My girls are officially two months old! Seriously, that FLEW by! I was SO, so nervous (and so, so excited) when I found out I was having twins. I immediately starting scouring the internet for what I would need. What did I need two of? What was just fluff? I had 7 months to prepare, and I knew that our finances would take less of a hit if I bought things over a 7 month period instead of one huge CHUNK. After looking through several lists, talking to a lot of other twin moms, surviving the first few weeks with two newborns, and a few attempts at putting together an ULTIMATE list of must-have items for twins (and falling asleep at the computer a few times), here it is:
THE ULTIMATE TWIN BABY REGISTRY.
Now, I do have to add a disclaimer – there are the essentials and a few of my personal favorites (let’s be honest – with two little girls, a tiny bit of spoiling was in order!). I’ll continue to add to the list as my girls grow with things I love and things I can’t live without, but for now, this is a great place to start if you are expecting twins! 🙂 To mothers of twins (and multiples) everywhere, I applaud you! To expecting mothers of twins, just know it can be rough, but the good and the fun and the amazing moments totally outweigh those last few weeks of pregnancy and the sleepless nights! 😉 You can read my recommendations and explanations, and then scroll to the bottom to find a downloadable, printable list.
Have questions or want to see more pictures of the twins? You can follow my personal account on Instagram.
During the pregnancy: Twin pregnancy is a wonderful, unique, horribly hard thing in the best way possible. 🙂 The next few months will be centered around taking care of those babies, and that includes taking care of yourself, too. There were a few things that I LOVED and made my life easier to…handle (I have no better way of saying that! Hahaha!).
- Maternity Jeans: I think I made it to week 16 wearing normal pants…and then it was all downhill from there! I only bought two pairs of maternity jeans for two reasons: 1. Working from home, I was able to get away with wearing a lot of sweats and my husband’s clothes. And 2. I knew I wouldn’t be wearing them long term, and I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on them. These pants from Jessica Simpson were my go-to. I also loved these the price of the ones from Old Navy.
- Maternity Leggings: If I actually had to leave the house and I just couldn’t force myself to put on jeans, these maternity leggings were my go-to. I probably wore them a few too many times in a row, but let’s not judge. 😉
- Maternity Dresses: It was hot wellll into October in California, and I was 7 months pregnant, so dresses became my best friend. No layers, just a nice, loose fit. I wore this one religiously. I also just bought a few stretchy, flowy dresses that weren’t maternity (from my favorite store) that I could wear during pregnancy and after the babies were born in that “awkward stage”, too.
- Some serious lotion: People warned me about the itching as your skin stretches (I know, it sounds horrible, but this is real life). I randomly ordered this Burt’s Bees Belly Butter, but it became my most favorite thing!!! It helped a TON with the itching and I recommend it to every twin mama now.
- Pillows: The ONLY way I got any sleep (especially towards the end) was with the help of pillows! I always thought those “bump nests” were ridiculous, but I see now why people use them! Unfortunately, my bed was NOT big enough for a giant wrap-around body pillow, my prego bod, AND my husband, so I found a happy medium:
this pillow(no longer sold). THIS PILLOW is a great substitute. - Pregnancy App: I had 3 that I rotated through, but I loved them! They update daily (one of them was weekly), and had articles all about your growing baby(ies). All 3 of them were free, and I liked different things about each of them. I used Glow Nurture (it pairs with MyFitnessPal), The Bump, and BabyCenter. And yes, I really did use all three. 🙂 *update: this time around I used the OVIA app and I loved it (but I was only pregnant with one!)
Clothing: Let’s be honest…as soon as I found out I was having two girls, my first thought immediately went to all the cute clothes they have for baby girls! I got really excited (and I did splurge on a few things), but that excitement started to falter because two sets of everything adds up real fast. Here’s what I had (and survived just fine with!) in newborn size. When they hit 6 weeks, they finally outgrew most of their newborn items. I had a few 0-3 month items from my baby showers, but mostly I have been buying things as they’ve gotten bigger (and I’ve stayed around the same amount of these items in the 0-3 month size).
- Short-Sleeve Onesies: I had 10 (most of them were these kind from Carter’s), and they were perfect for warmer days when we went for walks outside.
