Baby Essentials and Must Haves (0-3 Months)

It’s hard to believe the twins will be TWO months old tomorrow but we definitely getting into the swing of things around here. I constantly get questions about our most used baby items and I am here to finally share them! When I was pregnant, I did the same thing. Researched all the must haves baby items to be prepared. Even though the twins are not 3 months old yet, we are certain not much will change in terms of the below products use in the next month.

Please keep in mind, every baby is different and some of the items that have worked for us may not work for you, however some are a MUST have. So let’s get into them!

Baby Transportation

Double Twin Stroller

My most asked question on Instagram is about the stroller. Is it worth it? Do we love it? How is the handling? And I am happy to report, we LOVE this stroller. I wrote an earlier blog post about our Baby Registry List highlighting some of the reasons why we went with this stroller and not with the UppaBaby Vista.

Having twins means you need all the eyes you can get to watch them and when they are in this stroller, side by side it makes a world of a difference. I couldn’t imagine having the set up of the UppaBaby Vista which is one baby on top and one baby on the bottom. I feel like I would constantly be checking on the baby that is on the bottom. The seats also do not hold the same weight as compared to the Bugaboo Donkey.

The Bugaboo Donkey doesn’t just have to be used with twins. The stroller can be purchased in a mano/single seat and can be converted into a double down the line. It can be used with twins, single baby and/or infant & toddler.

The Bugaboo is easy to push and maneuver around. Another pro of the stroller is it’s great traveling system due to its compatibility with the car seats. It’s easy to break down as everything comes off the stroller and you are just left with the base.

Overall we are really happy with this stroller. It’s durability will definitely last as for months and years to come. I highlighly recommend it to anyone not just moms who are expecting twins!

Car Seat

Obviously another must have and we love that its compatible with the stroller with this adapter. The car seats are lightweight and we love the little sun shade it has to offer some protection from the sun when we are out and about.

Diaper Bag

Still remains as one of my favorite purchases for myself! I absolutely adore this diaper bag. It was a little bit of a splurge but it doesn’t look like your typical diaper bag and can be definitely used as a travel bag, work bag or a weekender bag. It has many compartments which is perfect for organizing. The bag also comes with a changing pad, bottle insulator and a cross body strap. It’s my favorite and it looks amazing clipped on the stroller. I also love this Bow & Rattle diaper bag for when I need to pack a little more things for the twins.

Sleep

SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet

It’s a splurge but so WORTH it! Our longest stretch of sleep so far has been 6 hours (we clearly got lucky with that) and I am trying to think what did I do different that day! I love the fact that when the baby starts crying or fussing the snoo will try to calm the baby back to sleep and it has worked on many occasions. The snoo obviously doesn’t replace you by any means and sometimes when the snoo cannot calm your baby down after a certain period, it will time out and give you an alert on your phone.

There are so many things I can say about the snoo. The snoo has lots of features and it has been amazing for us so far. I may need to dedicate its need own post. We are strong believes this has helped our babies sleep better, the average stretch of sleep for the month of May is 4 hours so far. For the month of April it was 3 hours, so we are definitely working up our longest sleep stretches! Our babies nap in the snoo during the day as well.

With the snoo, it requires clip in swaddles so we use those to swaddle them. When it was still cooler out we used to double swaddle them which they seem to really enjoy. We used the plain Aden + Anais swaddles.

P.S. you can also rent the snoo based on a monthly subscription which can be cancelled at anytime! You can read our full review of the snoo here!

Flat Head Pillow

We were originally using the pillow that had a hole in it, but I found this breathable baby pillow which helps to prevent flat head and we love it! The babies look so comfortable on it and we use it in the stroller as well when we take walks in our bassinets. Please use at your own discretion though, the recommendation is not to use any pillows where the babies sleep.

Baby Feeding

Baby Brezza & Baby Formula

If you have been following my breastfeeding journey on Instagram then you know I was struggling and still am to produce enough milk to feed both of the babies. My milk supply did increase but not enough to feed two so we are supplementing with formula as well.

