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  1. #1
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    Default Which play yard is best for twins???

    I am adopting twin girls. They will most likely be preemies. The Dr. is saying 34 wks is when he will deliver them. My husband and I are scrambling to prepare. I am confused as to which pack n play to purchase. I know graco is the most recommended, but there are so many!!! I have a two-story house so I would like to set one up on both floors. I have registered for the Graco Travel
    Lite to begin with by our bedside since I read suggestions for staring them off in that b/c we will be hopefully moving them to their crib very soon, but I don't know which one for the LR downstairs. I heard the one w/twin bassinets was VERY heavy and cumbersome if you have to move it. Any suggestions would be very helpful!!!

  2. #2
    BeachBum is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Honestly I'm not sure it matters. I have the cheapest one ($45 at wal mart) and it has been fine. I use it to contain one while I'm dealing with the other. While the bassinet feature is nice it only goes up to 15 lbs which you will reach really quickly with two.
    I also had an arm's reach co-sleeper. The bassinet on it went to 30 lbs.
    I also had a bassinet on my stroller. That was my favorite when they were small because I could wheel them to whatever room I was in.
    I think the most important thing is to have a place to set them down quickly where you don't have to buckle them in.

  3. #3
    Melaine is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeachBum View Post
    Honestly I'm not sure it matters. I have the cheapest one ($45 at wal mart) and it has been fine. I use it to contain one while I'm dealing with the other. While the bassinet feature is nice it only goes up to 15 lbs which you will reach really quickly with two.
    I also had an arm's reach co-sleeper. The bassinet on it went to 30 lbs.
    I also had a bassinet on my stroller. That was my favorite when they were small because I could wheel them to whatever room I was in.
    I think the most important thing is to have a place to set them down quickly where you don't have to buckle them in.
    I agree with this. However, I started out with the Graco Twin pack 'n play.http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Playard-...2265365&sr=8-1
    And I must say, for us, that it was totally worth it to have for travel and using in our living room or the master bedroom. With preemie twins, you could really get a fairly long amount of use out of it. (Mine were born at one day short of 34 weeks and were 4 lbs 4 oz each). After they were too big for the bassinets, I just used it as a regular pack 'n play and bought another cheapo (ITA that cheap is the way to go with these) second PNP for the other twin.
    I have seen the twin PNP go as low as $80 (you might search for the older pattern, it was green. I want to say "scout") on Amazon but obviously it is hit or miss.

    Congratulations on your twins, how exciting!!! There are lots of twin mamas on here with good advice for you.

  4. #4
    twowhat? is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    We used 2 separate pack n plays - just the cheapest model that comes with the bassinet feature (no changing pad or anything - that can be done on a pad on the floor or on a bed). I considered getting the twin pack n play but really wanted the option of being able to move the 2 independently - which worked out well for us because now we use them to separate the girls for their naps (one in a crib in her room, the other in a P&P in our room, and the other P&P set up near the garage for containing one baby while loading the other in the car.) So I'm really glad we got 2 separate ones. And for the 1st 2 months, both girls slept in the bassinet in P&P until they outgrew the weight limit, then we moved them to their own bassinets, but with both P&Ps still right next to each other. With preemies, you will probably have even more time in the bassinet (limit is 15 lbs for the regular P&P), and our twins loved to snuggle up against each other when they shared the bassinet. If you have a 2-story house and you have the twins' room with their cribs on the 2nd floor, it would definitely be useful to have P&Ps on the 1st floor to use for naps, etc.

  5. #5
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    I recommend the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper. Despite the name, it's basically a pack and play. It held both babies for a long time, since the bassinet weight limit was 30lbs. It's very sturdy too, which will be important as they get older.

    Congratulations on your twins! I also recommend the book "Preemies". It really helped us survive our 10 week NICU stay.

    http://www.amazon.com/Preemies-Essen...2277052&sr=8-1
    Mommy to my wonderful, HEALTHY twin girls
    6/08 - Preemies no more!

  6. #6
    Momof3Labs is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    We have a plain-jane Graco PNP downstairs as a quick, safe place to set a baby (or two) down where a dog or brother won't step on them. We don't use the bassinet feature on that since the bassinet has a 15lb limit and they passed that up a long time ago (as a pair - still under 15lbs each).

    Then, we have a second Graco PNP downstairs left over from DS1, so an older model. We have that set up as a changing area - so, use the changing table on it and have the bassinet loaded with dipes, wipes, extra outfits and burp cloths.

    Finally, we have an Arms Reach Cosleeper (full size version) upstairs next to our bed where they sleep at night. That bassinet has a 30lb limit, so they can still sleep there together (and do). They are getting close to 15lb ea so will move into their crib(s) soon.

    A friend offered to loan us a twin PNP with the twin bassinet but we never ended up needing it. But my experience with the boys is that they quickly outgrew anything bassinet-sized (you may get a few months' use though if your twins come straight home with you, which is possible - albeit probably not likely - at 34 weeks).

    So, I would suggest that you have a place to both change them and set them down on your lower level, whether you choose PNPs or something else.

    FYI, we also had two swings downstairs and two swings upstairs as they slept much better in the swings for the first 2-3 months. We have a couple of bouncy seats that we move around the house but they don't get very much use. Now at 5 months old, we often put them in their high chairs when we need to set them down in that part of the house as they love being high up and looking around at the action.

    Congratulations, and good luck!! I hope that we see more of you around here!
    Last edited by Momof3Labs; 12-31-2009 at 10:01 PM.
    Single mom to

    DS ("twice exceptional") - September 2002
    DS - February 2006
    DD - July 2009
    DD - July 2009

  7. #7
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    Dec 2009
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    Thanks so so much for all the advice. I definitely feel more confident in my decision making. We will certainly be getting the Arm's Reach Co-sleeper for our bedside for starts. Thanks again!!

  8. #8
    Oak is offline Copper level (50+ posts)
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    I wouldn't worry too much about the play yards. They are all pretty much the same. I would suggest a full-size one, unless you have a desire and/or need to have the Portable Crib ones. I like any of the Graco Pack and Plays, and it is nice to have one on each level of the house and/or one in your bedroom. That way you can put one in there while you run back and get the other, etc. and one can sleep in there, etc. If you have the room, two regular size ones are much better than the twin version. I wouldn't waste time with that one.

    If they are newborns, I would suggest a double snap and go to start off and the carseats, such as Snugride that will go with it. You can easily find them on Craigslist as long as you get one that will match your carseats, which I would probably not buy used, unless you know where they are coming from. I would also suggest a bouncy seat or two as well.

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