wendileez
03-25-2010, 09:46 AM
Hello all!
So I am sending out an SOS for advice from anyone that has gone through having newborn twins while already having a toddler (mine will be about 18 months when the twins are born in July). I am starting to get overwhelmed while trying to get prepared…and I really don’t know what to expect! I stay at home with my daughter now…and she is pretty good, sleeps well, and is generally easy to handle…I am very lucky. These are the things I keep thinking about & was curious what your opinions/strategies were:
-Getting help…I keep hearing this is absolutely necessary. I’m worried because we don’t really have the money to hire someone (aside from maybe a cleaning service every other week, maybe). Our family is tough, too…everyone with works full time, or can’t drive, etc…
-Getting a minivan…I have a lease to get out of (that is pretty cheap)…but what van, what do I look for, how do I configure the kids to get in & out the best & still fit the probable huge stroller? (currently have current daughter in Britax Boulevard rear facing & will have two more infant seats)
-Getting a stroller…my daughter at 18 months won’t be old enough to really walk on her own, and I think she is too young for those toddler boards. I think I really need something to hold all three (my daughter has some medical issues so we go to the doctor a decent amount) since I will probably have to be out on my own with them for quick outings. I am honestly a pretty unbalanced person, and didn’t like the infant carriers that you wear on you. I am plus size with big boobs & found them uncomfortable and felt like if I leaned forward a tiny bit the baby would fall out. I got a double stroller as a hand me down (that only fits peg perego seats & I have one chicco keyfit 30 now), but I am not sure if it will be handy. I have looked into this one a bit, and found the Valco tri-mode & the ABC brand could work (but sooooo expensive!)…but neither of these will hold two infant carseats. The double snap & go sound great, but wouldn’t hold a Chicco Keyfit 30 carseat, so I would have to buy two more & still have no place for my 18 month old. Ugggh…
-Monitors…I have one for my toddler that I use & will use for a while…can I just get a second one for the twins, or will they interfere with one another? Is there a monitor out there that you can use in two rooms separately and/or at the same time with the same receiver?
-What to get two of? I know I will need two more cribs. I was going to get one tall dresser & one changing table/dresser (the twins will be sharing one room). We have a two story house, so with my first daughter, we used the Graco pack&play with the bassinet for downstairs. That goes only to 15lbs, so I worry about how long one will last. I was looking at the Arms Reach Cosleeper since it held up to 30lbs to use downstairs. This is with the thought of fitting two in one unit for the first few months. I do have a regular bassinet as well that could hold one while they are tiny. My husband wants to just use the existing pack&play bassinet & when they outweigh it, borrow a playpen from family and have one sleep in the bottom of the playpen…I just don’t like that for some reason. I am hoping to get them to sleep in their crib/s for naps as soon as possible, but it took my daughter a good 6 months. And we don’t have a ton of room, so I thought the Arms Reach Cosleeper could work…but then we have to buy it.
-I have one bouncer that was OK, so I think I need one more that is a bit more exciting to a baby…I think I can put then in the crib if I need a place to lay them upstairs (I shouldn’t be up there much).
-I have two jumperoos & one exersaucer, so I think I am OK on that.
I have one Graco open top swing. My daughter didn’t really like it, so I hesitate on getting two.
-I have one highchair that I will still need to use for my daughter (Chicco Polly that I am not fond of)…so I need to get two more. I like the Graco Blossom from what I’ve seen in the store…any thoughts? I definitely want ones that recline to bottle feed…and I think this could be another could place to put the twins when I can’t hold them.
-I have one “bumbo” knockoff…the Summer infant seat…I loved it with my daughter. Should I have two of those? Does it matter if they are the same or not?
-I have one Boppy pillow…and should get a second one to use to prop the babies up, right? I don’t think I am going to breastfeed since it didn’t work out well with my first daughter. Anyone like bottle proppers, and if so, what ones? I was thinking of still getting the larger twins feeding pillow to bottle feed them at the same time…what one is good? Again I am plus size, so large is good. I’ve seen the My Brest Friend Twins Plus pillow…anyone like that? I didn’t like how the regular one fit me, but thought maybe this one was bigger so it would be OK.
-Schedules…my daughter was very scheduled (started in the hospital since she was there for her first week) and that seemed to work for her. I would like to try to have the twins on the same schedule. Do you think that is possible to do with a toddler around and probably being on my own during the day?
Anything else that I haven’t thought of that is needed, please let me know. I was thinking of having a “diaper party” to get stocked up on diapers…anyone do something like that?
I want to apologize for this being a bit lengthy…but I figured one longer post would be better than a few smaller ones! I really appreciate all of your advice!!! I need to try to stop my mind from spinning=)
Thanks so much!!!
