Twins Coming Soon. Best Way to Save?

FoxJump on 08/04/2019 - 06:57

Gday

My wife is pregnant with identical twin boys. It's our first and hopefully last set of kids. Due October
The buying stuff begins.

Any advice on top tips for prams/car seats/etc?

We have a Mitsubishi Pajero and a Toyota Prius C.

We've been to two baby shops and think the … Expensive iCandy orange is the one for us because both kids can be carried at the same time while still allowing easy access to the storage pouch at the bottom and they're laid out in a row versus side by side, so we will fit though doors. I'm looking to buy it second hand however not many on sale as it's a new model.

Cot wise I'm thinking second hand ones too with a good clean on the mattress or maybe a second hand frame only with a new mattress.

Car baby seats … Grrr! So expensive. Will probably get two to begin while wife of mat leave and then an additional two later. Friends that have kids still need their baby seats. Pajero isofix mounts are stupid as two baby seats allow zero adults on the second row so I'll have to seatbelt them.
I'm thinking no baby capsule seat. Just the reversible front/rear facing 0-4 months ones.

Clothes - I'm hoping from some hand-me-downs from friends and a batch order from AliExpress. Any thoughts on this?

Nappies: shall I go disposable or washable and save the environment?

Any and all advice is welcome.
Cheerio

Nb: I notice the baby stores don't have discounted gift cards or cash back boo.

Toys & Kids Baby Car Seat Stroller

Comments

  • dlakers3peat on 09/04/2019 - 00:46
    +1

    I have 3 kids and I can tell you money is the least of your worries.

    Good Luck!

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 08:44

      Eek

  • npnp on 09/04/2019 - 06:44
    +1

    Congratulations first of all, I have twin boys and like someone has mentioned above money may not be your highest priority after they arrived. Be prepared for many sleepless nights (yes, both of you as they always wake up screaming at the same time..!) Prius C, good job there, one of the best choices you can make to save money. Use Gumtree for baby strollers, car seats, cots etc. We initially bought what we could afford brand new but then realised we could buy much more expensive premium branded products at fraction of the price from Gumtree. (Ex: we bought a stroller brand new for $300 which was useless then ended up buying a used premium branded stroller for $150 - which would have otherwise cost us close to $1,000 - and it was soooo much better. And we could not sell the one we bought new even for $100 despite being 'unused'). We ended up switching products until we got absolutely best stuff (albeit previously loved, who cares). And last but not least, enjoy your last few days of absolute freedom, go to movies and dinner outs as much as you can because you won't be able to do those at least for few good years to come. LOL

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 08:42
      +1

      Thanks.
      I'm glad they will synchronise their screams.

  • CaseyJnr on 09/04/2019 - 07:50

    We use Modern Cloth Nappies (MCNs) and find them quite easy to use. As a previous poster said, you use them a lot like disposables. Most these days are one size fits most, so a set of about 32-48 should last your twins from about 1 month old until toilet training. There a lots of different brands - I personally love Grovia, which is a mid-priced brand, Alvababy also gets lots of love and is on the cheaper end of the price range. You can pick some new or lightly used MCNs off Gumtree or Facebook marketplace for a great price.

    Cloth nappies will save you lots of money, but there is a lot of info to get your headaround. In deciding what you want to do, I suggest you check out the Clean Cloth Nappies Down Under website and facebook group for all info i regarding washing and care, as well as the MCN reviews uncensored facebook group for reviews of different brands.

    In terms of a pram, I have a Baby Jogger City Select and it's fantastic! It's an inline pram, but there are about 16 different positions you can put the seats in. It's really not too long and SO SO easy to steer.

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 08:43

      Thank you. I will check that website on cloth nappies to see it is good for us or not.

      Okay, i'll have a look at the city select one.

  • mousie on 09/04/2019 - 08:44

    Congrats!

    Get a costco membership if you don't already have one.

    Things like baby wipes and shampoo are typically cheaper in the discount pharmacy channel as opposed to the supermarket aka chemist warehouse.

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 08:48

      I do not have one now.
      Thanks for discount pharamacy advice.

  • sean1987 on 09/04/2019 - 09:37

    Aldi: nappies, wipes and formula (if cant breast feed). saved us so much money!

    Pram and Stroller: since you are having twins decide whether u want side by side or front and back, we had front and back for a bit and the child sitting behind grew out of the pram too quick, side by side pram lasted a lot longer even though its harder to get through doors, most of the time two strollers were a lot easier and less boot space when me and the wife were both there.

