Twins and Minimal Nursery Purchases

Hi Ladies, I am pregnant for the first time with twins. It's very early days, only 10 weeks, and I am very superstitious so don't want to buy any equipment until a lot later on ...

But having said that, we are on a very strict budget and would really appreciate some advice on the absolute essentials needed for a nursery, bearing in mind, as I said that we have twins.

I have heard how important a good pram is.

Also, from what I have read on BB most ladies suggest simply hiring a baby capsule until a rear-facing seat/booster seat is needed.

Other than that, all I was thinking about was two cots, with or without those small mattresses inside them (?), a change table, and a plastic bath.

What do I really, really need? All comments and help very much appreciated :D

Can you visit some garage sales in your area? A friend of mine had twin girls, she managed to pick up almost everything she needed from one garage sale where they had twins so had two of everything anyway!

I'd probably suggest getting a rocker/swing for each of them. Can you try Vinnies/Salvos for blankets/wraps and some clothes? The baby stuff they have is usually in great condition (most 2nd hand baby clothes are great because they never wear them for long) and it's cheap.

Check out prices for hiring baby capsules but TBH you might just be best buying them both a reversible car seat (from newborn - toddler) that way you aren't paying for capsule hire as well as a car seat later on.

Ebay was (and still is) my best friend when buying baby things. You can get some barely used or really good condition stuff for great prices. I buy most of DS's clothes off ebay as I don't really see the point in buying new things when he grows so quickly, I've got some really nice bonds, pumpkin patch etc sometimes for as little as a $1. I second what PP said about the carseat, just buying 2 convertible ones will save you money in the longrun.

Congratulations on expecting a double bundle :) I agree with what everyone else has said, and I can see how having atleast one rocker/bouncer or swing might be handy if having to wait turns etc As for a bath, you can get away with bathing in your laundry tub or sink, so you needn't have to buy a bath if you really want to save money. DD grew out of her plastic bath at 6weeks and I'm so glad we were given it and didn't spend $ on one! Keep an eye on your local papers too for cheap things when parents are cleaning out once their little ones have grown up. Good luck!

I agree eBay will become your best friend, I get bulk lots of clothing and sometimes there are things with the tags still on them. A bath isn't necessary, use the sink or hop into the bath with them, they grow too fast so it's only of use for a month.
You want a pram that is easy to push, steer and get through shopping aisles easily. The capsules are about $70 for three months to hire, but good convertible seats can last a long time, just make sure that you can check they will fit in your car.

Obviously pram and carseats are a must . buying 2 convertable ones will save you time/money. They last for years.

Somewhere for babies to sleep, we used a moses basket until our son was 6mths old. but we bought our cot when pregnant,

Swings or rockers a must til they can move around...

Check out ebay for bargains and twin strollers etc. also for clothes, coz they grow soooo quickly :) Goodluck with the pregnancy

You might want to check out a twin feeding pillow. my mate with twins loved hers!

Thanks so much ladies. Your comments have been a big help and have pointed me in many different directions now for places to look - and things to buy.

Can I clarify one thing: what is a convertible car seat? So not a capsule, but a car seat that will fit babies and face backwards and then when they're a bit bigger can be turned around to face the front?

Pls excuse my ignorance :redface:

Have you heard of the the Baby and Kids Markets? They are run in NSW, WA, VIC, SA QLD, ACT & TAS if you google them you will be able to get more specifics from their website. It is a market dedicated to preloved baby and kids items and it is awesome. I went to the WA one on Sunday, and got a stroller for $50, some baby grows for $2 each etc- they are really worth checking out.

D'oh Ali I forgot about the one on the weekend! Yep Brunette the kids markets are great - good recommendation - just get there early as they are always busy here!

And yep the convertible car seats go rearward facing for bub, then forward facing when they are older. Bigger cost to be begin with, but you will get longer use out of them. And remember to wheel and deal when you do go to purchase anything at a baby store, we always took cash for our big items and bargained them down.

My twins shared the same cot for the first few months. It helped them settle, and negated the need for a moses basket or small mattress insert as a standard cot is just the right size for 2 babies side by side. I was in a very small house and did not have room for 2 bouncers, so used my pram for putting them down for daytime plays, etc, but 2 bouncers would have been wonderful. A good pram is a must, I always bought cheap or 2nd hand ones and so far am on my 3rd, I would have been cheaper investing in a really good one at first.

A good breastfeeding pillow will help you a lot, especially for night feeds. That said, I fed my babies one at a time as it was easier for them when they were learning how to do it and nicer for me as I got one on one cuddles with each baby.

A comfortable rocking chair is great for night feeds (and you may be doing a lot of them) and also a flask so you can have a hot drink when you are up in the night as it will help you settle back to sleep faster.

Thanks for the brilliant advice. I am so "green" when it comes to all matters babies! Those weekend markets sound great and I will definitely look them up for Brissy.

One other question: when you take the bubs out of the (initially) rear-facing convertible seats, if they are still asleep, can you leave them sleeping till they wake or is it not safe?

