food?". One of the ways we can tell is based on diaper output. The first weeks and months can become a blur when it comes to feedings and diaper changes. Who ate, and when? How many wet diapers did Baby A have today? Keeping a log of each twins' feeding and diaper output can be extremely helpful and ease the worry about whether the twins are getting enough. TheDouble Timeis a predesigned log book works well for tracking the important details for each twin through out the day.5. Swaddle MeSwaddles are a must have for babies! Swaddling your twins will help them feel secure, warm and will help prevent the startle reflex that tends to wake babies up. Swaddling will not just do all those things, but babies seem to just sleep better when swaddled. Who doesn't love extra sleep?

There are a many different swaddles and blankets for swaddling out there. My favorite is theSwaddle Me(pictured above). The other popular ones on the market are theHalo Sleepsack,Aden & Anais blankets,Swaddle Me Pods.The preshaped swaddles with velcro are the easiest to use, especially in the middle of the night.Have some other favorite twin "must haves"? I would love to hear them! You can contact me here.Nurtured Foundation provides doula services, infant massage, belly binding, and classes to the Cleveland, Ohio and surrounding areas.