@linz36 i agree with @runningyogimama. another benefit to an infant seat is that many go down to fit a 4lb infant. this is especially relevant to you (us) because twins are typically born early and smaller. this is especially relevant to ME because i had a crazy experience after only having purchased the convertible car seat when i was pregnant with dd1 (long only possibly relevant sob story in spoiler):
the original convertible car seat i bought went down to 5lbs. i, too, thought that would be plenty sufficient and we could skip the cost of an infant bucket seat. i was (am) all for baby-wearing and that was the plan, just take her out of her car seat and put her right into a carrier. SO her birthday comes, i had an emergency induction at 37w, and she was born 5lbs1oz. then, like all newborns, she lost a bit of weight and went down to 4lbs14oz when we were ready to be discharged on easter (that is relevant). well, because she was so small she had to do the car seat oxygen test at the hospital before we got the go-ahead to go home. if you don’t know what that is ( i had never heard of it until then), they basically have you strap the baby into the car seat inside the hospital, then they take him/her to the nursery to monitor their oxygen levels for a set amount of time. she failed, multiple times. they would NOT let me take her home because 1) she failed the oxygen test and 2) the car seat was rated to hold 5lbs, not my 4lb14oz baby even though she was 5lbs1oz at birth. we would not be able to go home until we had a better car seat. i was already stressed because it’s easter and i had been at that hospital for 4 days by that point, my kiddo was so tiny and had been through so much extra testing and i was having a hellish time trying to breastfeed. i was so ready to get the hell out of dodge and go home. we had a $300 carseat, but had to spend another $200 for a different carseat because of a 2oz shortage. it was easter afternoon and tons of stores where closed. poor FIL drove through 3 states (tristate area) for 6 hours trying to find the infant bucketseat that i wanted (because, in my hormone crazed new mom state of mind, if we had to spend another $200 for this effing seat, it was going to be a seat i liked and trusted). IN THE END we got the bucket seat, dd1 passed the oxygen test (bucket seats recline farther back than convertibles, so her airways were at a better angle), we were discharged the next morning. end scene
so, i now have a bucket seat. like i said, runningyogimama is right: there ARE conveniences that a bucket seat offers which the convertible does not and she listed most of them. it was also great to be able to get the baby strapped in from the comfort of a house, as opposed to awkwardly outside in the driveway or parking lot. sometimes the time saved just bringing the kidincarseat for a quick store trip was really nice. with two babies, i imagine even moreso. this time around, there is no doubt in my mind that i’m starting off with two bucketseats for my twins. i’ve actually already purchased the second seat.
@linz36 - I agree with PPs. I can't imagine using a convertible carseat for a newborn (let alone two) and waking them up every time I get them in and out of the carseat. PP had a really good point about being pregnant with twins who on average are born smaller and earlier. We only used our bucket seat for 6 months because DS outgrew it length wise, but it was totally worth it for us.
*TW*
Me:35 DH:35 Dx: PCOS DS1 born 11/2014 DS2 born 11/2018 3 previous losses Rainbow babydue 12/2021 - Team Green
@susan112118 We have a booster seat instead of a high chair. It works for us because it's much lower profile and it's easy to move around and clean. We put a towel underneath it to protect the chair from stains/crumbs. We have the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat. It clips onto the bottom and back of the chair so it's very secure. Personally, this option makes SO much more sense to me than a huge high chair, but I'm sure there are others who love having a real high chair.
@offtoneverland And I’m one of the weirdos who likes having a stand alone high chair, haha! We had a Graco duo diner (2 actually, one of each of the girls), because we don’t have an eat-in kitchen, and it was nice being able to feed them in the kitchen as babies while fixing the rest of dinner (or feeding them breakfast while getting other things ready) instead of going to the dining room/moving our heavy bar-height chairs from the dining room to the kitchen.
@susan112118 - We used the graco blossom 4 in 1. While DS was little I really liked having him in the high chair but it was nice to have the booster seat for the kitchen chair later.
