This post has been a LONG time coming, as my sweet little bundles of beans are now nearing three and a half— how the hell did that happen so fast?!
I have been wanting to compile a list of things that “came in clutch” during the ever challenging newborn phase of twin motherhood, but ya’ll parenthood is crazy, and my to do list just keeps getting longer, and the things I want to do usually get pushed down the priority list. 😆
At any rate, here’s how this post came to fruition originally: I scoured all my fav websites and networks as soon as I found out my twins were coming, in hopes of finding a “survival guide” of sorts – sounds harsh but I know moms of multiples know exactly what I’m talking about 😆- and I could find NOTHING…literally NUH-THEEEN-GUH! Fast forward to now, and I’ve had a ton of new friends connect with me over on the gram, and quite a few either have new twins, or just found out you were pregnant with them! I figured what better time than now to throw this out there and hopefully it helps either new twin parents or those of you that know and love someone with twins find some things that were pivotal in my sanity during that time!
So without further adieu, here it is! My top 10 Newborn Twin Must Haves!
1. Okkatots Diaper Bag
This diaper bag from Okkatots is hands down the BEST Diaper Bag for Moms of Multiples . There is so much room inside, insulated pouches for storing milk, and tons of space for double of everything. Check out my full review here.
2. Gripe Water
Okay, I know it sounds crazy, but this stuff REALLY works. All three of my babies were colicky, but it seemed like Harrison especially had a really hard time. We loved this all natural gripe water from Mommy’s Bliss so much, not only for the relief on our eardrums, but on my sweet babies tummies. It finally gave them some relief to sleep & recoup after some pretty intense crying spells. Honestly, my only regret with this stuff is not knowing about it with my first born! There are some wonderful recipes we tried for homemade gripe water, but when you are a sleep deprived twin parent, sometimes it’s better for everyone to just have the bottle ready for convenience’s sake.
3. Soundbox/ White Noise App
This app is a sleepy mamas dream. For real. It’s 100% free and my kids have all loved it so much they STILL use it today (my oldest is 5, guys, and he still loves his “white noise”.) We downloaded the app to our old phone, and use a Bluetooth speaker to amplify the noise- my kids prefer the crashing wave/ocean sound. With light sleepers like mine, having that extra noise to focus on really helps them get some deep restful sleep. You can download the whitenoise app here , and thank me later 😉.
4. Nipple Cream
Let’s just preface this one by saying that I whole heartedly believe the saying “fed is best!” Thank goodness there are options for mamas out there who choose not to / are unable to breastfeed their babies. As long as those little bellies are full, thats what really matters, and at the end of the day we all just want what is best for our kids! That being said- I chose to breastfeed all my babies. It’s a lot of hard work, and totally exhausting, but for my family it was so worth it. If you do choose to nurse your twins, make sure to have some nipple cream at the ready because you are going to need it! I used this Lanonin (“l-lanonlin? like sheeps wool?”) Nipple Cream from Lanisoh and it worked wonders for my sore / cracked nipples. TMI? I don’t care!! Just get some, lather up, and trust me!
5. Breast Pump
In jumping on with the breastfeeding topic in number 4 – girlfriend, for the love of all that is holy, get yourself a breast pump! For those nights when you want to get away and have a sitter, or if your friend or family member comes over so you can get a few hours of sleep during the day, a breast pump is going to be your best friend! I kept a stash of pumped breastmilk in my freezer at all times for occasions such as this and let me tell you it was a Godsend. It especially came in handy when I went back to work after having my oldest and wanted to continue breastfeeding him. I will admit- these are a bit on the pricy side, but believe me they are worth their weight in gold. I loved the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump. There ARE manual/hand pumps available that are totally affordable if you are unable to get the electric pump, and they work well…they just require a little extra effort. Also, be sure to check with your insurance provider aswell because some will provide breastpumps to new/nursing moms!
