Having twins isn’t cheap and there are many things that you don’t need for twins, or any babies really. Below I’ll detail what you don’t need for twins and why.
Why Talk About What’s NOT Needed?
There are so many posts out there, including my own blog, about what you NEED for twins, I feel there aren’t many out there for what you don’t actually need.
We all know having two babies is expensive! It’s not the buy one get one free that everyone jokes about, sure you only had one pregnancy and got two kids but if your pregnancy and delivery were anything like mine, they cost a LOT more than two singleton pregnancies!
Plus needing two of most items adds up quickly.
Therefore, I think it’s important to share what you actually don’t need because what you DO need is to save money! Right?
Bottle Warmer
Whether you plan on breastfeeding, pumping, or formula feeding, a bottle warmer is a ‘nice to have’ not a must have.
Breastfeeding
My first child was breastfed though since I worked the first year of his life I pumped during the work day for him to have at daycare. I also ended up with extra milk from time to time which we would freeze. On the occasions at home that we used the pumped breastmilk, we still wouldn’t warm it beyond if we had to take it directly from the freezer then we’d use warm running water to thaw it.
Pumping and Bottle Feeding
Fast forward to my twins two years later, I had to exclusively pump for them and we never warmed bottles. You can leave fresh breast milk out on the counter for up to 6 hours after pumping it. I’d pump for my twins while feeding them the bottle from my previous pumping session. Then I’d leave the freshly pumped bottles of milk out on the counter for 3 hours before it was time to feed them again (and I’d pump again for the next feeding).
Therefore, you don’t need a bottle warmer.
Formula Feeding
Bottles don’t need to be warmed for formula feeding either. After 8 months of exclusively pumping, we switched our twins to formula. We always used room temperate distilled water to make their bottles and they took them well every time!
Special Formula Mixers or Dispensers
We fed our twins formula for 4 months starting at 8 months old once I needed to quit exclusively pumping due in part to postpartum depression.
Even if we had needed to use formula for the whole first year, we wouldn’t have gotten a formula mixer, it’s really not needed. I’m talking about the electric formula dispensers as well as the mixing pitchers.
It was really easy to just pour the bottles and scoop the formula in without an extra thing in the kitchen or expense.
If you want to prep ahead of time, you could fill the bottles with distilled water then they’re ready for formula to be added once you’re ready to feed your babies.
To mix it, we just put a clean finger over the top of the nipple of the bottle and lightly shake to combine.
Easy as that!
Bottle Washer
A bottle washer or any type of appliance to wash bottles alone is NOT needed.
As I mentioned earlier, I exclusively pumped for my twins and bottle fed them which meant 14 bottles to wash everyday.
So, we bought 16 bottles so we always had enough, and washed them once a day, after dinner. We’d wash them first in a basin that we got from the hospital with very hot soapy water. Then we’d pour that water out into the main sink and wash the rest of our dishes.
If you get bottles such as the Avent Naturals bottles with just 3 parts, it’s really not that big of a deal.
Bottle Sterilizer
There are only two times you actually need to sterilize your baby bottles:
- When you first get them before using them
- When a baby is sick
That’s even for preemies, like my twins were. Granted, if your doctor tells you something different, go with that, but that’s what we were told when we had our twins and what we followed.
Since you don’t need to do it often, there is no reason to have a bottle sterilizer, you can easily do it with boiling water.
To Sterilize Bottles:
- Boil water in a large pot on the stove, such as a stock pot
- Have a tongs nearby ready to go
- Take bottles fully apart and place them in the boiling water slowly so you don’t splash any boiling water on yourself
- Let it boil for 5 minutes
- Use tongs to remove bottle components from boiling water and place them on a clean towel
- Repeat the process for the rest of the bottles
There ya go! Nothing extra needed!
Bottle Propping / Bottle Holder
Bottle holders are not only not needed but they aren’t safe. I know it’s inconvenient to have to sit there and bottle feed your babies but you need to be there for their safety.
Bottle propping can lead to choking from getting too much milk and inhaling it when they aren’t able to move away from the bottle to make the flow stop.