I have found some old-fashioned mesh bouncinettes in a variety of beautiful colours at Bubs n Grubs (online plus store in Brisbane) and they are only $35 each. So maybe bubs can be brought downstairs near me during the day when they're awake; what do you ladies reckon?

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Thanks for the brilliant advice. I am so "green" when it comes to all matters babies! Those weekend markets sound great and I will definitely look them up for Brissy.

One other question: when you take the bubs out of the (initially) rear-facing convertible seats, if they are still asleep, can you leave them sleeping till they wake or is it not safe?

I have found some old-fashioned mesh bouncinettes in a variety of beautiful colours at Bubs n Grubs (online plus store in Brisbane) and they are only $35 each. So maybe bubs can be brought downstairs near me during the day when they're awake; what do you ladies reckon?

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There are a few kids markets around.. Are you nth or sth side Brissy?

You shouldn't leave a baby in the car unattended even at home, but we had a capsule which allowed us to take baby out of the car while sleeping, and we would leave them to sleep in it until they woke naturally (but there is a cost with hiring them). I am a fan, but many people aren't.

Oh, no, I didn't mean leaving the bubs in the car! I meant bringing them inside in the car seat. But maybe that is not what they are designed for: just to be left in the car full stop, and now I think I get the argument about the baby capsules because you can pick up bubs from the capsules and bring them inside if they're still sleeping but not if they're in the car seats, as they have to be removed and therefore woken up. I am learning stuff - I think! Hee hee.

You can take them out when they are sleeping, depending on the car seat it might be a bit tricky but it is do-able! I wouldn't leave them in the car alone while they were sleeping though. I guess that's where capsules do come in handy, but TBH we did fine without one and it's just another expense that you don't have to worry about.

You won't need it for a little while after they are born, but I'd also really recommend a play mat, one of the ones with a bar of toys above them. I still have DD's out for her to play with, and it was great when she couldn't move around. I'd lie her under there and she would have nappy free time and look at all the toys. Mine has lights and music you can turn on too. She still likes clambering all over it but it was so great when I needed to do something (like cook dinner) and couldn't hold her.

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I have found some old-fashioned mesh bouncinettes in a variety of beautiful colours at Bubs n Grubs (online plus store in Brisbane) and they are only $35 each. So maybe bubs can be brought downstairs near me during the day when they're awake; what do you ladies reckon?

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Those bouncinettes have a very limited life - from when they are old enough to bouce them and then they get too big and bounce them over, both of which are before they can crawl. We got one because we were constantly trying to bounce bubs to sleep on our knees and thus killing our knees (and then she'd fall asleep but we couldn't move her so we got stuck), the bouncer we could bounce with our feet while watching TV in sleep deprived zombie mode and then at least we could sneak off to the loo while she napped.

Get sheepskins for wriggletime on the floor. Put a cloth over the sheepskin to sop up dribbles.

Ikea baby baths are good - they are quite big, cost about $15 and you can keep using them. Ours is currently employed as a basket to take laundry to the line in, also a wading pool outside and inside you can fill them with blankets and make a cot for stuffed toys, or sail around the lounge floor in them as a boat. As a bath, we used it on the kitchen table - don't have to bend down to wash bubs, great while they are small and you are sore. Fill them with a bucket, get your partner to empty it for you or bail it out a bit first so it is lighter to move.

i am sure i am repeating what everyone else has posted!!

what i highly reccommend is to not pin yourself down to one resource.

all the above suggetsions are fantastic, but you dont really kow if you are getting a good deal if you dont know what prices the items are going for.

i kept an eye on ebay, trading post and local markets.

as an example, i saw a highchair at target i like for $249. So i searched for it on ebay for 5 or 6 weeks and got it for $46!! BRAND NEW NEVER BEEN USED!!!

I did the same with a stroller. Steelcraft strider four wheeler with basinet retails for around $600 and I got them for $180 in brand new condition.
the strider dlx comes with an optional capsule that clips straight from the car to the stroller so you dont need to disturb your baby. i didnt worry about it though because i read that it isnt good for a baby to be in a capsule for long periods of time and i thought it was better that my son get used to be movd around and resettling.

the one item i would only ever buy new is the car seats. a small crack can completely destroy the safety of the seat. and not everyone is honest about the condition of their itmes when selling.

I was similar to yourself and didnt want to get excited about my pregnancy too early because of my family history of miscarriage. BUT when you do decide to go and buy things, NEVER buy stuff that fits and NEVER pay full price.
I am not keen on buying clothes online as i have received goods that werent as described, but you can get great deals in stores. Buy clothes when they are on sale and layby them or put them away. End of season is fantastic cos you can get some absolute bargains!!! I was just walking through myer yesterday and they have 30%off all kids clothing. That combined with other markdowns meant i paid half price!!! I bought all the items in much largers sizes for next year.

from memory there are heaps of two seater strollers on ebay. and they go very cheap. but do go out and see them in person because you may find something about it that doesnt suit your needs. storage space s a huge must.

oh my favourite item i have bought is a bath seat. dont get the fabric ones because they sink down. the plastic ones you can get are fantastic. frees both hands so you can better care for your baby.

good luck with the shopping. keep us posted so others can get ideas aswell!