Baby Gear For Newborn Twins (What To Buy In Twos)

The first thing that entered my mind when the doctor told Joey and me that we were having twins was "Yikes, double the expenses!" I guess it was the Ilocano in me that made me think about our budget right away. We really did not expect to have twins. It wasn't in our realm of thought because as far as we knew, twins didn't run in any of our families. So when the time came to shop for the twins' baby gear, we were at a loss. Did we really need two of everything? The answer is not really. (Although if you get gifted with 2 of everything at your shower, then lucky you!) Here's what we did.

BUY TWO

Car seat

Although it's not required in the Philippines, I really recommend purchasing car seats. I cannot imagine carrying two babies in my arms inside a moving vehicle. Putting the twins in their car seats really eased my worries during our car ride home from the hospital. Always remember to research if the car seat you're buying is compatible with your car.

Crib

For safety reasons, our pediatrician told us to put the twins in separate cribs. This setup helps reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). We bought cribs which can be converted into toddler beds. This strategy will help save us money in the long run because the twins can use the same bed and mattress until they reach toddler age. Tip: Buy 3 fitted sheets for each crib. This way, you'll always have a clean sheet on standby while one is being used and the other one is being washed.

Stroller

Technically, if you're getting a twin stroller, you only have to buy one stroller but we decided against this because all the strollers we saw were side-by-side which couldn't fit most doorways in the Philippines. We just got 2 separate strollers for the twins. It turned out to be more practical especially during that one time when we only had to bring one twin to the doctor for a checkup. Imagine having to push around a twin stroller with only one baby in it. That would have been really inconvenient.

Bouncy chair

The twins used their bouncy chairs a lot. It was perfect for calming them when they would act fussy at the same time and keeping them in an upright position after feeding. And because bouncy chairs are light and compact, they're easy to transfer from room to room. We would bring the twins' bouncy chairs into the dining room and let them sit on them when there was no one else to watch them for us while we eat.

BUY ONLY ONE

Tub

Newborns are too fragile to bathe at the same time. Because of this, we only bought one tub which the twins take turns using. What we do is keep one baby in the crib while one is being bathed. Then they switch places once the first baby is bathed, dried and dressed. Tip: We also use a mesh baby bath bed which helps support the baby while bathing. We use a hair dryer to dry the bath bed so that it won't be cold when the second baby uses it.

Diaper bag

Whenever Joey and I are out with the twins, their diaper bag already doubles as my handbag. There's no need to buy one diaper bag per twin. What we did was look for a diaper bag with plenty of pockets. We designated one pocket for my stuff and used the other pockets separate the twins bottles and organize diapers, wipes, tissue and clothes.

I hope this list will help you prepare for your newborn twins without blowing your budget. Got any twin baby gear tips? Share them in the comments below.