Preparing for Multiples
You’re pregnant with multiples congratulations! Once the shock wears off, many pregnant women go into “planning mode.” Before you run out and spend a bunch of money, though, I wanted to share some tips that I learned from having identical twins (when my son was only 2 years old!). I know many of our veteran moms here at Multiples & More will weigh in with their own advice, too.
- You don’t need two of most items: One of the first things you’ll see in the pregnancy books is that you need two of everything, but ask any twin/triplet mom–you don’t! Obviously, at some point you will need multiple cribs, but you don’t have to start out that way. For now, spend your money on what’s absolutely necessary, and hold off as long as you can on multiple highchairs and other older-baby items.
- Borrow or Buy Used: You may be able to borrow exersaucers, pack & plays, and other large gear from family members or friends. Don’t forget about yard sale and Craigslist shopping for finding these big-ticket items at much better prices. Don’t be afraid of hand-me-downs or buying used clothing; while that may not sound appealing now, you’ll feel differently with multiple babies needing changes four times a day!
- Look for twin/triplet discounts: When purchasing multiple carseats or cribs at the big baby stores, be sure and ask for a multiples discount. Many stores won’t advertise it, but a quick conversation with the manager may give you 10-25% off your purchase. Ask friends and family to save coupons for you.
- Join a support group: Joining your local multiples group can actually save you quite a bit of money! Besides the verbal and social support, you’ll have a group of moms who either giveaway or sell their children’s items at a discount, moms interested in trading babysitting, and lots of referrals to services you’ll need (from home repair to doctors to store sales).
Moms of multiples, what advice do you have for the pregnant moms out there?
Cloth diapers. We have certainly gotten the most bang for the bucks with our cloth diapers. We broke even by 6 months and never run out, never outgrow, don’t have deal with tons of extra garbage. We do about a load a day but could probably go every two. It has saved us a ton of money and we love them. Plus they are super cute. We use the bum genius one size so they fit 8-35 lbs.
I’m going to second the cloth diaper suggestion. The added benefit is that they contain “blow outs” better, so they save your clothes.
Also, our twins are still in one crib at 18 months. . .and they only wake each other when it is time to get up, they have learned to respect each other.
Breastfeed as long as you can. I won’t lie, it is hard. The first six months were hard. But for me, it was cheaper than formula, and easier than washing bottles.
My favorite source for clothing is Once Upon A Child. Their prices on gently used clothes are great, I can often find matching and coordinated clothes there, and when ey have clearance sales it is cheaper an most garage sales.
I’ve found that my twins need fewer toys an my singletons did. However as infants we needed two vibrating bouncy seats. W had one really good swing. . .that was enough as it was a great place to put the waiting baby when nursing. Two big swings would have overtaken our space!
You will need more than one crib. It is not recommended that you co-bed multiple babies. There is a higher risk of SIDS with co-bedding. Each will need their own crib.
Newborns don’t need a lot of “cute” clothes–stock up on cotton onesies and forgo spending big bucks on matching outfits. Breastfeeding by far saves lots of money!
I agree! My kiddos lived in onesies the first few months.