*TW*
Me:35 DH:35 Dx: PCOS DS1 born 11/2014 DS2 born 11/2018 3 previous losses Rainbow babydue 12/2021 - Team Green
@runningyogimama Ah-ha! That makes perfect sense. I sometimes forget that not everyone has the same type of house I do. That really never occurred to me. We have a small house and the kitchen is connected to the dining room, so it's easy to slide the booster/chair around wherever we want it.
@linz36 just get 2 infant car seats and extra bases for other cars and a double car seat frame or double stroller that the click into. You can baby wear with twins. Check out https://www.lucieslist.com/twins/
@linz36 I agree with @runningyogimama but I only had a single, no twins. We actually used our infant car seat for about 9 months. I felt it was worth it for how much infants sleep all the time.
Bumping this up to ask about the My Brest Friend vs Boppy. I used a Boppy with DD, but I had the hardest time breastfeeding. It was just so uncomfortable for me, not because my nipples hurt, but because it was so hard to find a comfortable way to hold her, so I ended up exclusively pumping. Anyways, I just bought a My Brest Friend pillow from Amazon that was on sale, and I'm curious if anyone had better luck with the MBF vs the Boppy. I really don't want to waste money on it, but I'd love to try ANYTHING possible so I don't have to EP again.
@offtoneverland I really liked nursing with My Best Friend. It provided more support and was more stable than the boppy. I will definitely be using it again.
@offtoneverland I used both. The BFriend was awesome when baby boy was tiny bc I could clip it high around my waist when the boppy just rested in my lap. I guess you could just use a pillow under the boppy to raise baby up higher though. I quit using the BFriend when he got bigger bc the boppy is easier to carry around. It’s not as Bulky! The boppy was a necessity as he got bigger though for him to lounge in, tummy time, and sitting up.
@offtoneverland, I didn't nurse for long but I preferred the My Brest Friend over the Boppy for nursing. The Boppy was useful later on though as was the Boppy Lounger.
@offtoneverland I think I preferred the breast friend when he was in the newborn stages. As he got a bit bigger, the boppy was used more. I think having both is great, if possible, so you can experiment. The breast friend wraps around your back which is so nice right after labor to give you a bit more support. My abs were useless for a while there.
I just tried searching for our breast pumps thread and I can't find it. If anyone can post a link that would be very helpful. I'm just going to post my question here too, in case we never find it.
Insurance will cover a spectra s2 (I still have my medela freestyle for on the go), which I remember quite a lot of people seemed to like. Questions - does it work with the Medela Easy Expressions Bustier pumping bra, or is there a different pumping bra that works better (or just a better one in general I did not love that one too much)? 2- Do I need anything else other than what comes in the basic box? Any accessories you recommend?
@ginny_203 the Dock was one of my favorite new baby products with DS. I would have loved to have it with DD, but it didn't exist then. Just a heads up, but you can get them on sale occasionally and there is quite a bit of resale of them too. You can just buy a new cover for it so it feels even more fresh. I actually sold mine after DS because we weren't sure we would have any more and sold it for $100. I found a new one in the clearance section of Target for $125 a few months ago and snatched it up. I think it is definitely worth trying out. It truly was a lifesaver for us on so many occasions.
Y'all may side eye the hell out of me for this, but I'm picking up a used Snoo this afternoon. It is the bassinet created by the author of the Happiest Baby. Original price is ridiculous, but I found a pretty good deal on a used one and figure I can always resell it if it doesn't work. I follow pretty closely with most "attachment parenting" type things and am a little unsure how I will feel about it shushing my baby back to sleep. But, I'm under no delusion that I'm going to have hours of time to spend getting baby to try and sleep with a 4 and 2 year old running around. I'm hoping it can make night times a little easier while I get those kids to bed when DH travels. It is also so pretty and saves us having to find a crib for baby. We plan to move DS out of his crib and into bunk beds with DD when he is around 2.5.
@wannaflickone I had never heard of that and it looks pretty cool. FX it does everything it’s supposed to - if so, worth it. That name though - it seriously sounds like something out of Dr Seuss! I can’t say it and keep a straight face!!!
