Holy sh** we are pregnant with twins! Need lots of suggestions...

[gatorsmom]

Well, the title says it all. Thinking I'm an old vet at this, I go in for a first trimester ultrasound to make sure everything is ok when SURPRISE! We are having twins. How am I going to manage 4 kids??? Don't get me wrong, we are excited. But I am starting to realize that this is going to be a whole different experience than what I had already gone through.

So, for those of you who had twins (especially with older children at home) how did you cope? What products were God-sends? What will I need in addition to what I have already (I thought I had everything I'd ever need what with 2 kids already but I'm now thinking of the second infant seat, another crib, a bigger car....!!!??

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[dawell0]

Congrats! NO BTDT advice, but I would say that a bouncer, swing, and other items might be what you need, if you don't have them already, so that you can hold one and let the other play.

[alexsmommy]

Another no advice, just congrats! I'd definately find out if there is a Moms of Multiples chapter near you for support and practical advice.
Alaina
Alex Feb '03
and #2 in early summer '07

[elliput]

Wow! That is a surprise! Congratulations!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Congratulations!! I held my breath the other day when they checked for baby's heartbeat to hear if there was just one. A few of my friends have had twins by surprise (no fertility drugs or genetic predisposition).

Based on talking to them? Move close to helpful family. :) That seems to be the biggest thing that helps!

Safe, healthy pregnancy wishes!

Beth

[Ceepa]

WOW!!!!

That blows my mind! Congratulations and wishing you a healthy pregnancy!

-Ceepa

[Puddy73]

Wine? Chocolate? Sorry, no BTDT advice, just wanted to send a big congratulations and good wishes for a healthy pregnancy.

I saw this posted over in Around the House - it might be helpful: http://www.itzbeen.com/

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle 9/08/03 & Finn 10/31/05

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." - Jimmy Buffett

[megs4413]

definitely see if there's a moms of multiples chapter near you...CONGRATS!!!!!

[g-mama]

Lisa - congrats!! That is exciting (and overwhelming, I'm sure!) news. Wow! Hope you're feeling good.


~Kristen

Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
Marco 12-05

[missym]

Congratulations times two! No BTDT advice, but I wanted to offer my best wishes. :)

Missy, mom to Gwen 03/03 and Rebecca 09/05

[Mamma2004]

Congratulations, Lisa!

My friend's DD just turned 3 and her twin boys are 6 months old. The biggest necessites for her seem to be the exersaucers (so she can hold one and put the other somewhere safe) and the bouncy seats (where she currently bottle feeds one WHILE nursing the other).

Car seat, breast pump, diapers...

Best of luck for a healthy and uneventful pregnancy!

Stephanie

[scoop22]

i hope you get your answers. i just have to believe you will do it!!! congrats.. sorry no help!!! what great news though
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[Radosti]

Wow! Congrats!!!! NO BTDT advice, just happy hugs for you.

[wencit]

No advice to give you, but I just wanted to say congratulations! That is so exciting! Here's to a happy & healthy nine months.

[DrSally]

Wow!! Congratulations. I have no advice, but know someone with twin newborns and a 27 month old (and 2 teens). Her main thing is not being able to pick up and hold the twins when she's busy doing other things (like preping bottles, changing the toddler, etc.). I looked at her and thought, there's a woman who needs a sling. At least she could hold one and trade off. She said they hurt her back though, and I'm no expert, so didn't have any advice to give her.

[jgriffin]

Congratulations Lisa! No BTDT advice, but I wish you a boring and uneventful pregnancy!

[Pennylane]

Congrats on your pregnancy! I would also advise finding a local twins club. You can start going now and it will really help when the babies come. It is a very supportive group.

http://www.nomotc.org/


Also this is a fun read...Like a girlfriends guide to pregnancy for twins:

http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Not-Experts-Cannot-Live-Without-Guide/dp/0974699004

This was also a great if you are going to bottle feed:

http://www.greatbabyproducts.com/Baby_Bottle_Holder_p/prod-mm220.htm

Lots of companies offer freebies for twins to. Your twins group should have a list!