    Car seat: we just had the birth to 4 yrs car seats and as soon as they turned 4 we had them in normal booster seats saved so much room on the back seat.

    My advice is to test everything food and nappy wise before buying in bulk. some kids just react badly to certain brands of nappies and wipes no matter the expense. we were lucky ours were fine on the aldi stuff. capsules are a waste as they only last for 6 months and buying times two would cost a fortune. kmart for clothes

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 09:55

      I was thinking of 0-8 seats but your comments of booster only once +4 saves space … Makes me think maybe not getting a 0-8 because later I can get something more compact.

      Thanks

      • TheLurker on 14/04/2019 - 10:38

        Also very likely to be safer in 4 to 5 years time

  • fruxo on 09/04/2019 - 10:17
    +1

    Not so much about saving money, but you might want to look at getting a breast feeding chair. Your wife will use it a lot with twins! Many likes the IKEA poang chair, but my wife hated it. We then got some cheap glider chair, which was amazing. It was only a couple of hundred dollars new, so I'm sure you can pick one up on gumtree for little to nothing. Highly recommended.

    Something similar to this is what we got. I thought it was a waste of money, but I was wrong. With twins especially, you need to make sure you have a good chair. Not just comfortable, but something that rocks and leans back is extremely useful.
    https://www.bubsngrubs.com.au/babyhood-diva-glider-chair-wit…

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 10:38

      Thanks. I did not have such a chair on my list

  • Twodogs on 09/04/2019 - 10:35

    I have not read all the replies above , but you used to be able to get a loaner baby capsule from your local council , i got one many many years ago.

    Good luck

  • neosin on 09/04/2019 - 10:39

    I saw a cool meeme once!

    “If you don’t habe money, you can’t spend money”

    😂

  • 50cent on 09/04/2019 - 11:38
    +1

    How can you tell they are identical already?

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 13:02
      +1

      In the 8wk ultrasound they somehow determine where the egg came from.

      They determined that only one egg was fired.

  • SupeNintendoChalmers on 09/04/2019 - 12:43

    Don't be afraid\ashamed to ask for things for free. You'll be surprised how kind most people are when you ask nicely.

    • John Kimble on 09/04/2019 - 12:44

      Can you provide some examples?

      • SupeNintendoChalmers on 09/04/2019 - 12:54
        +1

        ask around at your workplace, church, mosque etc.

        You'd be amazed how many people squirrel baby stuff away. I can tell you from experience we gave away our cot (Boori), portable cots, HEAPS of clothes, because once you deal with people on Facebook marketplace\scumtree you get the worst tyrekickers, literally want nice baby\toddler clothes for 50 cents (this was my experience), and so I couldnt be stuffed dealing with people like this.

        Our next door neighbour was having their first, so we just gave it all to them. Know plenty of other friends and aquintances who do the same.

        As I mentioned before, lots of organisations like churches, mosques have baby stuff donated, and they usually give it away.

        • John Kimble on 09/04/2019 - 13:11

          Oh, I thought you meant retailers.

          • serpserpserp on 11/04/2019 - 15:01
            +1

            @John Kimble:

            Oh, I thought you meant retailers.

            Oh yeah man, next time you go to the car yard just be really nice and ask if you can have one of the cheap cars for free!

        • serpserpserp on 11/04/2019 - 14:59

          ask around at your workplace, church, mosque etc.

          This. I told people at my work and I had people giving me bags of baby clothes to sort through and take what I like and then donate the rest. Family will also buy a lot of stuff for you the first time around you have kids, so let them buy all the newborn stuff. On my first kids we didn't buy nearly anything in the first 6 months because of generous friends/family and the mountain of hand me downs from family/work/friends etc.

  • paaj on 09/04/2019 - 15:16
    +2

    Hi OP,

    Congratulations to you and your partner. I’ve got a few pointers that could have been covered already by other members so apologies for the double up. PS I’ve got B/G twins and incidentally they turned 1 today. It has been both exciting and tiring, but we’ve loved every part of it.

    First and most Importantly. Having a kid(s) can be emotionally difficult. It puts a major strain on your relationship and you will be tired beyond belief. If possible, make sure you have family/community for support as you will need it. Post-partum depression is real and common. Have some support lined up for both of you.

    In Perth we have a Parenting support line called Ngala (www.ngala.com.au). I absolutely swear by them. They got our kids sleeping through the night in a few days. There must be similar support lines in the East Coast. You can call them to find out.