@lifesabeach85 Agreed on the name. It is terrible. Not sure what their marketing people were going for, but I really think they could have come up with something better.
@lifesabeach85 I think any pumping bra should work with any pump, unless there's something special about that Bustier I don't know. This is the pumping bra I had. I LOVED it and used it all the time. I have a big chest (DD/DDD) and it was so supportive and kept everything in place while pumping. It was easy to zip on over my regular nursing bra while pumping at work.
Sorry for the double post. Thank you so much to everyone for the feedback on the MBF! I'm so excited and really hope it works. I feel better having spent the money on it now.
Question on blankets/swaddles. I’ve heard not to register for too many blankets, because people tend to give those and clothes as gifts regardless. That said, there are so many different types of blankets, swaddles and sleep sacks it is overwhelming! What have you ladies found you actually need? Do I need both swaddles and sleep sacks? Cotton and fleece? (I live in Michigan so it’s cold as balls in the winter.) right now I have on the registry, a three-pack of the Aden and anais blankets, a three pack of swaddle me blankets and a halo sleep sack.
@firsttimespartanmom I hate giving this answer, but it depends on the baby. I would definitely register for one or two swaddles and sleep sacks because they'll be awesome to have around in case you need them. However, some babies don't like being swaddled with their arms down, and some do. I would highly recommend one of the fleecy sleep sacks. We used those with DD in the winter and they were great! It kept me from worrying about whether she was staying warm on those cold winter nights. From my experience, people will gift a lot of regular blankets, but I don't think I received any swaddles/sleep sacks as a gift, so those would probably be good to put on your registry.
@firsttimespartanmom Babies are usually in sleep sacks a lot longer than they're in swaddles. You are supposed to stop swaddling them when they can roll over onto their tummy (around 4-6m old is about average for this.) But they often stay in sleep sacks until a year or longer (dd was in one until almost 18m). You can get halo sleep sacks with a swaddle feature as part of a transition too. We loved the summer infant swaddles the best because they had velcro and it was just easier. There are a billion different products on the market guaranteed to help baby sleep (some people swear by the Merlin suit thing, but DD hated it, and you'll just have to see what works for you) So, you will probably not need many (if any) sleep sacks in the newborn or 0-3m size unless your baby just doesn't like swaddles or is a champ sleeper that doesnt need them (which is possible) but more swaddles at this age, and you won't need any swaddles in a size bigger than 6m, but more sleep sacks at this age.
@firsttimespartanmom - We used A&A swaddle blankets until DS started rolling. We started using sleep sacks with his arms out after that for quite a few months. I felt like having the velcro around his chest helped him feel secure and he slept better than without it. This will be my second November baby born in the midwest, and unless you keep your house super cold or the nursery is cold I'm personally not a big fan of fleece. The recommendation is to dress baby in the same amount of clothes you're comfortable in plus ONE layer. Overheating increases SIDS risk, so we never used super thick/fleece blankets for sleeping.
*TW*
Me:35 DH:35 Dx: PCOS DS1 born 11/2014 DS2 born 11/2018 3 previous losses Rainbow babydue 12/2021 - Team Green
@wannaflickone I've also been considering the Snoo, that's great that you found one used! If you don't mind me asking, was it a Craigslist find? Or somewhere else?
@ginny_203 It was actually in one of my facebook mom garage sale groups. The lady had twins that just turned 6 month, so she was selling both her Snoo's. It looks absolutely perfect. She knew she was going to sell them later so kept everything including all original packaging. We lucked out because I saw it about a minute after she posted and she only lived a few miles away. We set it up last night and it is so pretty. She has another one for a really reasonable price. I imagine shipping costs to get to you would be crazy, but I'm happy to help assist if you are interested. Feel free to message me.
So nice of you to offer! Honestly, it might be worth it. I know a new one is ~$1100 and the cheapest I've seen around me is $850 which still seems outrageous. I'm assuming yours was less?
@wannaflickone I'm looking at used Arm's reach cosleepers because the new price is just too much.