Congrats, you are in for tons of fun!

Ann

[Corie]

A double Congratulations!! :)

Twins are twice the fun!! (and twice the poopy diapers!) :)

[fivi2]

Congrats! The same thing happened to us - routine 12 week ultrasound and discovered twins. My girls are now 17 months, but no older children at home.

I second (third?) all the recs on finding a local twins club - they are a great resource. Also - there are many message boards for twins, but I don't know the rules on posting links. As far as what you will need, I hate to say it, but everyone is different. I swore by my two swings, and my girls hated the bouncers, but others have the opposite experience. Some love the ez 2 nurse (not sure of exact name) double nursing pillow, but I ended up pumping for 11 months, so I loved my medela pump in style. As far as slings etc - I guess that depends on you and your babies - I was never successful wearing mine.
the snap and go double stroller is great for the beginning - snap the infant carseats in.
Try and line up as much help as possible ahead of time.
My favorite twin book is Twins - a practical guide to parenting multiples from conception to preschool. Bowman and Ryan. It is Australian, though, so not all of the advice is the same.
Make sure you are comfortable with your ob!
Good luck!

[LarsMal]

How exciting- overwhelming I'm sure- but still so exciting!

My friend, who has twins, has gotten a lot of support from her local multiples chapter.

Congrats and best of luck to you!

[Fairy]

Wow! Congrats, Lisa! I can't imagine, quite frankly. I barely know how I manage with one. I know this board is going to be very supportive of you and that you'll get lots of advice and guidance. I wish I could contribute to twin help, but I'll go as far as to say that while we were pregnant, I said to DH, "Sweetie, wouldn't it be cool if we had twins?!" and he said, "no, that would not be cool." I still think it woulda been cool. Always wanted twins! I'll be looking forward to reading your posts and trying to help in the future! Yippee!

[KBecks]

First, congratulations!

Second, see if there are any moms of twins groups, etc in your area, especially for their consignment sales, etc.

Third, if you can swing a cleaning service, I think you should treat yourself.

Fourth, plan on a minivan.

I'm sure there's more, but I'm not a mom of twins. Most of all, have fun!

I will add that you should enjoy and use swings, etc. but be watchful against overuse. A friend's twin daughter ended up with a corrective helmet for a while. Think slings, too.

[kfcboston]

CONGRATS! I will say it once again - find a local multiples club and start going to meetings now! It will be a fabulous support network to have in place when the time comes. It may be stating the obvious, but multiples are a whole different ballgame. :)

Best wishes for your pregnancy!

[mudder17]

Wow, what a surprise! Congratulations, Lisa!

Our friends had two sets of twins and yes, they had a nanny (still do). They also have relatives staying with them, which is a huge help. They have bouncy seats and swings and all four kids used a pacifier and were partially bottle-fed from birth. Each nursed until 6 months, though. They also did a schedule with the kids as soon as possible (not counting the feedings, though, which they did on demand). Anyway, I can always get some ideas from them if you want. Just e-mail me through the boards.

Congratulations again!


Eileen

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[ColorBlue]

Congratulations you are in for a fun ride!

Here is my twin advice.

1. Get the book by Dr. Barbara Luke about expecting twins and multiples. Especially for the nutrition advice and the advice to take it easy.

2. Drink a lot of water. A ridiculous amount of water. An obscene amount of water. Start now!

3. Have a plan in case you need to do bedrest. I went on hospital bedrest for three weeks and was at home for three weeks. My twins were born at 37 weeks at 6 pounds 3 oz. and 6 pounds 13 oz!!

4. Listen to your body. When you are tired rest. This is very important because signs of pre-term labor could be slightly hard to read.

5. DOUBLE SNAP AND GO!! You usually can find one used. I bought one used, used it and sold it for what I paid for it!

6. Staging areas. If you have multiple floors you will want a place to put the babies down on each floor. Bouncies, swings, etc.

7. I will be the lone dissenter on the Moms of Multiples, I guess it depends on the area. In my area no one at the moms of multiples had twins under five years old!! I went once and didn't go back. On the other hand twinstuff.org (I think thats it I haven't been there in a while) is great and very supportive.