Luckily I did LOTS of research on baby formula and we are using the Organic HIPP BIO Combiotik (German Version). I cannot say enough good things about this. It is the next best thing to breast milk. When our babies came home from the hospital we were giving them some of the formula the hospital gave us and once we transitioned to HIPP we noticed a huge difference. The babies poop looked like it was from breast milk. Being an under producer of breast milk, I am happy to know I am giving them something that is still really good for them. There are lots of articles you can look up about this formula that will give you the comfort of why you may want to chose it as well. Some things are really surprising when compared to American formulas.

Being that our babies are both breastmilk and formula fed this is where the Baby Brezza comes in! It creates a warm bottle of formula in a matter of seconds. There are many negative reviews about the Baby Brezza but we don’t have any issues. Our babies are gaining all the appropriate weight. When used correctly, you shouldn’t. The dispenser in the Baby Brezza needs to be cleaned every 4 bottles made and you have to ensure you have the correct formula setting for the formula you are using. This truly has been a life saver in the middle of the night and every single day!

Twin Z Pillow

Another life saver for twins! When I am taking care of the babies by myself and they are both hungry and screaming at the same time, that’s when I use the Twin Z. It makes feeding both of them at the same time so much easier! It’s also great for lounging.

Philips Avent Natural Glass Bottles

Since our babies are formula fed as well, we love these Glass Bottles! The twins took this bottle from the beginning and we had no issues with it so far. There are also many advantages and positives about using glass bottles compared to plastic. I highly recommend looking into that!

Sometimes we also use the Ola Baby Silicone bottles which they really love as well. We love using this drying rack for all the bottles.

Bath & Diapering

Infant Tub

We love this bathtub! It’s great that it has a thermometer so you never have to worry if the water is too cold or too hot. It also grows with the baby and can be used from newborn to toddler. I found that having a scale as well is a plus! It was comforting to know the babies were gaining weight and we didn’t have to wait until their monthly doctors appointment to confirm their weight gain.

P.S. we love these baby towels. They are extremely soft and absorbing. We put the towels in the drier before bath time so they are nice and warm for the babies when they come out from their bath. I know … may be a little extra but they are always extremely happy with that!

Tubby Todd All Over Ointment, Shampoo and Lotion

I clubbed all of these together since they are all from the same company but the All Over Ointment is our MUST! It has helped us with baby acne, diaper rashes, blisters from diapers and dry flaky skin on the scalp. One of the twins developed baby acne in the first two weeks and we used the All Over Ointment for three days and it was gone! This product is amazing, it has more than 5K positive 5 star reviews so there’s no wonder why it’s our holy grail as well. We basically use it for everything. I cannot recommend it enough. A little goes a long way so you will have this product for months.

We also love the Shampoo and Lotion. The ingredients are amazing. It’s gentle enough for the tiniest newborn and toddler faces, and good for sensitive skin. They have amazing scents. I am so happy I found this brand and if you purchase any product through this link, you will get 10% off. Trust me you will be happy these products!

Offspring Diapers

We were initially using Huggies until one of the babies developed blisters from them. After that we immediately switched him to the Offspring Diapers and put the All Over Ointment on the blisters and a few days later they were all healed with no new blisters. We use these diapers whenever any of the babies develop any blisters and/or rashes and overnight sleep. They are so soft and great for sensitive skin not to mention they have the cutest designs. We are currently loving the watermelons! When we are not using the Offspring Diapers, we use the Costco Brand of diapers and so far we haven’t had any issues with them. If you are interested in trying the Offspring Diapers, you can use the code ‘PLH10’ for $10 off.

P.S. We also love their Organic Bum Cleansing Spray. It’s great for that stubborn poop and it smells amazing.