- Long-Sleeve Onesies: I had 10 of these, but I loved the plain white long-sleeved onesies with mittens on the end the most!
- Pants: I had 8 pairs, and all of them were tiny little leggings I picked up at Target. We didn’t go out every day, and usually we only wore pants when we left our house. 🙂
- Socks: I had 12 pairs (because they came in packs of 6). Even if we weren’t wearing pants, we usually still wore socks so they could keep their tiny little toes warm.
- PJs: I had 12 jammies. My recommendations? Buttons are your worst enemy in the middle of the night, so go for zippers, sleep sacks, and gowns (you’ll thank me later).
- Mittens: I had 4 pairs. If they weren’t swaddled, or wearing long-sleeve onesies, they had on these mittens! No matter how many times I cut their fingernails, somehow they always still managed to scratch themselves if their hands were free!
- Hats: My babies wore beanies round the clock when they first got home. Even with full heads of hair and warmer weather, they were still just so little and so cold. As much as I love those hospital beanies (NOT!), I got some from KBcute Designs that I loved. Bonus: They have matching swaddles to go with them! 🙂
- Bows: You knew there were going to be bows on this list, right? I couldn’t help it! I won’t tell you how many I have (read: way too many), but we don’t go out the door without them! My favorite right now? These cute tiny leather bows from Modern Piggy. I think I have every color (if I don’t yet, I will! Haha!).
- “Going home outfit”: I bought special outfits for the girls to come home in from the hospital (these outfits). The hats were a little big (my babies had really small heads!), but I loved the footed leggings 🙂 You can find more sets like those from most baby stores, too.
- Shoes: Now, we all know these aren’t necessary, but I am obsessed with the Freshly Picked Moccs and I think they look so cute on tiny feet! And I will keep buying them until they can’t fit in their sizes anymore. If you’re nervous about the price – they do a sale twice a year, and that’s when we usually stock up! *Update: we STILL love these shoes. My babies learned to walk in them and I just keep buying them because I’m obsessed. Not sponsored, just true.
Bathtime:
- Tub: We used this tub with the newborn insert until they could get their bellies wet. Now we just use the pink tub minus the insert, and the girls LOVE it. It fits perfectly in our tub, or on our counter, too.
- Washcloths: We have 10 (we just bought them in a 10-pack from amazon. Thank you prime shipping.)
- Towels: We bought 8. Our little girls looooove to pee as soon as they get OUT of the tub, and I was so tired of washing towels every day, so I started with 4 and then bought 4 more. I love these hooded towels (and so do my girls).
- Shampoo: We just use the simple Johnson & Johnson Shampoo and we have no complaints. *Update: we switched to Baby Dove a few months ago because I love the smell, and haven’t looked back! Sorry Johnson & Johnson!
- Body Wash: Again, we just use Johnson & Johnson body wash and the girls love it. For a lot of babies, the head-to-toe wash works for hair, too. Olivia was born with a full head of hair (and not that fuzzy baby hair that falls out! haha), so we use the shampoo instead of the wash for their hair. *Update: again, we switched to Dove and we love it because it smells so tasty! Not sponsored, just a personal opinion.
- Lotion: For the most part, we used Johnson & Johnson baby lotion, but there were a few times when Liv’s skin needed a little extra moisture – so we also used Tubby Todd’s all-over ointment (bonus: it works for diaper rashes, too!). *Update: We started using Tubby Todd more regularly between going back and forth between dry Utah weather and some really dry months in California! Bedtime:
- Babywise: My friend who just had a baby recommended the book Babywise to me, because I had pretty much no idea what I was doing taking care of two babies round the clock. The book has basic information, daily schedules that help get your child on a good pattern of sleep (which my completely Type-A personality loves), and there is even a section in the back about twins and multiples. Some people don’t love it, but I have been obsessed with it, follow it religiously, and it works for our family. My babies are REALLY good sleepers, but I feel like it’s because we stuck to those schedules. 🙂 I have also heard great things about Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins – but I haven’t personally read this one.