8. Let go of the guilt. You know...Mommy guilt. The other two won't be permanently scarred because you can't be supermom. And they won't be brain damaged from too much TV. Grace was three when they were born and doesn't really remember anything at this point.

9. Get your husband on board. I've seen too many women told to take it easy but still not be able to slow down because hubby doesn't really get it! Having him come to some prenatal appointments helps.


Feel free to PM if you have any questions. I love to talk twins.

Tracy

Mom to Grace, Ella and Madeline!

[ast96]

A double snap n go! Everything else you can figure out as you go along. ;)

Congratulations!

[jillmk]

Congratulations! I know the feeling--it is so overwhelming!!! My oldest was 29 months when my twins were born. I agree with everything Tracy said. No time to post more but congrats!

[ribbit1019]

Oh my! Congrats! no advice really, sorry!

Christy
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[TaChapm]

WOW! Congratulations! What a wonderful little surprise! :)

Tara
Mommy to Jackson 11-10-02
Tyler 6-9-05
& Baby Jaci 8-10-06

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[chiqanita]

Welcome to the world of multiples! My twin sons are 2 yo almost 3. I don't have other children but I do have a pom pom who really was my first 'child'. We made it to 36 weeks with about 4 months bedrest....emergency c-section. They were ~ 5 lb 11 oz and 5 lb 14 oz, 18 and 17 inches long.. I was nauseated and sick the whole 36 weeks so I couldn't eat or drink a lot. But I would say make every meal count (you know that). Moisturize your belly often. H2O up the wazoo! And start working on names. This is going to be an amazing experience. Remember to hang in there and if you need some one to vent to all of the mamas at the BBB are here for you!
Anyway:

1. I loved my Arms Reach Co Sleeper! They slept there until they were about 6 months old! About the same time they self weaned. I used something that looked like an extra-extra-large boppy pillow....loved it. I also used the Medela Symphony.

2. I converted my 'formals' into a large playroom. I put down those foam lettered puzzle pieces all over the dining room floor which made it soft for the boys to roll around on.

3. We loved the swings and the bouncers. We had the Combi vibrating rockers, look like bouncers, where the boys spent most of the day when I was alone with them. Oh we also used the stationery 'walker' that bounced...it was great!

4. I joined a multiples group to learn from their experiences. We email each other a lot.

5. Combi twin SxS stroller is so lightweight and we're still using it. I also liked the Maclaren and the Peg however the first was heavy w/ no tray and the second had some stearing issues.

6. I loved my baby sling and so did DH. In the end my Sutemi was best and I could use it today if I wanted to.

7. DON'T FORGET BRUS OFFERS DISCOUNTS WHEN YOU PURCHASE 2 OR MORE BABY FURNITURE ITEMS: High chairs, swings, bouncers, etc..

8. My mom stayed with us for about 6 months after the babies arrived. She was a great help and we sure bonded like never before. It was great.

I wish you well, an uneventful pregnancy and lots of energry once your new additions are here.

BTW, be prepared for all of the comments: double trouble, your hands are full, I'm glad I'm not you, are they twins, they don't look alike, which one looks like you, ...but also the best and most true: they are a double blessing. \o/ \o/

eta: I almost forgot, I needed one of those belly bands/girdles afterwards. I looked 'deflated' and needed help holding it all in afterwards. The nurse gave it to me before I left.

[JoyNChrist]

Oh wow, congratulations!

How exciting (and overwhelming, I'm sure)!

I don't really have any recommendations, never having been there myself, but my cousin who has twins highly recommends getting a cleaning lady. She says it's worth it even if you have to cut back your spending significantly somewhere else. I can understand - I want one, and I only have one newborn!

Wishing you a happy and uneventful pregnancy! :-)

[o_mom]

Wow!!! Congratulations!!!

[maestramommy]

Congratulations Lisa, that is really exciting! Okay, not BTDT, except vicariously. When my friend had twin boys a few years back, here are some things they said were lifesavers:

1) Joining a multiple group. Not really a mommy's group, but for both parents. Truly a group for mutual support and advice, vs. for hanging out.