    Clothes – don’t buy just yet. In fact don’t buy at all. We waited until after the baby shower and got quite a bit of what we needed. Twins are generally born quite small so you’ll go through size 00000 – 0000 in the first 6 months. Then 000 and so on. In the first 9 months, they don’t need fancy clothes. We got a lot of hand-me-downs and they were great. And you’ll get some nice clothes as gifts anyway.

    Nappies – We swear by Huggies Ultimate. Look through Ozbargain for historical sale prices. I used to buy 6 boxes at a time and keep the receipt. All the stores were happy to change over to the larger size without paying extra. Woolies generally has a sale every few weeks.

    Wipes – we buy the Aldi ones by the box when they’re available – 3 boxes at a time. Otherwise we used the Kmart ones and they were fine too.

    Formula – if you decide to go the formula way, PM me. Parents of twins / multiples can buy formula directly from the manufacturer. Costs like 17 bucks a tin vs $30 and you’ll go through a tin a week at least. Speaking of Formula, we also found the Tommee Tippee milk prep machine useful. It looks like a gimmick (essentially a water dispenser at the right temperature) but when you have two and they’re hungry – it is useful. Doesn’t work too great in summer as the Australian heat confuses its internal thermometer.

    Furniture – Buy everything second hand. We got very decent Basinnets, Cots, Change Table second hand. P.S many shops sell a cloth cover for the cushion you put on the baby changing station – not worth it. Your kids will pee or poop on it. Just wipe the cushion after each use.

    Toys – you wont really need many toys until they are closer to 1. By then you’ll get heaps in gifts. Don’t buy any.

    Electronics – video monitors and temperature monitors are useful (even the cheap thermometers you see on Ozbargain every now and again). You can get both second hand or new. Again, wait until after baby shower. We also found those little Xiaomi sensor lights useful to put in their room when you need to pop in to check on them but don’t want to light up the room.

    Car Seat & Pram – I’d look for a decent second hand Pram. We bought our car seats new when Big W had 50% off sale. $300 for 2 and they were 0-8 years with reverse facing for 12 months. Infasecure I think? There’s a 50% off sale every 6 months or less.

    Others: so this one caught me off-guard. One night my kid was so unsettled, she cried for ages. She must have been 6 months? I just didn’t know what to do until I noticed she had a booger stuck in her nose. How do you get boogers out of tiny noses? Saline Drops + Aspirator. Save yourself a midnight run and get some early.

    P.s there are some interesting research programs that you could be part of from now. Speak to your GP or Obstetrician if you’re keen.

    Finally, take the time to enjoy the moments. The first 6 months were brutally hard, but it got easier as everyone got a full night’s rest.

    Congratulations again, exciting times coming ahead! PM me if you need to!

    TLDR: Hand me downs are the best otherwise buy second hand or on sale when possible. Mental Health is very important - have some support.

    • John Kimble on 09/04/2019 - 15:27
      -1

      I just didn’t know what to do until I noticed she had a booger stuck in her nose. How do you get boogers out of tiny noses? Saline Drops + Aspirator. Save yourself a midnight run and get some early.

      Pfffft, suck out the snot with your mouth, it's free! Although you risk getting sick if they're sick and vice-versa, but chances are it would happen anyway.

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 19:05

      Top tip on the 00000 size!
      I would not have guessed that. Thank you. So … super-duper tiny for the first 6 months.

    • serpserpserp on 11/04/2019 - 15:02

      Mental Health is very important - have some support.

      The best advice. I hope you have a good support network and are willing to be very hands on!

  • malich on 09/04/2019 - 15:20

    We have 4 year old twins. It was a heck of a challenge when they were born.

    Instead of a baby shower we had a nappy party. That set us up with about 6 months of nappies, big stress relief.

    If your in vic, there is a baby shop in Mordialloc that specialises in twin gear.

    Otherwise, enjoy the journey and remember it gets easier.

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 19:06

      Interesting advice. A nappy party

  • phaol7ta on 09/04/2019 - 15:42

    congrats OP. first of all, apply for more amex card, prepare yourself in case the baby bunting offer come again. We save heaps last time with amex and baby bunting because they do price match with other store. Aldi nappies is the best, value for money and reliable. Target and Kmart are excellent for clothes and baby blanket toys. get xiao mi ip camera from ebay instead baby stores.

    when you re in the expo, get as many product sample as you can, it might be useful for travelling, and make sure you PRINT your ticket and SCAN your barcode on every stall in the expo. Trust me you will surprise how many prizes you will get.

    last but not least, buy a spa or massage giftcard for your wife and buy her nice meal every other day, youll thank me later.

    all the best

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 19:07

      oh oh I love surprise prizes.
      Thanks. I shall print and scan.

