Being that I have never had a singleton I can’t tell you what products are best for twins as opposed to singletons but there is one thing I found the second time around that I wish I had with my first set- the Baby Trend double snap n go. All singleton mothers rave about the huge basket, small fold and convenience of a single snap n go and now moms of twins can have that with the double snap n go. The basket is HUGE, the parents console so convenient, it pushes well and folds as small as a single one (you can barely tell the difference when they are folded) and at $100 it doesn’t break the bank. A fellow MOM (mom of multiples) told me she even had her twins sleep in it for the first 3 months and saved on bassinets. The closeness of the car seat (great for preemies and small babies) really helped her twins sleep better. We had used the Graco Duoglider as a double snap n go for my first set of twins and thought it was convenient that it could be used a stroller but it didn’t fit in the trunk of our car without removing the front hood and stroller tray. I don’t know if that’s what you’re looking for but I’ll let you know if I could think of anything else

Thanks Aura:)! I just knew you’d be a fantastic source of what moms of multiples just CAN’T live without:)!!!
Crista

Just thought of something else, well actually something I’m in the market for (if only it didn’t cost so much). The Kettler trike with tandem. Now that my babies are a year they love being pushed around in the little cars or bikes but until now I haven’t found anything that can hold 2 kids besides for wagons that you drag behind you. Not too good when you have climbers. The Kettler is a fantastic sturdy trike that has a handlebar and seatbelt and if you buy the ones with the S shape frame you can buy a tandem insert for $75 and let 2 children join in the fun. They also have baskets, footrests, bells and other accessories. It’s pretty pricey (over $300 for all the pieces) but it’s a well worth it investment for a bike that can be pushed, used alone or as a tandem and they have a very high resell value. You can check it out on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Kettler-Tandem-Insert-Tricycles/dp/B00005MP2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1241629963&sr=8-1

Haha! I just knew you’d have a little more in you, Aura!
Crista

one item that we have used for over 2 years – almost every single day is the baby jogger double! it’s a bit pricey, but a total life saver. it can easily fit through doors and is extremely easy to push. this is the perfect stroller for us, especially early on when one baby was sleeping laying down (each side of the stroller can adjust separately from the other) while the other was sitting up. in addition, each seat has its own canopy – again, so if one child wants the share while the other doesn’t – it’s a simple fix. we have been extremely happy with this stroller – it is the best!

Just speaking to another mom of 2 sets of twins at the park today (hers are 10 years apart) aside for all the normal stuff a baby needs the only real thing multiples require more of are strollers and cribs (and diapers and wipes..). She said the only thing she got the second time around that she wished she had the first was a changing table. When you’re bending down so many times a day to change diapers your back really starts to kill. Also, most twins are tiny so preemie items are usually needed. Besides for clothing I’m a big fan of the miracle swaddling blankets and the JJ Cole body support (the JJcole bundle me is also amazing) also a good breast pump like the Medela pump in style or freestyle really come in handy

My favorite twin-mommy products:
EZ2Nurse Pillow…I used it several times a day till my girls were close to nine months old. This saved my back and made nursing twins much more manageable.

Baby Trend Double Snap-n-go. Truly amazing as above commenter noted.

Valco Baby Tri-Mode twin…double jogging stroller with an optional third seat for a toddler. This stroller is as narrow as most side by side doubles, if not more narrow. Fits through standard doorways. And, it looks really sharp.

Sleep Wrap…one of the least complicated carriers I could find…it also holds twins simultaneously till they are a few months old. Still use it often, but one at a time.

oops, on that last one, I meant Sleepy Wrap.

I sure hope this is my last time posting, gosh I should be more organized and just answer all at once. I was thinking about things that my twins use together. We really like our Handysitt’s we use them in the house and for travel since they’re so easy to clean and fold flat http://www.minuihandysitt.com/
and we’re big fans of the Haba push walker since a child can sit in it and another child can push them they have 3 cute models (the car is my fav):

http://www.amazon.com/Haba-1646-Walker-Wagon/dp/B0002HYDPY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1241404479&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Haba-1623-Pushing-Car/dp/B0007CSF12/ref=acc_glance_toys_ai_-1_2_tit
http://www.amazon.com/Haba-902-Discovery-Wagon/dp/B0012J0ZF8/ref=pd_sbs_ba_2
I know you reviewed the Phil and Teds but it’s not practical for twins. The Baby Jogger city mini seems to be the most popular now for its easy push and nice fold. I like that the seats are deep so kids don’t fight when sitting next to each other.