2) Getting some kind of 2 shouldered baby carrier. My friend had a Baby Bjorn, but I'm sure you can find something much comfier, like a meitai or even a wrap. The Carriers forum is a good place to start, or even better, thebabywearer.com. Sometimes you will need to get something done and at least one of them will be screaming to be held.

3) My friend started out with just one crib, then got another as the babies got bigger. I think space was a big issue for them, don't know if it is for you.

4) Accept every offer of help you get from friends and family. No room for pride or independence here. You will really be glad for the extra help, even if the person just comes over with lunch for you!

[casey0729]

Wow, and I am freaking about going from 1 to 2!!

Congratulations and good luck (you're going to need it - HA!)!
KC

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[thomma]

Excellent advice Tracy!

I'll add:
-try to stock your freezer...it will be very helpful for after the babies arrive.

Congrats!

I did the whole bedrest/early delivery/nicu thing so if you ever need advice about that, let me know.

Kim
ds&dd 5/03

[hardysmom]

Oh my... congrats. Your title took me back. I had twins when DS was 2 yrs, 4 mo... They are now 3. We were pretty new in town so we didn't know many people, didn't have hired help, and didn't have family in town. It can be done!!!!!

OK, the to-do list.... right now, while pregnant--

First, go get the Dr Barbara Luke book on multiples. You might have to order ti. Occasionally, Barnes and Noble and Borders have it, but they run out. Don't read anything else until that one. Many books are very frightening and spend 80% on all the awful things that could go wrong with little helpful information. Dr Luke is big on gaining weight (20 lbs by 20 weeks), which can be a horrifying thought, but really does help. I actually lost weight in my 3rd trimester because I was so big it was uncomfortable to eat and I would get terrible heartburn when I reclined.

Second, have an exit strategy for your life AND for your kids' lives. Most of us end up on some type of bedrest by 30 weeks. I was more worried about bedrest than giving birth, but, looking back, I should have CHERISHED my 2 months of "modified bedrest" (like house arrest) during which DH had to vacuum. Find a routine for your older kids where they are out of the house and/or have another care-giver a couple times a week so that if you are put on bedrest, that time away from you will already feel established, safe and familiar rather that associated with your pregnancy and resented. I put my son in a 2 day a week mothers day out when I was about 18 weeks which kept him active and gave him some independence. I hired a young student (too young to be a "real" babysitter) to come over from 4:00 - 6:00, while I was home, to play games with DS and feed him dinner. Otherwise, he would have been stuck watching TV until DH came home. Since I was home and she was so young, she was pretty excited to amke a lot less than I would have usually paid.

Point is, make plans now rather that waiting until you are in crisis mode. In one of those teaching moments, tell the kids stuff like that some mommies have to go to the hospital to keep the babies safe BEFORE it becomes a reality. In a positive, matter-of-fact way, let them know that sometimes babies stay at the hospital a few weeks before coming home. Tell them the plan if you have problems- like that they would go over to the grandparents house and grandmom would take them to school, etc... Young kids don''t really understand, but they do pick up that there is a plan, which I think they like.

Cut yourself some slack. My DS NEVER watched any TV except for an occasional Sesame Street (with me) before I was pregnant. You just get so tired... modify household rules to stay sane. Don't feel guilty if TV time, fast-food meals and such seem on the rise.

Find your local Moms of Multiples group. Usually, an easy google search. The consignment sales are awesome and it is nice to get the BTDT advice or at least be around peopoe who get it. My club had a monthly "Storks" meeting for prgnant moms and parents with twins under 2. Most people, until they've been there, think a twin pregnancy is pretty much the same as a singleton pregnancy, just with a bigger tummy. It isn't.

The only pieces of gear which are (mostly) universaly recommended are Double Snap n Gos (GET ONE!!) and The Foam EZ 2 Nurse pillow if you plan to nurse (I did for 18 mo). It is good to take to the pillow to the hospital, particularly if you have a c/s. If nursing, a double pump is usually needed, I had a Medela Pump In Style, but many prefer to rent the big industrial pumps for multiples.