- Rock ‘N Plays: These Rock ‘N Plays were another item that came highly recommended by a lot of twin moms. Our babies actually slept in their Rock ‘N Plays for the first two weeks in our room with us. I didn’t want to buy bassinets to use for one month of their lives, so these seemed like a better longer-term option. Now they sleep in their cribs, but they still nap in their Rock ‘N Plays. I seriously don’t know how we’d survive without them. *Disclaimer: I know that I probably offended about 10,000 people by the fact that they slept in their Rock ‘N Plays, but that’s what worked for us and our babies are alive and well. 🙂
- White Noise Machine: Babies are used to constant noise in-utero, so a white noise machine can help them feel comfortable enough to sleep. In our case, it also helps drown out any noise from our neighbors and from outside. We just ordered this simple one off Amazon.
- Swaddles: Another thing babies are used to in-utero? Tight spaces, especially when there are two of them! Our babies sleep best swaddled tightly. A fellow twin mom told me they had 20 swaddles that they would rotate through. At first, I thought that was a little much. Having survived the first two months with twins, I can now say 20 is a pretty good number, and I would maybe err on the side of a few more than twenty! We love these swaddles from KBcute Designs because they have just enough stretch to keep my babies nice and snug. Plus, the cute patterns made me fall in love with them even more. *Update: I gift those KBcute swaddles to all my friends having babies! We also love the SwaddleMe ones with velcro!
- Pacifiers: For some reason, my girls are obsessed with these binkies, and these binkies only. We’ve tried other kinds (like a LOT of other kinds), but these binkies are the only ones they will take and keep. We have 8 (we originally had two, but I knew if I lost one, we were in big trouble.
- Baby Monitor: We moved our girls into separate cribs in their nursery when they were two weeks old (that’s just what worked best for everyone in our family). We bought this Samsung SafeView Monitor and an extra camera because it was recommended to us by a friend. We LOVE it. It has night-vision, talk capabilities, and it’s a closed circuit (so you don’t have anyone hacking the feed and talking to your child. Okay, I probably read way too many of those crazy Facebook articles while I was pregnant…). It also has the capability to have 4 cameras, so if we want more cameras in other other rooms as they grow older, we just have to purchase them. *Update: we STILL use this camera on a daily basis. As they’ve gotten older the ability to talk to them has been THE BEST.
- Thick Blankets: We also had two thicker blankets that we use for naptime on colder days. We picked ours up from TJ Maxx, but these soft pink blankets are pretty similar. *Update: for this baby boy, we went with the Saranoni receiving blanket. SOFTEST BLANKET EVER, and we’ll probably be ordering the girls one next week because they keep stealing it.
Feeding: I nursed and supplemented our girls up until they were about 5 weeks old, and then I switched to solely bottlefeeding (again, you gotta do what you gotta do!) – but here’s what I would recommend for both.
- Nursing Pillow: I had the My Brest Friend pillow and LOVED it. It worked perfectly for tandem nursing, and I still use it for bottlefeeding both babies. I’ve also heard great thing about the twin-z pillow, but I have never used it.
- Nursing cover: I love anything that’s multi-use, can you tell? These multi-use covers are great for nursing, car seats, AND shopping carts, too. Bonus: those are the cheapest prices I’ve seen on cute multi-use covers!
- Pump: With twins, I feel like pumping is a given! I used this pump at the hospital, but you can usually rent them or get them for your insurance (because no one should pay that price!). You may also want to invest in a hand pump for on-the-go, too.
- Extra Pump Parts: Parts get lost, broken, and sometimes you need an extra set while one is washing! You can buy an extra set like this off of Amazon.
- Hands-Free Pumping Bra: The more hands you have available with twins, the better. This hands free pumping bra may look silly, but you’ll thank me later.
- Milk Storage Bags: Breast milk is basically liquid gold. These milk storage bags are great for the fridge or the freezer.
- Burp Cloths: Another item you really can’t have too many of! I have about 20 that I rotate through. I like these simple ones. Drool bibs are also a good option. *Update: WE LIVED in our bandana bibs from about 6 months to 18 months. Highly recommend.
- Bottles: We have 12 bottles that we rotate through. We initially bought this starter kit in a panic coming home from the hospital and ended up loving it. We bought 10 more matching bottles to go with it.
- Formula Dispenser: A formula dispenser was included in the starter kit we got, but we love it so much we just bought another one. It’s great for traveling!