One thing I am actually surprised about is not using is the dressing table in their room for diaper changes. I just usually change them on my bed and love using these waterproof changing liners. Yes we did have a few fountain accidents (boy moms you can relate!) but I find it a lot easier to just change them on my bed.

ubbi Diaper Pail

We love this! It traps in all the odor from the diapers and we have no complaints! We also use the costco 40 gallon bags since they are a lot cheaper then using the ubbi bags.

Pampers Wipes

We love these and if you are a Costco member, they also sell them in their warehouse. They are unscented and have no fragrance added, dye-free, phenoxyethonal-Free and Paraben-Free!

Baby Gear

Baby Swing

Our twins are in this swing multiple times a day and they love it! We love putting them in it after their feeding so they are in an upright position to help digestion. It has music, different levels of the swing motion, turning mobile and the seat is adjustable. We don’t even use the Mamaroo which is double the price of this swing. Highly recommend this swing!

BABYBJORN Bouncer

Another favorite! We love this bouncer so much. This bouncer can be used from infant up to two years old! It has different recline positions, the fabric is washable, can be easily stored and put away. It takes up so little space in the house compared to the swing. The bouncer can be moved all around the house with you. It has been my go to lately when the twins fuss more during the day and nap less. I just take them where I am in the house and they really enjoy it.

Play Gym

Another item we use on an everyday basis. We do daily tummy time and activities on this play gym. It is great for baby development. The play gym transports into a tent, which is great once they get older! This can be used when they are infants, can be setup and taken down in 2 minute and the play mat made with machine washable polyester. There are also additional items you can get based on the child’s age for developmental activities.

DocATot

This is definitely a nice to have item and not a must have although we did use this a lot. The twins napped in this everyday the first month and then we started putting them down for their nap in the snoo. It great for resting, playing and lounging. It is lightweight and easy to travel with both in and outside of the home. Designed to mimic the womb, it’s a safe spot to supervise tummy time as it can be positioned under your little one’s arms to help develop neck strength and motor skills. It comes in many different colors and the cover is washable which is always a plus!

Safety & Others

Nanit Baby Monitor

This was one of the items I did lots of research on and we are so glad we went with the Nanit. We are using the baby monitor in our room over our snoos. I LOVE that everything is made available through an APP on your phone. I get alerts on my phone anytime there’s a sound or motion detected. For us it was important to have a baby monitor that can be connected to multiple devices, can be taken with us when we travel, good reliability and great video quality. It also has the option of breathing wear which monitor your baby’s breathing motion with no sensors on their body. This is great if you are really anxious about SIDS and need that extra piece of mind. Overall we love it and highly recommend it.

Hatch Sound Machine and Night Light

It’s an adjustable night light, sound machine and time-to-rise indicator all in one. Controlled though an app on your phone or on the actual device, you can set your favorites and program sounds to your liking. We love using this as a night light for now during the night feedings and diaper changes. Our snoos currently have sound so we are not using it yet but once we do transition them to the cribs we will definitely be using the sound machine.

We love using this portable sound machine for when we are on the go or when they are not napping in their Snoo.

Electronic Baby Nail File

This is a must for us! Little babies are constantly moving their hands and trimming their nails with this baby nail filer is SO MUCH EASIER. I never have to worry about accidentally hurting them with a standard nail clipper.

Baby Thermometer

This baby thermometer makes taking temperature really easy. This thermometer is great for all ages, taking away the hassle and discomfort that comes with under-the-tongue or in-the-ear thermometers.

Nasal Spray and Snot Sucker

Your baby will get boogers (I know gross) but you will have to get them out somehow! We love first using this nasal spray followed by this snot sucker to get them out. The snot sucker is great because it can be cleaned after each use. It can also be used as an ear syringe, nasal aspirator and mucus sucker.

Clothing, Burp Cloths, Bibs and Others

Some of our favorite jammies, burp clothes, bibs and other items we are loving. My best recommendations are as follow:

if there is anything I have missed, I will ensure to add it but for now i hope this was helpful!