My kids were in a single Pack n' Play in our bedroom for the first 6 weeks or so, then moved to a single crib in their own room.

If you are exclusively nursing, the first weeks are BRUTAL!!! We EBF'd for 18 mo, mosly tandem for the first year. Well, really nursing or not, the first weeks are tough. It does get easier, quickly. My kids never took bottles, but I wish I put more effort into pumping and letting DH help in the beginning. A lot of people supplement with formula, but given that milk supply is based on demand and that it takes a lot to keep supply up for multiples in the beginning, formula supplements are pretty debated. I remember hearing a lot about decling supply from the moms who formula supplemented, which made them supplement more, which made supply worse, and on and on... Nursing is just one a choice of many. No matter whether you choose to BF or not, multiple moms are usually pretty into the mantra of "whatever works" so don't make yourself feel guilty if you don't think trying to BF is the best choice for not only the twins, but also your WHOLE family.

My kids stayed in the same crib until they were 2 yrs and went to big beds, but that is VERY UNUSUAL. In fact, I don't know anyone else (IRL or in online groups) who raised twins in the US who has kept them together that long. Generally, the kids go into their own beds between 3-5 mo because the parents either feel they are waking each other crying, developing a different nap schedule, or that once rolling, the bigger twin is a threat to the smaller. If is important to you that the cribs match and that the nursery has a finished look, put up 2 cribs. You'll use them both soon enough.

If you plan to tandem nurse, don't bother with a glider. The double pillow you need to use won't fit. There are a million ways to tandem nurse- most involve either sitting on the floor or resting agaist your the head-board on a queen/king bed. Remember that you have to be able to set down each baby as she finishs which is tough if you are sitting in a chair.

Bouncy Seats and swings are a tough call. Some need 2, others don't. Personally, I would say to get 1 of each and if you need another, go get one. We never used the bouncy, but had 2 swings. Most stuff is like that-- with 2 older kids, start with what you have and add as needed.

I know this is long, but I hope it helps. I'm not proffing it so I hope it is even read-able, lol...

CONGRATS

Stephanie

Thomas Hardin (Hardy) 11/17/01
Blythe Katherine and Charlotte Maeve 3/24/04

[Melanie]

Wow, surprise indeed.

Congratulations! Congratulations!

[egan284]

Wow!! Congratulations. Indeed it's double blessings. Sorry I don't have bdtd advice, only some stories from my sister who has twins. She had (and still has) a nanny and my mom to help with the twins when they were newborn. She was glad they were there when she needed them. As some pps say, get all the help you can get.

[heatherlynn]

How exciting for you! What a surprise! Congratulations!

H-
Heather
dd 3/98
ds 8/04
dd 11/05

[denna]

Sounds like you got some great advice here already, Lisa. Just wanted to chime in with a Congrats x2! That is so exciting and overwhelming ;). I think a bigger car is a must with 4(!) in car seats! (yikes!)

Best wishes for a healthy 6 more months!

[elephantmeg]

congrats!

[gatorsmom]

Thanks so much for all your well-wishes. It's so reassuring.

Great advice so far, more is needed and appreciated :) .

Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[gatorsmom]

Stephanie,
I was really hoping you'd reply because I had remembered some of your posts in the stroller forum and thought what great advice you always had to offer. I also used to feel sorry for you with your hands so full- ha! jinx on me! I'm going to find out personally what that's like...

Your advice is fantastic- especially about the breast feeding. I am a planner and so I've been trying to picture ahead how this would work. I will be having a c-section so am dreading those first few weeks. I plan on bfing and was wondering if needed more than my old Boppy. Sounds like the foam EZ 2 nurse pillow is what I'll need. Oh, and I do have an old Medela Pump in Style but didn't even use is with my second baby. Why would I need it with the twins? Would it be to keep up my milk supply? Or just to pump extra bottles so others can feed the babies? And I didn't even think that after one baby was finished feeding I'd need to sit her down. But that's a good point. I think I'll be keeping them in my room for the first few months.