- Bottle Brush: We also had a bottle brush from our starter kit, but if you don’t have one, you’ll want one that coordinates with whatever brand of bottles you have. The weird shapes are hard to clean without them.
- Drying rack: We love our boon lawn. It is on our counter 24/7, so I kind of like that it looks so cool, haha!
- Lanolin Cream: Because breastfeeding hurts (at least the first little bit, anyway). Trust me, you’ll want this lanolin cream. Luckily, a little bit goes a long way.
Nursery:
- Cribs: We bought 2 cribs because we had the space for them. We just picked up these simple white ones from Ikea.
- Crib Mattresses: We bought these 2 coordinating mattresses from Ikea.
- Crib Sheets: We have 3 sets of sheets. We got this cute pair from Copper Pearl, and then these basic ones from target because laundry. 😉
- Diaper Pail: I know some people swear by their Diaper Genie, but we just used this simple pail from Ikea. *Update: get the diaper genie. The pail started to stink so bad we threw it away. Hahahaha!
- Changing Mattress: We have this simple one, and it does its job. 🙂
- Mattress Cover: We have 2, and we got them from KB Cute to match their sheets.
- Changing Table: We are all about multi-use, so we got this dresser from Ikea and used it for a changing table.
- Rocking Chair: I had my eye on this glider/rocker from Target and I have LOVED it. It rocks and glides side-to-side, and it’s comfortable for sleeping at 3 o’clock in the morning. 😉
- Storage: We live in a 2-bedroom apartment in the city, so storage is hard to come by! We decided to use the wall opposite of the dresser and cribs for some cube storage (because our closets are tiny!). It matched perfectly with our bright white furniture theme. We filled the top 3 with books, and the bottom three with these storage bins to hide some of their swaddles, burp cloths, and toys.
Baby Gear:
- Car Seats: We went with the Britax B Safe 35 Infant Seat – because I knew I wanted a Britax Stroller (I read a ton of reviews, and the Britax B-Ready and City Select Stroller had the best feedback from twin mamas). *Update: When they outgrew those, we went with the Maxi Cosi Pria 70 – and we have LOVED those, too. They’ll be in those for the next few years!
- Car Seat Bases: We picked up these car seat bases from Britax because they make your life so. much. easier. getting two babies in and out of a car. I’m still contemplating buying a second set for my husband’s car! 🙂
- Car seat covers: I knew my babies were most likely going to be very small, there were TWO of them (people love to stop and chat about twins – just a heads up. Most of the time they are so nice and funny!), and I [hoped] they were going to be very cute – which is a recipe for disaster when it comes to overly confident strangers. Maybe it’s the first time mom in me, or the slight germaphobe, but I didn’t want complete strangers touching my babies (especially as newborns). I used my multi-use covers religiously every time we left the house. They kept my babies warm, I could use them if I needed to nurse, and it kept unwanted hands off. 🙂 *Update: USE THESE EVERYWHERE. HIGHLY RECOMMEND STILL!
- Double Stroller: Like I mentioned above, the B-ready Stroller and the City Select had THE BEST reviews of any double strollers I looked at. One day I’ll probably branch out and get a side-by-side jogging stroller to add to my arsenal, but for now, the B-ready works like a charm. It also turns on a dime, which is helpful when you are pushing a stroller and pulling a shopping cart (just wait, that’s really a thing for twin moms!). If you get the B-ready, you’ll also need this adaptor for the second seat just so you are aware.
*Update: we ended up getting the BOB Double Jogging Stroller when the girls were 10 months old and we have LOVED it. It’s our “adventure stroller” – for hiking, the beach, disneyland, you name it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND (especially when you add in the snack tray!) I trained for a half marathon with it and the girls were totally content while I ran!
