So many people have been asking me for some advice on what they will need in preparation for their expected twins so I thought I would put a little down on paper in an effort to help out. This list is by no means exhaustive but there are a few things that you should know:
1) You don't need two of everything, in fact in preparation, it is better to hold off on two of something until you know if they are going to like it. For example, if you buy two swings you may have a baby (or even worse, both) who doesn't like the swing, and thus, two is a bit of a waste. You will need two car seats...
2) You will need lots of clothes, again, maybe not two of everything but unless you enjoy doing laundry it would be a good idea to have plenty of clothes to make up for the occasional ass-plosion or the inevitable drool/vomit fest.
3) Diapering - check out a diaper service if you live in a major city. We use a company called Happy Nappy and have been, well, happy with it so far. Here's the deal, if you are even thinking of going cloth then check it out, the cost for the second baby could be as little as $8/week...which when you translate it moving forward is significantly cheaper than disposable...and better for your babies and the environment...win-win-win. This being said, disposable diapers still come in handy for appointments, outings, etc. so it's not necessarily whole sale...but we have been pretty close
4) For strollers, we have three. We have a double snap and go...that the car seats just snap into...it has been amazingly convenient while the boys are small (and if they are born early they will likely be small). We have a double jogger, which is just seeing use now that the weather is nicer...and it is amazing for dog walks, trips to the park and running of course. And last but not least, or maybe least depending on how you look at it, we have a double umbrella. We haven't used this one yet, but when the time comes it will be awesome for mall trips, trips down town, etc. I tried to convince Adrienne that we could just tape two of these together and save some cash, but the convincing didn't go very well.
5) A good twin specific carrier and multiple wraps. The twin carrier we have has many different options for strapping two babies to you...which is great and you can also just carry one at a time (good for vacuuming, shopping, etc...especially if you want to split up and not be asked the ever popular questions "are they twins?", "are they identical?", etc. Wraps and slings are good around the house and come in various sizes...key here is to get something that you can use quickly, as time to get set up is often at a premium and the more complicated, the longer it takes.
6)Toys, music and books...yes, yes and yes! Our boys love all of the above, although books and music seem to be the most popular...get a few staple toys rattles, teething toys, and a few stuffed animals and puppets. We love reading at night to try and settle them in for bed (which is an experience with two) so I would say it's better to have more books than toys (the babies won't get bored of one toy as fast as you will with one book). Music, we have opted for some classics that we can sing along with during play time and if you can play an instrument and sing...well then I suggest starting to learn some popular ones (wheels on the bus, we're going to the zoo, etc.)
7) the last one for today but perhaps the most important, if your babies come early (and again, twins often do) and they stay in the hospital for an extended period (ours were in for 6 weeks) then consider applying for Long Term Disability through your work before starting maternity leave. At Sunnybrook, our social worker talked to us about this and we decided at the time not to, but are now regretting it. Reason why is that when they come early some of their development is sped up, but most of it will remain on the timeline with their due date. So at a year, for example, there is almost no chance that they will be walking, and you will have a very hard time thinking about day care as an option. I say this because I wish we had thought about it from this perspective rather than looking at a good time for Adrienne to return to work based on her schedule.
Again, there is much more to this list than I have written down, but it's a start. If you want to contribute, I welcome comments.
And to my little men, who light up my evening every night when I come home please remember that you are never to old to learn and you should never assume that you can't be taught by someone who is younger than you. Looking at the list above and reading past posts, you will very quickly realize that while I am writing as if to give you advice I am actually learning from you. With each day I have learned more about myself, your mother and the both of you. I have learned to be patient, caring, loving and flexible on a level that nothing else in life has prepared me for and it has made me a much better man than I ever before. Thank you for being the greatest gift of all and life's greatest teachers...you make me smile!
Love always,
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