I've previously had a separate high chair, but ended up banging my knee on it more often than not. While I love the Fisher Price booster chair, it doesn't work well for the really little babies who are still developing neck/back strength. One item I never parted with because it was so useful was the Regalo Easy Diner. It's a travel high chair, but it was safer to use at our beloved diner than their own high chairs and kept the baby more-safe, but it's comfortable for those little ones who are just sitting up and learning how to eat. I opted for a Swivi upon glowing recommendation from a friend of mine this time around, so I can attach it to a chair but it'll also grow with the little one as she grows.
Two more things to think about- adding restaurant or Doordash or whatever credits to your registry to have food delivered will be invaluable. I just realized this as I was looking at my own registry thinking about what we really need. In those first six months, I typically find I'm often too-tired to really want to make a meal and sometimes I do get sick of the freezer meals we prep ahead of time (even though they're usually delicious, you can get sick of them).
Is anyone using Babylist? I just started because I found that a lot of stuff that I do think I'd like to try isn't available on Amazon and I can combine other registries on there.
@wannaflickone my best friend got one and SWORE by it. Her kiddo took a week or so to get used to it but it was honestly a lifesaver for them.. they were able to get SOME rest at night so could function during the day and at work. Her baby was always happy and is sleeping 12 hours a night at a few months old. I'm envious!
Re: The Registry Thread
DD1: 8/2014
TTC #2: 6/2017
BFP 8/3/2017 | CP 8/4
BFP 10/16/2017 | CP 10/21
BFP 12/18/2017 | CP 12/28
BFP 2/15/2018 | EDD: November 2nd | It's a girl!
DD2: 10/2018
Dx: PCOS
DS1 born 11/2014
DS2 born 11/2018
3 previous losses
Rainbow baby due 12/2021 - Team Green
Two Furbabies: Mika (american eskimo) and Gypsy (wire-haired terrier, dachshund mix)
Twins: Kaiden and Zara born 10/2018 conceived after 6 years of infertility via a medicated IUI
DD1: 8/2014
TTC #2: 6/2017
BFP 8/3/2017 | CP 8/4
BFP 10/16/2017 | CP 10/21
BFP 12/18/2017 | CP 12/28
BFP 2/15/2018 | EDD: November 2nd | It's a girl!
DD2: 10/2018
Dx: PCOS
DS1 born 11/2014
DS2 born 11/2018
3 previous losses
Rainbow baby due 12/2021 - Team Green
DD1: 8/2014
TTC #2: 6/2017
BFP 8/3/2017 | CP 8/4
BFP 10/16/2017 | CP 10/21
BFP 12/18/2017 | CP 12/28
BFP 2/15/2018 | EDD: November 2nd | It's a girl!
DD2: 10/2018
@susan112118 I loved the Ingenuity seat as opposed to a high chair. It straps to a chair if needed and when my DS was littler I used it like a bumbo. It was sturdier and my son was chunky so his fat legs fit in it better. It was so sturdy I put it on the counter with him in it and made dinner, etc when he was littler and barely eating solids. We used it until he was like 2 1/2 and wanted a regular seat. It is super easy to clean and the tray can be kept in the bottom. I absolutely LOVED it!
https://www.target.com/p/ingenuity-153-baby-base-2-in-1-153-seat-peacock-blue/-/A-53041785?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9028904&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9LPYBRDSARIsAHL7J5nB553KPuxKcVN0oPRkByj93Hrvxb2JgIA2M0Qlbo-di7g73rRcKekaAnoOEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
DD1: 8/2014
TTC #2: 6/2017
BFP 8/3/2017 | CP 8/4
BFP 10/16/2017 | CP 10/21
BFP 12/18/2017 | CP 12/28
BFP 2/15/2018 | EDD: November 2nd | It's a girl!
DD2: 10/2018
https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HCM350W-Germ-Humidifier-White/dp/B002QAYJPO/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1526829723&sr=1-3&keywords=germ+free+humidifier&dpID=31hq1CTj8nL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
We went through 3 humidifiers because we kept finding mold despite continued cleanings - especially the one that looks like a tear drop. We finally settled on this one and I recommend this specific one to all new moms.