Uugh I’m back but as a mother of twins (and I’m sure anyone could use) the more kids you have, the less time you have for yourself or for cleaning. Help is always a necessity so how about a giveaway for babysitting or house cleaning??

I have these products and they have been so helpful with twins!

I got two of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Compact-Infant-Swing-Tango/dp/B000WIGDJW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1241646019&sr=8-4

They helped me get 2 hour stretches of sleep in the first 3 months while my husband watched them.

I also got this with the matching carseats:
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-DuoGlider-Stroller-Tango-Tongo/dp/B000WIGIDI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1241646122&sr=1-3

The car seats locked right in so if the babies are asleep you don’t have to disturb them while running errands.

I also have a boppy which I still use at every nursing. All I have to do is put two pillows on each side of me while I nurse both at once.

Podee! The hands free bottle feeding system. That is the only reason I survived feeding my twins at the same time for the first year. Best invention ever!!!

Oooohhhhh…GREAT ideas, ladies!!! Crista, we have some work to do!

Elizabeth, how in the world did you get the podee system to work? My kids hated it, all they got was air. We used bottle proppers when my babies laid on their boppies. http://www.greatbabyproducts.com/Baby_Bottle_Holder_p/prod-mm220.htm and the other one looks similar to this http://cgi.ebay.com/KEEP-IT-UP-Bean-Pillow-Baby-BOTTLE-HOLDER-Pastel-Stars_W0QQitemZ370145098569QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFeeding?hash=item562e5dfb49&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116 and my friend used the sling
http://www.bottlesling.com/
I still had to watch them closely but it helped when I was trying to get them on the same schedule. And I agree with Holly that the easy2nurse twins pillow also made nursing much easier.

Welllll as momma of triplets theres TONNES of things I could never have lived without…and many more things I wished I had!!

Live without:
*Peg Perego aria stroller- living on a road with no sidewalks and limited sizes of doorways I opted to get a single and a double stroller. I found their side-by-side stroller the lightest, and most maneuverable of all I have tried out.
*Bumbo chairs- one of the only ways (besides swings) I could keep all of them in one place…for a few weeks anyway.
*Boppy pillow- a blessing to your arms when trying to bottle feed or breast feed.
*WIPES, WIPES, WIPES!!!
***Indoor baby fence- its like a baby gate on steroids, it can lock together to form a ring or be secured to walls. At some point in the day I had to CLEAN so this was the only safe way to keep 3 babies in the same area safe…now it surrounds my wood stove to keep them away from it. A MUST!!
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266978
*video monitor!!
*”Super Foods” and “Top 100 Baby Purees” books by Annabel Karmel
“Premature Baby Book” by Dr. William Spears
*Awesome Vitamin E oil for the hopeful prevention of stretch marks and the ITCHY BELLY!!
*Body pillow to help you sleep when getting a little large lol
I could go on and on but I want others to have a chance at posting lol

WISHED I HAD:
hands free bottles, triplet feeding tables (http://www.twinstuff.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=64&products_id=255) , more hands, more patience, ummmm and I wished I had a few more books to read about everything while I was on bed rest.

This is just off the top of my head…I’m sure I will come up with a few more!

Oh and I agree….anything for a preemie. Clothing, “Soothie” soothers (best I found), a CAMERA!!!!

ok for some reason my posts aren’t making it lol…my PS is that I have added your button to my blog…thanks for the great links!

I definately agree with shannon that the superyard is majorly handy although I hated when people criticized me saying I caged my kids, but sometimes it is a necessity. The same goes for harnesses, when going out with more than one toddler you need something to wrangle them when they each want to go in separate direction, but people usually look at me like I’m abusing my kids. The Bumbo we loved the first time around but with my second set my son’s legs kept getting stuck in it and my daughter would arch so far back that she fell over with the bumbo stuck on her legs, lets just say they really didn’t like them. My husband said the new pack n play with twin bassinets is nice. (although I preferred co sleepers on each side of my bed)

When I had my twins I couldn’t afford to buy anything as fancy as all of these. I still don’t have a good twin stroller. I think the only thing I couldn’t have lived without was my computer. My twins never had bottles so I spent a lot of time on the computer while nursing. And we were given an outdoor play yard that was fantastic!