As for the stroller, it does seem easiest to get a Snap and Go except for one problem- my 2 boys LOVE to ride in their stroller. In fact, more and more I just use my stroller for shopping because they sit still in it. Using a store cart just isn't worth it. So, I need AT LEAST a stroller that will accommodate the twins and my 2.5 year old. I'm thinking of trading in the old MBUD for a VAlco or ABC stroller. But these probably won't take 2 infant car seats, will they? Any advice on this point would be GREATLY appreciated.





Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[fivi2]

Hi - I'm not Stephanie, but I'll see if I can answer any of your questions. The pump was essential for me. I rented a hospital grade one for 3 months and then went to the pump in style. First, my babies were in the NICU so I had to pump to establish my supply. Once they cam home - they were not strong nursers. We had to try to nurse then supplement with bottles. So I had to pump to be able to supplement and because they were not strong enough to keep my supply up. Also - it is great if you can share feedings with someone else. For our nursing sessions, we set up on my bed with an assortment of pillows including the ez 2 nurse and I could try to nurse separately or together. However, I eventually gave up direct nursing and went to pumping and bottle feeding expressed breast milk. I did not have to use formula at all until I weaned at 11 months. I have found that many twin moms end up pumping exclusively, but no one really talks about it. I understand that it may not be what you *want* and there are many moms who successfully nurse both, but as the pp said - you have to do what works for you.

As far as the stroller goes - visit the stroller board here. You will find some fantastic advice. It is a great board.

Oh and like the other mom (stephanie?) my girls still share a crib at 17 months (at night), but that is unusual. We actually have 2 cribs and one was in our room next to our bed where they slept until recently at night. The other is in the nursery - they now sleep in there at night. I do separate them for naps (starting around 6 months they wouldn't nap together). We used a crib in our room, because I wasn't sure how soon we'd hit weight limits of pack and plays etc. and we had two anyway (hand me downs).
HTH!

[kfk]

Lisa,

Congratulations. My twin boys are 2.6 years old now, and am expecting baby girl (also a surprise) in late July. Excuse me if some of this repeats but here's my 2 cents:

Loved my local MOMs group. They had a special support group for pregnant and new moms, which I attended until the boys were a couple months old. I also met a group of awesome twin moms through that and we formed our own group for weekly meetings and now, playdates. We still all get together, even though many have gone back to work, etc. It's such a great way to network. You really need to hear from other twin moms that whatever you're going through isn't unusual after all.

Plan for the possibility of bedrest/complications, but you may not need it. I worked for 34 weeks, and had an unscheduled c-section after my 36 week ultrasound showed too much difference in the sizes of my boys. Other twin mom friends of mine had very early babies, just kind of early babies, or went full term!!!

Do your best re: rest, eating, but cut yourself slack. I was super nauseated my entire pregnancy. The Dr. Luke book just made me feel guilty, so I skipped it and I trusted my OB who said to eat whatever I wanted, when I wanted.

Breastfeeding is possible. The EZtoNurse pillow was amazing. I tandem nursed pretty much until I weaned (at 13 months). I could only nurse on the couch, and set up my nursing station there. We did have to supplement with formula at the beginning because of low birth weight (did finger feeds with a syringe), and again when I returned to work part time (couldn't keep up with them by pumping alone). However, I always had great supply (used some herbs to help with this), my boys had no nipple confusion, accepted bottles fine, and were champ efficient nursers. Again, twin moms I know did a variety of things to feed their babies depending on their situations. One thing you'll find among moms of multiples is they are very supportive of each other's individual choices. I also made good use of the lactation consultants in hospital, and saw a private LC several times early on, and then when new issues arose around 9 months.

Once we introduced solids, and the boys were on 3ish meals a day (8-9 months, I guess), breastfeeding was actually really fun, easy and doable with two.

Sleeping. My boys shared a crib until about 3 months, when one started sleeping a bit longer at night. Then I separated them, so as not to bother the sleeper. They are still sharing a room, in their cribs. We did experiment with napping them in separate rooms (one in a pack n play) from 6-12ish months to try and get them on a consistent nap schedule. We also did a modified cio starting at 6 months slowly extending when I would go in and do feeds, to eventually get them sleeping through the night.