TTC#1 October 2014
BFP: November 2014, DS born via c-section July 2015
TTC#2 December 2016
BFP: 12/23/16- No heartbeat at 8 weeks, D&C 01/30/17
BFP: 03/11/17- Chemical 03/15/2017
BFP: 04/17/17- Chemical 04/22/2017
05-10/2017 - RPL Testing/Septum Resection Surgery
11/2017-03/2018 3 Natural cycles / 2 TIC w/ trigger shot
BFP: 03/29/18, Rainbow Baby Boy Due late November/ early December 2018
DD1: 8/2014
TTC #2: 6/2017
BFP 8/3/2017 | CP 8/4
BFP 10/16/2017 | CP 10/21
BFP 12/18/2017 | CP 12/28
BFP 2/15/2018 | EDD: November 2nd | It's a girl!
DD2: 10/2018
Dx: PCOS
DS1 born 11/2014
DS2 born 11/2018
3 previous losses
Rainbow baby due 12/2021 - Team Green
Y'all may side eye the hell out of me for this, but I'm picking up a used Snoo this afternoon. It is the bassinet created by the author of the Happiest Baby. Original price is ridiculous, but I found a pretty good deal on a used one and figure I can always resell it if it doesn't work. I follow pretty closely with most "attachment parenting" type things and am a little unsure how I will feel about it shushing my baby back to sleep. But, I'm under no delusion that I'm going to have hours of time to spend getting baby to try and sleep with a 4 and 2 year old running around. I'm hoping it can make night times a little easier while I get those kids to bed when DH travels. It is also so pretty and saves us having to find a crib for baby. We plan to move DS out of his crib and into bunk beds with DD when he is around 2.5.
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Wishes-Signature-Patented-XS-Large/dp/B00295MQLU/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1532986540&sr=8-2-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=easy+expressions+bustier&psc=1
DD1: 8/2014
TTC #2: 6/2017
BFP 8/3/2017 | CP 8/4
BFP 10/16/2017 | CP 10/21
BFP 12/18/2017 | CP 12/28
BFP 2/15/2018 | EDD: November 2nd | It's a girl!
DD2: 10/2018
DD1: 8/2014
TTC #2: 6/2017
BFP 8/3/2017 | CP 8/4
BFP 10/16/2017 | CP 10/21
BFP 12/18/2017 | CP 12/28
BFP 2/15/2018 | EDD: November 2nd | It's a girl!
DD2: 10/2018
DD1: 8/2014
TTC #2: 6/2017
BFP 8/3/2017 | CP 8/4
BFP 10/16/2017 | CP 10/21
BFP 12/18/2017 | CP 12/28
BFP 2/15/2018 | EDD: November 2nd | It's a girl!
DD2: 10/2018
Dx: PCOS
DS1 born 11/2014
DS2 born 11/2018
3 previous losses
Rainbow baby due 12/2021 - Team Green
I've previously had a separate high chair, but ended up banging my knee on it more often than not. While I love the Fisher Price booster chair, it doesn't work well for the really little babies who are still developing neck/back strength. One item I never parted with because it was so useful was the Regalo Easy Diner. It's a travel high chair, but it was safer to use at our beloved diner than their own high chairs and kept the baby more-safe, but it's comfortable for those little ones who are just sitting up and learning how to eat. I opted for a Swivi upon glowing recommendation from a friend of mine this time around, so I can attach it to a chair but it'll also grow with the little one as she grows.
Two more things to think about- adding restaurant or Doordash or whatever credits to your registry to have food delivered will be invaluable. I just realized this as I was looking at my own registry thinking about what we really need. In those first six months, I typically find I'm often too-tired to really want to make a meal and sometimes I do get sick of the freezer meals we prep ahead of time (even though they're usually delicious, you can get sick of them).
Is anyone using Babylist? I just started because I found that a lot of stuff that I do think I'd like to try isn't available on Amazon and I can combine other registries on there.