What stuff to keep separate?

missfire

With the new gear I need for my B/G twins, I'm wondering whether to buy the same mostly gender-neutral stuff to share between the two, or to buy different things for each so we know whose is whose.

Do/did you let your twins share things like pacifiers, burp cloths, teethers? How about big things like their car seats and bouncers - did you end up needing to keep straps adjusted differently, or just share them between the babies?

janjag

The b/g twin moms that I know buy gender neutral carseats/swings/bouncers.  When you're in a hurry who wants to think about "don't put the boy in the pink seat"?  Lol. 

Yes, at times you may have straps set differently for each child (mine are quite different in size), but I still want interchangeable places to put babies for most of the time. 

Mine share (and did early on) all the stuff that goes in their mouthes.  Same as bottles, they get washed, so what's the big deal. 

My own preference, I might swaddle b/g in different blankets sometimes, just b/c it's like clothing. 

redshoegirl

Like janjag, my boys share all the stuff that goes in their mouths: bottles, spoons, cups, etc. (we also feed them from one spoon and one bowl now that they've started solids - I figure they suck on each others' hands so they already share all their germs).

They also share burp cloths and bibs - honestly I wouldn't even try to separate that stuff because when you have a kid spewing up on you, you don't pause to think, "OK now wait - purple or yellow burp cloth?"

They have separate Miracle Blankets, but only because they were a gift and have been monogrammed with their initials - when we were using regular swaddling blankets, those got swapped all the time. I don't know if I'd do that differently if we had b/g - possibly, just because those aren't of the same immediate nature that burp cloths and bibs are and you might leave them in their individual cribs anyway.

They have their own carseats and always sit on their own side in the stroller - even though they're very close in size, the straps are probably still slightly different for each of them.

McKenna04

My babes are only 5 weeks old but as of now, they share everything.. it would be really difficult to keep track of whose paci belongs to who considering they both prefer the same kind of paci

jennyfur211

The only item my twins don't share is the carseat.  My DS is larger than my DD so instead of having to adjust  the straps all the time, I put them in the same carseat every time we go somewhere.  Since my carseats are the same, I just put a ribbon or something so I know which carseat is my DD's.  Otherwise everything else they share.

TwoBumbleBees

The doc said to keep the bottles and pacifiers, etc separate.. (and he has twins in his family)... although I tried at first, I got to the point where I say "yeah, right!"     

The only thing I give them separate now (and they usually end up trading) is the toothbrush. And at this point (10 months) I buy what I think is cute because the boy likes the color pink and the girl likes green.  I prefer blue.   My girl has the green Scout and boy has the purple Violet (leapfrog toy).  Other than that, they fight over everything so they have matching carseats, etc.  Other things like bibs, they get what is on top of the pile.  Pink,Blue..doesn't matter... after all, if she wears blue and he pink, they only see what the other has on. 

Right now, she is wearing his pajamas.. if she were to have her pink ones on, he would be trying to pull them of her.  My friends' boy only likes to wear his minnie mouse ears from disney.  !  Make it easy for yourself.. buy what YOU like!

ahava2005

Well, I have two girls and they share everything:  bottles, diapers (I CD), pacifiers, clothes....it would be too much hassle to separate everything.

The only thing I'm consistent with is they each have their own crib.  Two cribs in the same room, but each is 'assigned' one.  We also tend to put the same girl in the same carseat, but I think that's more habit than anything else. 

meagamomma2be

ahava2005:

Well, I have two girls and they share everything:  bottles, diapers (I CD), pacifiers, clothes....it would be too much hassle to separate everything.

The only thing I'm consistent with is they each have their own crib.  Two cribs in the same room, but each is 'assigned' one.  We also tend to put the same girl in the same carseat, but I think that's more habit than anything else. 

 This exactly!  We started putting L on the left all the time just so we would know who was who (especially in the middle of the night).  If they are different sizes, you will want them to each have their own carseat.  Mine are so close in size so it doesn't matter. 

Temp159135562506975

car seats are the only thing we really keep separate... b/c of the straps being different for each.

we attempt to keep their sippy cups separate- but they switch them around a lot while playing... and i keep their tooth brushes separate - but that's about it.

burp clothes = just go through them so often there isn't any sharing b/c i always needed a new one

katsblaze

My boys also share everything with the exception of the car seats (they are different sizes) and cribs.  Like everyone else said, it is to hard to remember who's paci is who's when they are both screaming. I just grab whichever is closest.

anyalee

Only thing we keep different so far are pacifiers.  One baby gets purple the other gets pink.  If I had b/g twins I'd get gender neutral stuff because it's so much eaiser to just throw whichever baby in whichever car seat, bouncy, etc.  I guess if they have big size differences it'd change things.

Temp6313048411121614

The only thing we really keep separate are pacifiers.  They share(d) burp cloths, teething rings, clothes (there are a few clothing items that we only put on one or the other), high chairs, car seats, etc.  I don't see things being any different if we had b/g twins except they wouldn't share clothes.  I don't think there's any reason to buy different car seats and other gender specific stuff, GN stuff will sell easier at your twin sale or CL b/c you can appeal to a larger crowd.

hopefulrockygirl

We have received all seperate things except for bottles and car seats for our shower, I think people loved buying one of each. i have a feeling though at some point we won't notice if a pacifiers are blue or pink and same with bibs and stuff. All other things like swings etc are gender neutral although I did get blue and pink bouncy seats only because I thought they were adorable.

OrangeSmoke

My boys share everything.  I try to give H the orange pacis and Harry the blue ones, but if one of them is screaming, I don't hesitate to shove the "wrong" paci in their mouths.

They are on different bottles simply because they prefered different bottles.. but then again, if A finishes his bottle and is still hungry and H has left over, I don't think twice offering him his brother's bottle.

We have a few things that have their names on it (gifts) so I guess those are separate.

ewiley28

No advice, but I have to thank you Missfire for all of your questions and comments!  I'm 20 and a half or so with boy/girl twins and a 3-year-old son, so I feel some real connections with you!

 So far, we've been pretty much going with what we get.  I saved everything pretty much from my older son and it was a mix of boy stuff and a fair bit of gender neutral.  We expressed eagerness to receive used baby stuff from a couple of friends and I've been amazed what has shown up in our garage!  Much of our large baby equipment was borrowed with our older son, so we definitely needed some.  As of this weekend, we've gotten bucket carseats for both, DSNG, a basic tandem stroller, two swings, about four bouncers, baby bathtub, two bumbos, EZ2nurse twin whatever, boppies and more. 

Our thought was borrowing was brilliant.  We were fully prepared to handle the cost and logistics of a second, but the extra hit of the second kid for daycare has us a bit nervous.  So anything we can avoid spending, I'm all in favor of!

Haven1

We share everything too.  They do have their own cribs with their name above it, so that's the only thing that we don't mix up.  Otherwise, everything gets shared.

caden

DItto everyone who shares everything except cribs. Mine don't have a toothbrush yet but I'll keep that separate too.

Pen0409

My babes have been home for 2 weeks and so far I have said that I wish I had more gender neutral items....I would've never thought I would say this!  I have too many pics of Jameson in a pink bib b/c it was handy and/or clean at the time!  I hope he forgives me one day;)

I wouldn't do so much gender neutral clothing as I would accessories.

We keep pacis separate only b/c they prefer different types so it is easy to differentiate whose is whose.

I'm glad to see others bottle share...I wasn't sure what I thought about this and caught my MIL doing it b/c she didn't want to waste the milk...although she did change the nipple....whatever good that does!