Scheduling. Try to get them on the same schedule. This means initially you have to wake the sleeping baby to feed both at once. It feels harsh, but ultimately is worth it, so you're not feeding babies 24-7, and gives you the chance for some breaks when both might actually nap at once.

Equipment. Bought a double snap n go 2ndhand but hated it. Our stroller is a Valco Twin Runabout (great steering, nice big rubber tires) which has taken really hard use and is finally showing its age. It looks bulky but is pretty narrow for fitting through doors. We also inherited an older MacLaren double which we keep in the car. Started with 2 infant seats, and moved to Britax Marathons. Had 2 bouncy chairs, one exersaucer, one playmat. You can rotate the babies through various "stations". Never used a swing, but many twin families find them priceless. We also inherited both of our cribs (they don't match, doesn't bother me), but I bought new mattresses.

What I found most necessary was having lots of burp cloths, swaddling blankets, waterproof pads. Both boys were spitters, and there were 2, so laundry was a never-ending chore. We kept the clothes simple. And honestly, received lots of gifts and handmedowns, so that wasn't too burdensome.

Finally, accept all help you can. Myy sister stayed with us the first 4 weeks (priceless). And I did receive a gift from a dear friend of 4 sessions with a night nanny which was amazing. I used that once a week from months 2-3. I had to wake up and pump, but could otherwise sleep through the night. She also helped us start to get a bedtime routine going. Otherwise, we did it on our own.

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask more questions. Twins rock!

[kozachka]

Congratulations, Lisa! How exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Wishing you a healthy pregancy.

[gatorsmom]

I'm thinking I might get a Valco with add-on toddler seat but just wondered if there is the possibility of using the infant carrier with the toddler seat? Or two? They don't have to fit in their perfectly- even just sitting in it would be fine.


Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[ShanaMama]

Wow Lisa! All I can say is congratulations & I'm sure you'll manage this smoothly & gracefully. It seems like you've gotten some great suggestions. We're all here for your support but you definitely need to get on some twins boards for more specific advice.

DH often jokes about me having twins. I'm like "no, that would not be cute or funny. That would be hard!" But I think if I was faced with that reality I'd just manage it somehow. I'm sure you'll manage great, although we will be here for those days when you feel like you aren't.

[kfk]

Hi Lisa,

Back in 2004 when we got the Valco, it didn't have adapters for carseats. But, I just checked online and it looks like you can purchase adapters for the following seats: Peg Perego Primo Viaggio, Graco SnugRide, Graco Safe Seat Step 2. I believe these adapters fit into the regular seat, however, not into the toddler seat.

The other cool thing about the Valco is that it fully reclines, and has extra padding, making it infant-friendly. At the time we bought our stroller, the Mountain Buggy Urban Double didn't have those features (not sure if it does now). Plus the MBUD was even more expensive. It is a bit more streamlined however, in profile (but less cushy).

Another feature I liked about the Valco was that it had a detachable front bar. I didn't use it when the boys were little, but have since they were about 1 year.

I bought ours online through kiwikid, http://stores.kiwi-kid.com/StoreFront.bok, and they had a good deal at the time which included a rain cover, a bug screen (we didn't use that) and a discounted Skip Hop diaper bag. We got good customer service, even getting replacement tires when ours wore out, within the 1 year warranty period.

HTH!

[gatorsmom]

We have the MBUD now and love it. I've used it with the Snuzzler since the boys were infants because you are right- it's pretty barebones (but that's what I like about it). It also takes a car seat adaptor. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an add-on toddler seat.

Will the Valco take 2 infant car seats? Or can you only put one in it at a time? Also, can you use the carseat adaptor with the toddler seat in place?

Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[kfk]

Lisa,

Sorry, I don't know the answer to either of your questions. I poked around on-line and couldn't find the answers, either. Maybe be post this question on the stroller board, or call Kiwi Kid? (415) 225-2626.