      Amex .. hmm ..not sure how I feel about it.
      Ack at nice meal :)

      • danyool on 10/04/2019 - 00:59

        You can just scan the code on your phone at expo. (But keep expectations of heaps of freebies/prizes low. I mean, you might "win" a photo shoot - just have to pay for the photos, etc)

  • mko75 on 09/04/2019 - 16:57
    +1

    I have 2yo twins and can recommend a few tips as others have already shared:

    • Nappies: Huggies ultimate. We constantly check Coles/Woolies and even IGA has great specials. Occasionally, Baby Bunting but not as often

    • Wipes: ALDI 100%. These ones are the only ones that didn't cause rashes on our kids, including the more expensive huggies ones

    • Pram: Having owned a Maclaren techno twin, Bugaboo Donkey, Mountain Buggy Nano Twin and Mountain Buggy Duet I can say DON'T get the Maclaren (quality) or a new Bugaboo Donkey. The ABC Designs Twin Zoom looks awesome but my Mrs wasn't comfortable buying something she never could see in store, big regret and we ended up wasting so much money churning through prams.

    • Meal plan: Not so much for the newborns but for yourself to ensure you're still eating well and not spending lots of money on fast food or overshopping. We meal plan which helps with sticking to our budget

    • Nappy Bin: Now a lot of singletons will say these are a waste of money/time but I swear by ours given you'll be changing nappies 12-20 times a day at first. Our regular bin would be full and smelly by midday if we didn't have a seperate bin for our nappies. They're also good at keeping the smell out and convenient to keep by the change table.

    • Furniture: Second hand everything. Baby furniture depreciates quicker than cars and you can get some near new stuff for generally half the price new. We got most things new but now that we've started to upgrade certain things, we find second hand is just as good.

    • Sleep therapist. We both work full time and my partner went back to work after 4 months so a sleep therapist to get our kids to sleep through the night was important. Cost us about $1200 for the program but it was invaluable. We have friends whose kids are older and still don't sleep through the night and must be suffering for it. When it comes to our sleep, you can't put a price on it for your wellbeing and general mood. This was probably the best decision we made early on to help us cope with the twins waking up and slowly transitioning them to sleep through the night.

    • John Kimble on 09/04/2019 - 17:01

      What exactly is involved with a sleep therapist? Do you take your babies to a facility/off-site place to sleep? Or do they sleep at your home? Or something else?

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 19:09

      Sleep therapist? Tell me more please.

      Also, so you think the ABC design twin zoom is good after all?
      I also don't recall seeing it in the shops.

    • paaj on 10/04/2019 - 11:08

      All great tips! Definitely reccomend sleep training / sleep therapist.

    • idonotknowwhy on 10/04/2019 - 17:56

      Why do people buy so many prams? I know a few parents on their 4th or 5th pram… Seems wasteful to be but genuine question (these parents I've asked never gave me a rational answer)

      What was wrong with the Bugaboo Donkey?

      • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 20:41

        name checks out hey?

        I do not know why either.

        I found the bugaboodonkey too wide once in twin config.

  • ataraxia on 09/04/2019 - 18:59

    I have 11 month old twins. You have plenty of tips here but Ill offer some counters for saving money vs quality of life.

    Disposable nappies are certainly alot easier.

    Get two decent baby carriers, sometimes much easier then a pram and works well in getting them to sleep. A good quality one will save your back and arms in the long run. We had two different ones, and we always felt sorry for the one in the less ergonomic one.

    Get a pram that fits your life style. Going for walks is healthy for the whole family's body and mind so a pram that doesnt frustrate you will make a difference.

    There are alot of toys you can make at home if you look online. My kids play with tissue boxes and banging their feet on cupboards rather then light up toys.

    Be dynamic with clothing, sometimes your kids body type wont fit certain manufacturers or if they develop skin irritations then think about changing sooner rather then later.

    Best piece of advice I can offer is if both of you do 60% of the work then you will both have 10% extra time to relax (might make more sense after the first 2 months)

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 19:10

      haha @ 60% of the work each :)

      Baby carriers, do you mean - car capsules? basinets in the pram? Or a backpack that fits 1x child kinda thing?