--Wendi
(Mom to Zoe, 12/2/08 & girl/girl twins due 7/27/10)
So I am sending out an SOS for advice from anyone that has gone through having newborn twins while already having a toddler (mine will be about 18 months when the twins are born in July). I am starting to get overwhelmed while trying to get prepared…and I really don’t know what to expect! I stay at home with my daughter now…and she is pretty good, sleeps well, and is generally easy to handle…I am very lucky. These are the things I keep thinking about & was curious what your opinions/strategies were:
-Getting help…I keep hearing this is absolutely necessary. I’m worried because we don’t really have the money to hire someone (aside from maybe a cleaning service every other week, maybe). Our family is tough, too…everyone with works full time, or can’t drive, etc…
-Getting a minivan…I have a lease to get out of (that is pretty cheap)…but what van, what do I look for, how do I configure the kids to get in & out the best & still fit the probable huge stroller? (currently have current daughter in Britax Boulevard rear facing & will have two more infant seats)
-Getting a stroller…my daughter at 18 months won’t be old enough to really walk on her own, and I think she is too young for those toddler boards. I think I really need something to hold all three (my daughter has some medical issues so we go to the doctor a decent amount) since I will probably have to be out on my own with them for quick outings. I am honestly a pretty unbalanced person, and didn’t like the infant carriers that you wear on you. I am plus size with big boobs & found them uncomfortable and felt like if I leaned forward a tiny bit the baby would fall out. I got a double stroller as a hand me down (that only fits peg perego seats & I have one chicco keyfit 30 now), but I am not sure if it will be handy. I have looked into this one a bit, and found the Valco tri-mode & the ABC brand could work (but sooooo expensive!)…but neither of these will hold two infant carseats. The double snap & go sound great, but wouldn’t hold a Chicco Keyfit 30 carseat, so I would have to buy two more & still have no place for my 18 month old. Ugggh…
-Monitors…I have one for my toddler that I use & will use for a while…can I just get a second one for the twins, or will they interfere with one another? Is there a monitor out there that you can use in two rooms separately and/or at the same time with the same receiver?
-What to get two of? I know I will need two more cribs. I was going to get one tall dresser & one changing table/dresser (the twins will be sharing one room). We have a two story house, so with my first daughter, we used the Graco pack&play with the bassinet for downstairs. That goes only to 15lbs, so I worry about how long one will last. I was looking at the Arms Reach Cosleeper since it held up to 30lbs to use downstairs. This is with the thought of fitting two in one unit for the first few months. I do have a regular bassinet as well that could hold one while they are tiny. My husband wants to just use the existing pack&play bassinet & when they outweigh it, borrow a playpen from family and have one sleep in the bottom of the playpen…I just don’t like that for some reason. I am hoping to get them to sleep in their crib/s for naps as soon as possible, but it took my daughter a good 6 months. And we don’t have a ton of room, so I thought the Arms Reach Cosleeper could work…but then we have to buy it.
-I have one bouncer that was OK, so I think I need one more that is a bit more exciting to a baby…I think I can put then in the crib if I need a place to lay them upstairs (I shouldn’t be up there much).
-I have two jumperoos & one exersaucer, so I think I am OK on that.
I have one Graco open top swing. My daughter didn’t really like it, so I hesitate on getting two.
-I have one highchair that I will still need to use for my daughter (Chicco Polly that I am not fond of)…so I need to get two more. I like the Graco Blossom from what I’ve seen in the store…any thoughts? I definitely want ones that recline to bottle feed…and I think this could be another could place to put the twins when I can’t hold them.
-I have one “bumbo” knockoff…the Summer infant seat…I loved it with my daughter. Should I have two of those? Does it matter if they are the same or not?
-I have one Boppy pillow…and should get a second one to use to prop the babies up, right? I don’t think I am going to breastfeed since it didn’t work out well with my first daughter. Anyone like bottle proppers, and if so, what ones? I was thinking of still getting the larger twins feeding pillow to bottle feed them at the same time…what one is good? Again I am plus size, so large is good. I’ve seen the My Brest Friend Twins Plus pillow…anyone like that? I didn’t like how the regular one fit me, but thought maybe this one was bigger so it would be OK.
-Schedules…my daughter was very scheduled (started in the hospital since she was there for her first week) and that seemed to work for her. I would like to try to have the twins on the same schedule. Do you think that is possible to do with a toddler around and probably being on my own during the day?
Anything else that I haven’t thought of that is needed, please let me know. I was thinking of having a “diaper party” to get stocked up on diapers…anyone do something like that?
I want to apologize for this being a bit lengthy…but I figured one longer post would be better than a few smaller ones! I really appreciate all of your advice!!! I need to try to stop my mind from spinning=)
Thanks so much!!!
--Wendi
(Mom to Zoe, 12/2/08 & girl/girl twins due 7/27/10)