I HATE the Boon lawn rack. I mean it's cute, but there's no real design. It is basically just laying your shit on a paper towel and then buying more (the fake trees) for something actually useful. The Skip Hop drying rack actually saves space and holds things upright more securely.
They are suspended by the grass which makes bottles dry faster than if on a towel. I haven't tried the skip hop one to compare space saving though.
i live in a 650 sq/ft apt and you can pry my monitor from my cold, dead hands.
although i will say that i wish we would have gotten an independent video monitor, but in the name of having one less thing in our house we opted for a webcam type that we can view with our phones/ipads. i don't love it. it's okay, but definitely not something i would recommend.
Yes, all of this! Even though we room share right now and the crib is probably 10-15 feet from where I sit in the living room, I like being able to see him. I do also wish we had something other than an app on our phones because we can't both watch it and I can't do anything else on my phone while using it (I've tried even just responding to texts and the monitor app will freeze. My only real gripe about it).
yes, mine freezes a fair bit, especially now that my iphone is in it's 3rd year of life (so basically dead) and has been dropped repeatedly by the toddler i'm trying to spy on.
the other issue i have is that our wifi has been sketchy lately so my options are to turn 3G off for the monitor app and deal with really laggy/freezing video as wifi cuts in and out or let it use 3G and pay a ridiculous bill when i inevitably fall asleep with it on :/
Freezer bags. I like the Target or Lanisoh brand. Hate Medela. They leak, are too small and weird shape.
At least one set of extra pump parts
Nipple cream. I like the Honest brand best. But I've only tried a few:)
Medela hand pump
A good bottle brush, I like the OXO one
Yes. All of this. I have I think 12 medela storage bottles. 2 sets of parts and simple wishes bras for when you go back to work. I also used target brand bags. I did end up renting a symphony around 5 months. The pisa did the job at first but I also had a ton of clogged ducts and I think it didn't help.
Freezer bags. I like the Target or Lanisoh brand. Hate Medela. They leak, are too small and weird shape.
At least one set of extra pump parts
Nipple cream. I like the Honest brand best. But I've only tried a few:)
Medela hand pump
A good bottle brush, I like the OXO one
Yes. All of this. I have I think 12 medela storage bottles. 2 sets of parts and simple wishes bras for when you go back to work. I also used target brand bags. I did end up renting a symphony around 5 months. The pisa did the job at first but I also had a ton of clogged ducts and I think it didn't help.
As a fellow mom of twins, here is what I would recommend:
- Swing - 2 boppys (I only got 1 but wish I had gotten 2, they are great for feeding, propping them up and tummy time) - OXO wipe dispenser - A&A blankets - J&J car seat covers for winter babies - Joovy Twin Roo (Twin snap and go stroller) - Gerber cloth diapers for burp cloths - A&A hooded towels - Video Monitor - Diaper Genie - Kick n Play piano
I used RNPs for the first few months with them. If I were to do it again I would have used PNPs more as my kids both ended up with flat spots on their heads so are currently in cranial helmets. As I've read more about it, I've found a number of people that have had the same experience. I would recommend having a movable item for the babies to sleep in, DH and I decided to divide and conquer with the babies for the first few months to save our sanity.
Unrelated sort of but cranial bands are more likely needed with multiples because of how they're often positioned in the womb. There's enough love for the RnP with moms of non flat headed kids that it feels hard to blame them (though we used it for the first few months too and I'll likely attempt to use it less with hypothetical baby #2!)
Yup, I know a lot of twins get flat spots due to position in the womb. Mine were born with perfectly round heads so it wasn't from womb position. Also neither of them have torticollis. They developed their flat spots within their first 2 months on the spots where they preferred to sleep and they slept only in RNPs for that time. I just wish there was more education on repositioning and the potential for flat spots. I feel like no one ever talks about it when it now affects 20% of babies. Not all babies get them but they are at risk, especially with twins who are more likely to be on their backs.
Loved: -RnP -PnP -Video monitor - I don't know how people do it without them. I'd be needlessly disturbing DS all the time to make sure things were okay -My Brest Friend -Kick n Play Piano Gym -Halo Sleepsacks -Ditto PP on a nice stroller - I wouldn't get one of those stroller systems. Get a good stroller that has a car seat adapter if you want that feature. We got the BOB Motion and I LOVE It. -Boba 4G with newborn insert
Didn't love/wouldn't get -Expensive bottles - DS was happy with cheap Gerbers that are something like $7 for 9 bottles on Amazon -A&A swaddle blankets - I never used them for swaddling except for one or two emergencies when the sleepsacks were dirty, and didn't find much use for them other times that justified the price -Expensive high chair - the Ikea Antilop gets the job done just fine for us