      • fruxo on 10/04/2019 - 08:38
        +1

        Baby carrier is the "backpack" (except it goes on front). My wife did not like her Stokke one, but she did like the Ergobaby.

        As with everything else, for saving money, just check with friends that has had babies earlier. We could fill a whole house with just leftover toys and equipment that we no longer use. Otherwise gumtree. Save the store purchases for whichever things your wife prioritise and definitely wants new (I'm sure she'll have a few), or which are not commonly available second hand.

    • paaj on 10/04/2019 - 11:13

      Out of all the toys we have, my kid prefers banging a spoon on the back of his Formula tin!

      • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 12:59

        Lol

  • newbie12345 on 09/04/2019 - 19:16
    +3

    I got a 3 year old boy and then twin girls 1.5 years old now. My tips:

    1. Formula milk (breast feeding is best but if not enough or for later you change) , contact Nutricia (i.e. Aptamil) , they have a special service where if you prove you have twins, they sell you formula tins at good price and free delivery to your house. No need to fight at coles with the profiteers.

    2. Nappies, go disposable. you don't have time with twins. Wait for super specials on Huggies and stock up (but not the smallest newborn size as the baby will grow out of that super fast). Huggies box at super sale at local IGA, Amazon Australia sometimes or Woolworths with cashrewards 5% discount off woolworths card. If really tight, try Aldi nappies

    3. Baby wipes , Huggins baby wipes hurt my baby's ass (i.e. red nappy rash, like painting a red ass). Use Curash babvy wipes. Wait for super specials and stock up, chemist warehouse goes low to $12-$13 a box of 6, if you can't wait, Big W $20 for 8 everyday but use your woolworths gift card at 5% off cashrewards.

    4. Stroller/pram - check out Valco Snap Duo (not the reversible one, just the cheaper one). DO NOT BUY ICANDY OR BUGABOO under any circumstances, no matter what ! I have a Bugaboo for the first kid and its an overpriced stroller, yeah it works and nice, but not worth it. We love the Valco Snap Duo (twin pram) even more cause its more simple and works.

    5. Cot/Cot mattress/High Chairs/Baby Cutlery/Baby plates - Go to IKEA and buy it all new and affordable. Get an Ikea family card before you go. While you there, pick a $1 Hot dog or IKEA Ladda recharable AA battery and the 4 AA Ladda smart charger. Comes handy for high remote control car/train child toys rechargable battery later on. Sorry back to topic.

    6. Baby seats - We bought ISOFIX baby seat first at big discount, just skip it. It cost too much for ISOFIX eventhough its convenient and easy to install and remove. Just get a regular 6 month - 4 years reversible baby seat which will last 4 years. Oh, slim size helps if you thinking of a 3rd kid to squeeze 3 baby seats in back, not those super expensive massive cushion wide ones.

    7. Clothes - hand me downs great cause they grow so fast and you need spares, cause the kids vomit and sh#t all over it. Target for new baby clothes and bibs. Just plain white, blue or pink, u know the "essentials" range (i.e. cheap and cheerful)

    My baby just switched off my PC before clicking post. Lucky most of it was saved.

    • try2bhelpful on 09/04/2019 - 19:44

      love the last bit.

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 20:13

      Gday.

      Thanks for the advice. I have some questions.
      Sorry to hear about redbum.

      Ah, questions:
      Valco snap duo? This one? https://valcobaby.com.au/product/snap_duo#4
      It's 75cm wide. how did you find it for going through doors?
      Why not iCandy? the inline kids mount we like because it fits through doors easily as its 61cm wide.
      Yeah, i'm meh about isofix because the pajero isn't really suited for the isofix it has.

      So, you recommend a capsule, and then a 6m-4y seat that isn't gigantic?

      • newbie12345 on 09/04/2019 - 21:05

        Yep, that's the one. It just fits through doors and Woolworths shopping. I think with Aldi, I had to go through the alochol wider checkout.

        Icandy cost too much IMO. The money saved can be redistributed elsewhere or spent on other ozbargains.

        No, Sorry typo, I meant the 0m to 4years , so first 6 months its reversed, then upright from 6m to 4 years. Let me edit my first post for this typo. Don't go gigantic as you may end up with 3 kids/baby seats or even squeeze an Adult in spare seat (comes handy when you have more "helpers").

        • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 08:28

          Okiedokie.