I was home alone with my twin babies and 2 year old for 10 hours a day while I was still pumping and my husband was at work. I would have our twins in their bouncers while I fed them their bottles and pumped at the same time, using a hands-free pumping bra.
I always felt like I need to be ‘doing’ something so at least this way I was feeding them the milk from the previous pumping as I was pumping for the next one. Two things at once! Plus, sometimes there were cute little moments like this where they’d hold my fingers. On the right you can see how I had them side by side in bouncers, this is how I’d feed them.
Expensive Wagon
Wonderfold wagons are AMAZING, I won’t dispute that. I’ve never owned one due to how expensive they are but I’m here to say that if you’re looking to not spend a whole bunch, they are something that you can skip.
We just have a Radio Flyer fold up wagon that has seatbelts that our twins and older singleton would ride in when we were out and about once the twins could sit up. It was about $100-$150, no where near the $500+ the Wonderfold wagons are!
Again, they look really nice and I’ve heard good things but if you don’t have the extra money laying around for one, don’t feel like it’s necessary.
Below is a picture of our basic fold up Radio Flyer wagon. It does have a canopy as well which is removable and compact.
Bath Kneeler
Bath kneelers sound nice because with twins you’ll likely be on your knees for twice as long BUT personally, we’ve never used one. And we have one in the house. I put one on the baby registry because it was a cute penguin but we’ve never used it.
If you want something padded that’ll last you could get a foam bath mat which is great way beyond when you need to be kneeling to wash babies. It feels nice to stand on too!
All in all though, it’s not necessary.
Diaper Cream Spatula
Honestly, I’ve never heard of this until researching items for this list…and I have 3 kids. It’s not needed. It’s just one more thing to wash! Eww!
I’ve rarely had to use diaper cream on my kids because we use unscented diapers and unscented wipes plus ensure to change poopy diapers asap.
Even when we did need to use diaper cream, we would just put some on our hands and put it on their butts then wash our hands.
Nothing extra needed.
2oz Bottles and 8oz Bottles for Breastmilk
We’ve always just used 4oz bottles for breastmilk so if you’re planning on pumping, you don’t need anything bigger than the 4oz bottle. Your breastmilk will actually change as your babies grow to adapt to their needs so they won’t need more than 4oz a feeding even when they’re a year old!
Exception: If you are formula feeding, you may need 8oz bottles as they get older.
Wipe Warmer
Unless you keep your wipes outside in the winter, you really don’t need a wipe warmer. Sure, it might be a little more comfortable for baby during a diaper change but I’ve changed A LOT of diapers between 3 kids and they’ve never complained about a less-than-warm wipe on their butts.
Plus, I often would change them in the living room or on the go, there is no way we’d have several bottle warmers around the house.
Regular room-temp wipes are just fine.
Pee-Pee Teepee
I have 3 boys, I changed most of their diapers since I’m a stay at home mom, and I have been peed on only one time.
That’s WITHOUT the use of a pee-pee teepee…they aren’t needed.
Just have your diaper changing supplies nearby, put the diaper under baby right away and change quickly.
You don’t have to be super fast but seriously, it likely isn’t going to happen. Trying to put something extra over them while changing their diapers is just going to add to the chaos.
Baby Food Processor
If you want to make your own baby food, using a regular food processor will do. You don’t need a special one that is just for baby food.
Honestly, with twins, we didn’t make our own baby food. Life was chaotic enough. We bought baby food jars and had them eat mostly finger foods as quickly as we could because sitting and spoon feeding twins takes forever. Lol
Either way, if you want to make your own baby food you don’t need a processor, just use a normal one. The good thing about that is you can use it for years to come!
As a mom of identical twins and a son two years older, I have gained invaluable experience in the realm, and chaos, of parenting. With a Master's Degree and Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology, I spent years as a school psychologist, helping children navigate through their educational and emotional challenges. Now as a stay at home mom and professional blogger, I combine my areas of expertise to help you in your parenting journey.