I have four children, two singletons with a set of twins sandwiched in between. One of my must haves for the twins was the lillebaby EuroTote. I used this cradle carrier as a Moses Basket for both babies to cuddle and nap together. I could carry it all over the house and had them always close by. See: http://www.lillebabyusa.com. My daughter loved to sleep in it and I felt so much safer when I did put her in bed with me if she was sleeping in the EuroTote.

My other “must have” for twins is a good twin stroller. You will use your stroller so much longer than you do with a singleton. I had 2 that I really loved: Baby Jogger for the walks around the neighborhood and rough terrain and the McLaren Twin Traveller for all the other outings.

My twins are now 4 – now the most important “must have” is a sense of humor and a digital camera to capture all of the great moments times two!

I’m going to second that you will really need a good pump for those serious about breast feeding. My twins were born early (many multiples are), it may be necessary to pump and store for the NICU or special care nurseries to use. It was also instrumental in building my milk supply when I didn’t have suckling babies to help. I ordered mine early (thank goodness!) and recommend others do, too. Hands free would be best, but my Pump in Style Advanced has worked well. I like having my own, but rental is always an option.

I, too, have the Snap N Go and recommend it as well as the Bob Duallie jogging stroller. My friends with twins recommended a jogging stroller as the main stroller because it holds up better. They both went through standard strollers that broke with the weight while maneuvering.

As for other gear, I took the advice of the Baby Wise authors and have one swing, one bouncy seat, one playmat, etc., and set up stations that my twins cycle through every 15-20 minutes. They authors did recommend to play yards, though.

I haven’t had the need for two, yet. My twins are only 6 weeks old, now, so I am still learning the things that are “must have.” I am realizing that carseat covers could be really handy (I just use blankets right now) to keep people from touching and/or leaning over the babies. With all the illness scare, the inevitable attraction to your multiples won’t be as problematic when they are somewhat protected from airborne germs.

My mother said the favorite twin item she had for us was a teeter totter. This is actually the one we had as kids and now my aunt uses it in her day care (still looks great after 25 years!) http://www.littletikes.com/toys/classic-alligator-teeter-totter.aspx

I am a mother of 4 month old triplet girls. Things I can’t live without:
1. Duo snap and go (use with Baby Bjorn) and I can take all 3 out with my 3 year old by myself
2. Weego twin carrier- I can carry 2 and my husband can carry 1. No touchy hands from people facinated with triplets.
3. Swings- we have 3. Love it and it enables me to allow my 3 year old to see them and play near them without hurting them.
4. Peg Perego triplet stroller- great for walks in and around the neighborhood. Can use the carriers as well as the seats
5. Skip Hop Duo Delux diaper bag- fits everything you need in one spot
6. Boppy pillows
7. Bumpo seats
8. I really want an ABC Buggy- have to convince the hubby to buy another stroller. http://www.abcbuggy.co.nz/rec_toddler_seat.html

I hope this helps. We use a ton of diapers, formula, burp cloths, wipes and patience. But seeing them smile is the most amazing thing ever. It is truly a rewarding experience.

One other thing. My girls all have refulx-
Bouncy seats x6 (3 upstairs and 3 downstairs). They are a real life saver.

Not specifically a multiples tool (any mom could use one), but my itzbeens are always with me. Since my twins defy scheduling, it is great to have one for each that shows when the last feeding, change or nap was. It has helped to decipher cries and is even helpful in timing my pumping sessions, when to take my pain meds next, and such. I would not want to be without them.

It doesn’t seem like a tool, but having lots of the inexpensive, Gerber cloth diapers is necessary at our house. We use them for burp rags, props, and rolled up they help position the babies in developmental activities. I got the tip, originally, from Jane Seymour’s book about having twins. She said she used them for security blankets with her twins, which made it super easy to always have a clean one available for them and they never noticed the substitution.

I just found a really great new product on DoubleBlessings.com. It’s a fabric sling for twins. It’s two slings connected together. You can take them apart and dad can wear one. Check them out.