      • fruxo on 10/04/2019 - 08:46

        If you want a pram that's not side by side, there's still lots of options besides iCandy. Something like the Uppababy Vista is common and you should be able to find a nice second hand one for under $500 easy.

        I've never had twins, but I suspect a side by side might be easier though. Assuming you can fit through checkouts etc, I have no idea what the actual width is.

        If you are looking at that linked pram, have a look at the mountain buggy range too. This one is very similar.
        https://mountainbuggy.com/au/Products/prams/duet

        We've had many prams (including bugaboo and Uppababy), and the easiest to push and navigate was actually our mountain buggy. I have not tried the double one, but that would be the first one I would have looked at. Also keep in mind that you might want a pram that supports a bassinet when they are younger. Not strictly needed, and doesn't last very long, but I would recommend it for piece of mind. If you buy second hand, it might not add too much cost.

        • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 09:00

          I think with the uppavista the front mounts and the "rear" mounts for the two kids are differently sized.
          I will however, revisit that again this weekend. Thank you.

          Some side by sides are 75cm wide. Mountain buggy is 65cm. Mountain buggy is hard to access lower storage when the seats are reclined flat.
          Some doors are 69cm. (like the one at the baby shop we went to!)

          Most double icandy come with 1 bassinet, an additional one is purchasable. I reckon I can fit both twins in one bassient for a month or so.

    • newbie12345 on 09/04/2019 - 21:06

      Baby seat - Sorry I meant 0 to 4 year old baby seat that is reversible so first 6 months reversed, then 6m to 4 years you flip it upright.

      • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 20:40

        ack

  • snacky09 on 09/04/2019 - 19:56

    Look into hiring a capsule style car seat. I did that through QAS. Let me tell you the first time you bring those babies inside in their capsule and they don’t wake up you will be forever grateful you went the capsule route. You can then buy just a forward facing car seat when it’s time to switch out which is much cheaper than one that does both.

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 20:09

      I see your point :)

      "QAS"?

      • snacky09 on 09/04/2019 - 20:21

        Queensland Ambulance Service.

        • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 22:59

          Wow. I'll ask the NSW ambos

  • [Deactivated] on 09/04/2019 - 20:11

    Given twins usually smaller babies, baby capsules can be used for longer period, say 8 months. And they are very convenient.

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 20:13

      I see. so .. Yes. I see.
      Hmm. useful advice here.

      So they may be too small for a birth-4yr seat?

      • [Deactivated] on 09/04/2019 - 20:48

        Not necessarily. Buy capsule only if you need the convenience.

        If your babies are very small, like near 2kg, then maybe birth to 4 is too big. But you can do that after birth, since you will need the birth to 4yo eventually.

        Congratulations.

        • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 08:29

          I guess if they are too small, we can rent one for a few months while they grow a bit.

  • nikey2k27 on 09/04/2019 - 21:35

    on Baby seat just get one set You have work can and your wife car is she used SUV you want kids and her to be safe. you drive around small car unless your wife car is the C

    • FoxJump on 09/04/2019 - 22:58
      +4

      Hers is the manly Pajero.
      I'm the cutsie orange/pink Prius c

  • rentonc on 10/04/2019 - 00:04

    See if you can find this book at a local library:
    https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-happiest-baby-on-the-blo…
    Maybe read it after they have arrived, it will make more sense that way.

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 20:39

      Ack

  • lk199fe on 10/04/2019 - 01:14

    Congrats!

    Dad of twins twin boys here who are now 7….. I had another kid 2 yrs later but that was easy compared to twins…

    What worked for me:
    - Pram, lighter worked best, we started with a mountain buggy with all the fruit but it was heavy and awkward, ended up using a Valcro Duo and it was so much better.
    - Car seats, mothercare / cheaper brand we had until age 3 and very very good and not too expensive. Though age 3 we switched to infrasecure and the belts were easier to adjust / fasten.. probably get what you pay for here.
    - Aldi - formula, nappies, snacks (tube food, bars, yogurt drop things). No cheaper / edible I could find.
    - Grocery shopping online where possible, woolies / coles, cause you will be tired as f#%k and taking two babies to the shop is murder.
    - Kids neurofen - if it’s on special, buy it.. even if not, you will use it and it’s expensive.
    - Plane travel before 3, lap babies are free. Two adults = two laps. Hotel accom also cheaper. Enjoy it while they are young.
    - Hire (or buy) quality dual Medala brest bump…. expressing milk and putting it in the fridge for nighttime feeding will give one of you chance to get a decent night sleep…. sleep is so important 😁 you aren’t bad parents for bottle feeding, twins are hard to feed at once anyway.