6. Lavender Essential Oil
Sister, this one is for you. Growing humans is hard. Raising humans is hard. BEING HUMAN IS friggin’ HARD! Do yourself a favor and take some time for you. I know…the thought of taking time for yourself is anxiety inducing, and the guilt that comes from fantasizing about having some alone time creeps in, but believe me when I say that self care/self preservation is essential in this parenthood business. You can’t fill others cups if yours is empty, right? So- run yourself a nice hot bath, play some Sigur Ros on that iphone of yours, squeeze a few drops (I do 6-8) of this lavender essential oil from Art Naturals in your bath water, and take a deep breath. Lavender is known for its abilities to relax the mind and body, and sister friend you deserve it!
7. SleepSack from HALO
Babies are wriggly little things, there’s no denying it! Your twins have been cooped up in mama’s belly with their little womb-mates for 9 months and now that they have the opportunity to squirm every which way, they do! And at all hours of the night! Babies love the comfort that comes from being tucked up tight in a swaddle and it definitely helps them sleep better, but come midnight, or that dreaded 3am feeding time, who can sit there and try to function enough to perfectly wrap up your little burrito baby? We all slept MUCH better when we discovered these velcro SleepSack Swaddlers by HALO. They provide the comfort and benefits of a traditional swaddle without all of the effort – velcro rocks!
8. Zipper Jammies
The number one item I tell people when they ask what they should get someone for a baby shower may not be what many people consider a must have, but I’m telling you – IT IS. Okay, so by now you can see this whole “anything that helps you sleep better” trend popping up, and it’s because these first few months are soooo hard with twins. ZIPPER JAMMIES, you guys. I promise you, you will love them. Single babies dirty their diapers a lot. Right? Now times that by two? Now add in feedings every couple of hours. Now times that by two! Now subtract ALL the sleep. Now tell me, do you really want to sit there and snap those little onesie crotch buttons every time you have to change a diaper in the middle of the night? The answer is no…No, you don’t. Zippers. Trust me.
9. Boppy Lounger
As much as I LOVED (and still love) holding my babies, it’s important to have a safe and soft spot to lay them down when you have to be doing something else with your hands. We LOVED the Boppy Loungers -be sure to follow the directions on how to use with your newborn- and I loved that they were perfect for positioning the kids for tummy time as they got bigger and held their heads up!
10. Mother’s Milk Tea
Number 10. Here it is. I went back and forth with what I wanted to pick to fill the last spot on this list, but here it is. I chose the Organic Mother’s Milk Tea from Traditional Medicinals for two reasons. Reason number one being that sometimes in our nursing period, our body naturally wants to taper off our milk supply (totally normal by the way), and this super yummy tea with fenugreek and other helpful lactation ingredients work to naturally increase your milk supply. Pretty important when you have 2 little mouths to feed! The second reason is that it was my way intentionally of doing something for myself in a time where I struggled through some pretty severe PPD. It was a nice hot cup of goodness to help me be present and have a few minutes of self care time. Parenting though Post-Partum Depression is a hard and scary thing to do, and feelings of inadequacy creep in when your milk dwindles (which again is totally natural and normal). The little boost I got from taking that time to breathe along with the fact that it actually really DID increase my milk supply for my twins was amazing. I’d call it a win win for sure.
And there you have it. My No B.S. Top 10 Newborn Twin Must Haves (which is not sponsored by the way!)
I hope that this list is helpful for you as a new mama of 1,2 or many babies, or that it helps you find something for someone you love with a baby on the way!
As promised, here is my Shopable Amazon Influencer list, which has all of these items and many of my other favorite things for your shopping / wish list adding pleasure!
Let me know if this list is helpful to you, or what other items you would add to your baby registry must have list in the comments below!
*Please note that my Amazon site may contain affiliate links, which means a percentage of your purchase may be kicked back to me. Shopping through these links will not affect your purchase in any way, other than that a portion of it may go to helping support my little blog, which my family and I appreciate!