*Update #2: Now that we’re adding a third baby, I would opt for the City Select because of the kickboard capabilities and the way the seats can be configured! They’re around the same price, so save yourself the trouble and get the city select in the first place! - Swings/Rocker: Everyone always told me every baby is different, and you just don’t know what they’ll love until they’re born. I was so nervous that one baby would hate their swing, so I ended up getting one MamaRoo and one RockaRoo. If you don’t know what those are, I highly recommend reading up on them! They. Are. Amazing. I’m not paid to say that – I bought them both myself from Target, and they seriously save my life on a daily basis. Both babies LOVE the MamaRoo, and one of my babies absolutely loves the RockaRoo so I’m glad I got both. The thing that really sold me on them (besides the reviews), is the small amount of space they take up. I did NOT want to have a bulky swing in the middle of our tiny two-bedroom apartment, so these were the best options. Worth every penny, in my opinion. Update: I still stand by this opinion. Especially the MamaRoo – that thing saved our lives.
- Diaper Bag: I knew I wanted something that didn’t scream “first time frantic mother coming through!” so I searched the interwebs high and low for something a little more chic. I stumbled upon Lily-Jade when my friend tagged me in a post on Instagram and it was love at first sight. I love that it doesn’t look like a diaper bag, and the inside is one beautiful organized pocket extravaganza. Plus, it has the option to wear it as a backpack or over-the-shoulder, it includes a changing mat, and that fresh new-leather smell is pretty much amazing. *Update: still love my Lily-Jade bag (it’s lasted a solid 2 years!), but I went with the Freshly Picked diaper bag this time around and one week in, I am LOVING it.
- Wraps: I have literally been using a wrap for one of the girls for about 50% of the time it took me to write this post. So, to say they are really handy is an understatement. Brooklyn LOVES to be held. All day. So this Solly Baby Wrap is really the next best thing and I can be hands free to get other things done. 🙂
- Carriers: My husband is a really good sport about things, but I couldn’t convince him to wear a wrap! We ended up buying two Baby Bjorn One Carriers (he got one in black) for more rigorous hiking activities. Although now that I’ve mastered my wrap, I may just use that! *Update: These have gone EVERYWHERE with us. Would HIGHLY recommend. We still use them!
- Bumbos: These are our very favorite thing as of late. Well, Brooklyn’s favorite thing – Olivia is still unsure about the whole “sitting up” thing.
- High Chairs: At 6 months old, we started feeding the girls solids. These Phil and Ted’s High Chairs have been a favorite (and one of the most commonly asked questions we get!).
- Buggy Bench: Not an essential, but once you start venturing out to stores, you’ll realize how far and few between those double carts are! Our Buggy Bench is a LIFESAVER (no, not sponsored, I just really, really love it). We used it from about 9 months on. We’re still using it and they’re two, so I’d say it was a good investment!
Other Essentials:
- Thermometer: I’m not a fan of rectal thermometers (is anyone, really?), so we got this one off of Amazon.
- Nose Sucker: EVERY mother I know recommended the nose frida to me. It still kind of freaks me out, but we have one on hand, just in case (I’m hoping there won’t be a need to use it anytime soon!). *Update: I will swear by this product until the day I die. Nose Frida FOREVER!
- Nail Clippers: This is probably the worst job of being a new parent, but it has to be done. We just use these simple nail clippers and try to get it done as quickly and quietly as possible, preferably while they are still asleep.
- Diaper Cream: We love our Tubby Todd Ointment, but I have this Butt Paste on backup, just in case. *Update: DESITIN is my best friend. I’ll use it forever.
- Comb: We use this little comb/brush combo, and they work like charm. *Update: once they got more hair, we got a Wet Brush. LIFESAVER.
- Diapers: In newborn size, we probably went through over 1,000 newborn size diapers. It sounds so crazy when you write it out like that, but it’s true. We went through about 20 a day for the first 8 weeks (until they grew out of them at 10 lbs). So, it can’t hurt to stock up. I had three 88-count boxes stored when they came home from the hospital and it lasted us just about two weeks. The good thing is, unopened boxes can be returned or exchanged for different sizes if your babies grow out of a size quicker than you’d think. We use Huggies (our blowouts have been minimal), but you may want to look into the diaper subscription that amazon offers! 🙂
- Wipes: You can never have too many wipes – I figure you’ll go through them eventually! When we brought the babies home we had two large boxes of Huggies wipes and we haven’t had any problems with them at all. *Update: we still only use huggies! We’ve tried branching out and we always come back to them!
Want to see an easy printable version of this list? Download it HERE.
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