    Your existing cars are fine, don’t change till they’re a bit older and not drinking formula / eating sticky crap in the car.

    Good luck!

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 08:29

      I saw infrasecure. Good price.

      Ack at Kids neurofen! I'll keep an eye out.
      Thanks for the night-time bottle tip.

      • SydOzber on 29/04/2019 - 09:26

        Hey mate, can u pls share the link of infasecure car seat ? Thanks

    • danyool on 11/04/2019 - 03:28

      Plane travel before 3 2, lap babies are free

      Sort of free - you pay for it in compromised space!! Early on, when they are not mobile, its ok, especially if you get bulkhead seat with bassinet - but when they are nearing 2, and even though they are allowed to watch 'tv' - there's no guarantee they will sit still. Also - if it's an overnight flight - and they don't have a seat, guess who's holding them all night?

      (Also, Some arlines charge small tax component for infants - but compared to full cost, it's nearly free… nearly…)

  • atris17 on 10/04/2019 - 01:59

    Keep updated with the local library events

    I know for my library they have fun teaching lessons for new born and young children

    Singing, Alphabet, Playtime etc

    They even have childcare professional attending, to answer QnA for parents

    Also the kid will make new friends , and you yourself will know couple who going through the same difficulty

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 08:27

      Noted. Thank you

  • FittyFitty on 10/04/2019 - 07:15
    +1

    For every dollar, put away two.

  • luffyex2010 on 10/04/2019 - 07:44

    Congratulations!

    …. 2nd hand cot is fine but not a mattress!

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 08:26

      Noted.

  • Kelvin0911 on 10/04/2019 - 08:24
    +2

    Give one of them away… Trolling…
    :d congratulations

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 08:30

      Would make a for a good twin study.

      • try2bhelpful on 11/04/2019 - 09:46

        Been done. In fact I think they also did a triplet one.

  • ribenaboy on 10/04/2019 - 12:20

    I have identical twin girls.
    We buy Huggies nappies and Kirkland baby wipes from Costco. They have sales every few months.
    Formula discount available for Aptamil.
    If you want to get discount on a pram, go to the baby expo on the first day and buy the floor stock.
    Price match items at department stores and baby stores.

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 20:39

      Noted. First day sales :)

  • ttdt on 10/04/2019 - 13:45

    Welcome to the club! Our identicals are five now and it does get better but not necessarily easier, as the challenges keep coming as they quickly as they develop and change. :)

    Agree with most posters about 2nd hand, except car seats which we always bought new.

    We started with a Valco Spark Duo because of the reversible bassinets/seats, but moved on to a Mountain Buggy twin (model was Duet, I think). The Valco ended up being a bit of a waste of $$. The MB was so much easier to maneuver and use compared to the Valco, primarily due to the tubed tyres being able to handle their combined weight and all the gear in the storage under-basket until they outgrew it. IIRC, the MB was about $250 used and was one of our best buys.

    Some things to keep in mind… Not necessarily OZB-specific tips though…

    1. One of the best things we got for my partner was a My Brest Friend twin breastfeeding pillow so she could tandem-feed. Made feeding them during those long, cold winter nights almost bearable. Yes, we both did the feeds as it was much easier for her to sit with the pillow while I handed the babies over and then for her to hand them back to me for nappy change and wrapping.

    2. Learn how to wrap them up in muslin cloths nice and tight - the mat nurses will show you. They sleep much better when they're wrapped well (mimics the experience in-womb). As they grow, Woombies and Sleepy Wings are good.

    3. Not sure about NSW, but in Vic there is a mat health nurse hotline - keep the number in your contacts as they are awesome and always happy to help with any worries/issues you have with your twins.

    4. There will be a point in time when the sleep dep becomes normal - your body will adjust at some stage in the first few weeks. :)

    5. We had a boatload of cloth nappies, but couldn't keep up with them as they are little poop machines. Babylove were our preferred brand and we loaded up whenever they were on special at the supermarkets. BTW, poonamis are real.

    6. We also don't have immediate family close by; don't ever hesitate to call a close friend or neighbour for help, especially at times when you're all sick and can't cook, etc; you'll find that someone will always step up and drop off a pot of food or nappies or whatever you need.

    7. Don't forget your 'me' time. You'll all go for walks, outings, etc with the twins, but as an example, make sure you both have your routines like gym, running, yoga, etc.

    8. Keep a good nap/sleep/feed routine. Even at the baby stage when they dictate feeds (or having to do 3-hourly feeds as we were instructed to get their weight up quickly), getting them into a nap/sleep pattern is key to helping avoid inconsistent sleepers and then potentially sleep school. Walks, drives in the car, etc also helps tire them out.

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 20:38

      Grazie

  • luffyex2010 on 10/04/2019 - 14:41

    How is the name selection going. Its so interesting when you have twins, as you got two names to choose ^o^ Hmm here are some cool fiction names if you are in need of some suggestions

    Cecil & Kane
    Mario & Luigi
    Edgar & Sabin
    Yin & Yang
    Palom & Porom
    Billy & Jimmy
    Dante & Vergil
    Cody & Guy
    Naruto & Sasuke
    Natsu & Gray
    Gajeel & Laxus
    Guts & Griffith
    Sam & Max
    Gokou & Vegeta
    Ryu & Ken
    Luffy & Zoro
    Yusuke & Hiei
    Edward & Alphonse
    Link & Linx (well better than epona lol)
    woody & Buzz
    Bill & Ted
    Terry & Andy
    Sonic & Tails
    Masa & Mune

    List goes on

  • The Gent on 10/04/2019 - 16:04

    Random question - how do you know they're identical before birth?

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 18:13

      The ultrasound guy has the magic wisdom to identify which ovum the egg came from. In this case, apparently only one ovum was triggered. Hence identical.

      Gender, the "Harmony" DNA test tells us at least one is male.

  • AYD on 10/04/2019 - 16:22

    I have two kids. Get a cheap stroller which is light and handy and get a baby carrier. My wife has 3 of these (www.mummaetc.com) and she loves them! baby is asleep in minutes.

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 20:12

      But how will she carry both?

  • dmiser on 10/04/2019 - 17:58

    First of all Congratulations!

    For Car Seats and Prams, I would suggest shortlisting some that you can easily get whenever you need and wait till the birth before buying, as I have had friends who had done the shopping beforehand and then had to go with completely different products after the birth due to some reasons that you only find out after the birth. Not trying to scare you but just another factor to consider.

    I have two kids myself and used Infasecure carseat (0-8 year version) for the first one for a few years. When we had the second one, we converted it back to a car seat (with new liners) and bought a new booster for the first one.

    With regards to pram, we have used Peg Perego Uno for the first one and now using Steelcraft Agile 4. Both are good and fit for purpose. Here are the factors to consider when choosing the pram (my view)

    1) Light weight yet sturdy, as you will be the one lifting it a few times when out and about
    2) Big wheels so you can take them anywhere (i.e. gravel surfaces) and not just to shopping malls
    3) Easy folding which does not require you to remove or adjust pieces to allow folding
    4) Large hood/canopy, with peek-a-boo window if possible. Large canopy is a must during summer
    5) large basket for carrying enough items for a day out when on holidays away from home
    6) Easy recline from sit to sleep position. This comes in very handy when child falls asleep while sitting and you want to lay it flat without disturbing them

    For nappies, we used nothing but Huggies for our first one, however, we tried Coles' (Cub) brand for our second one and pretty happy with the quality and are saving a lot due the price difference. For wipes, again, BigW (Dymples) brad is just fine and cheap. No need to spend big bucks on fancy brands.

    When it comes to skin care for babies, we only prefer QV brand products i.e. QV Wash, Qv Bath oil, QV Lotion, QV Cream etc. They are expensive but I don't mind spending there.

    For day-to-day clothing and shoes, Kmart and BigW have reasonable quality products that will last till your children grows out of them.

    We didn't need a baby monitor, however, at times we have used a spare mobile phone as a monitor by calling it and keeping it on speaker, with ring-tone set to mute, next to the sleeping bub. This works for us as me and wife both are on unlimited call plan.

    Last tip - Use discounted gift cards to buy all the products that will save you further 5-10% depending on how you source them.

    I wish you all the best.

    • FoxJump on 10/04/2019 - 20:17

      I was considering the infrasecure 0-8. So you think that's alright? No problems with the 0 and no problems with the 8?
      Thanks for your other recommendations.

      I enjoy the giftcards :)

      • dmiser on 16/04/2019 - 02:05

        Yup, it is very versatile and comfy even for a big baby. Works for 0 as well as 8 and cost is very reasonable as well and has excellent safety rating.

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