Hi! We are Gal and Lauren, friends, and CoFounders of The Mom Juice, an empowerment network helping moms to prioritize self-care by making it more accessible in their daily lives. Over the next few months we will be sharing our different personal experiences and approaches on the same major parenting milestones.
This month, we are excited to share our first year with twins must-haves! Every journey is different (ours definitely were) but there were some things we could agree upon that we couldn’t wait to share with you!
When you need a sleep solution
- Woombie – AKA the absolute best and easiest swaddle solution!
- Zip-up footed pajamas – who invented the ones with all those buttons?! NOT a twin parent!
- Sleep training/ a feeding schedule (when they are old enough, eat enough and weigh enough) – more on that later!
When you are on a budget
- Get used gear when possible! – Twins don’t have to be expensive. Check out Facebook Marketplace, Facebook groups, Craigslist, Nextdoor, and ask family/ friends/ neighbors who can help! We personally love Facebook for this because you never know if you’ll meet your future best friend while picking up her old twin gear!
When you are on the go
- Stroller frame you can clip car seats into – We love the Joovy Roo! It is easy to use, compatible with different car seats, and it can be a great place for babies to chill while mommy gets chores/ tasks done around the house!
- Baby car seat cover
- Carseat strap covers
- Infant rear view mirrors in car
When you are looking to save time (and your sanity!)
- Unisex clothes when possible – think white socks, gender neutral pajamas, etc.
- Protein bars- we especially love Perfect Bars! They are packed with superfoods and taste soooooo good! But most importantly, you can eat them with one hand!
- NoseFrida Snot Sucker – no explanation needed! It looks like a wacky contraption at first but it works great!
- Amazon prime – the ability to order basically anything you need without leaving your house? YES PLEASE.
When you are bottle feeding/breastfeeding/pumping
- Hands-free pumping bra
- Breast pump – Spectra S1 Plus is a personal favorite, but the new 9Plus looks even better!)
- Twin z pillow – great for breastfeeding, relaxing and bottle feeding!
- Two different colored bottles – designating a bottle color per baby makes it easier to differentiate between the two. You can also paint a different colored line with nail polish on the bottom of each baby’s bottle!
- Formula dispenser – great for when you are on the go!
When you are hanging out at home
- Rocker/sleeper that has an upright seat for reflux (like this or this)
- Play mat – This Tiny Love one was nice and roomy for all of us to play on!
When you want to feel your best
- Invest in comfortable outfits you feel great in – after giving life to twins, our bodies undergo real change. Rather than putting extra pressure on yourself to ‘bounce back’, buy some clothes that your new self feels confident in!
- Supportive sports bra
- On demand workout options – Once you are cleared by your care provider, working out from home on your own time can be an incredible dose of self-care! Our favorites are Physique57 Peloton, obe Fitness and Blogilates.
- Plan a “snooze cruise” or naptime walking route – use naptime as a reason to get out of the house. If you are in the city, map out a walking route that has a coffee shop somewhere at the start so you can grab a pick-me-up too. And if you are in the suburbs, take note of all of the drive-thru coffee spots around you and stop there beforehand. Pro tip: try to find a route along a highway that has minimal stoplights.
When you are building your village
- Ask for help – We can’t stress this one enough! Whether it’s a night nurse, full-time nanny, part-time nanny, or a reliable family member, make sure you have some able-bodied support available because you will need it (and deserve it)!
- Food delivery service or enlist help with food shopping.
- Connect with other twin moms (online/ IRL) – be prepared to receive unsolicited advice and words of wisdom from fellow moms. However, unless you are speaking to another twin mom, then take everything with a grain of salt. Caring for two newborns/infants is a totally different experience and it’s vital to find someone who understands that. Find a “twin mom” group in your area on Facebook, and if you can’t find one, create one!
A final tip
Be silly and get creative! The first year with twins is a juggling act, literally. Everyone has their own unique way of accomplishing the smallest and most routine tasks while simultaneously caring for two babies. From feeding (both the babies and yourself), to getting in/out of the car and everything in between, you need to figure out how to choreograph, maneuver and balance your every move. Knowing how to laugh at yourself as you creatively tackle tasks should become second nature, so embrace it all and find the fun in it! And when in doubt, wine helps too 😉
We look forward to sharing more with you about our journeys and welcome any questions / comments @themomjuice
Read Next | Becoming a Twin Mom: Our Conception, Pregnancy and Birth Experiences
Lauren Carasso is a lifestyle expert, self-care advocate, and full-time working mom. Her professional background includes nearly 15 years in public relations working with entertainment and lifestyle clients. She is passionate about meditation, fitness, yoga, matcha lattes, and taking advantage of all that living in the NYC-metro area has to offer. Originally from New Jersey, Lauren currently lives in Westchester County with her husband, David, and 3-year-old twins, Alexander and Bella.
Gal Shyli is passionate about all things fitness, wellness and ‘mom life’. She is a HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator, pre/postnatal exercise specialist and motherhood coach who runs Embrace: Birth and Beyond. Self-care and community have been paramount in her life as a mom, and she hopes to empower others to prioritize both as well! Gal currently lives in Westchester with her husband, Seth, her 2-year-old twins, Lev and Shai, and she is expecting baby number 3 in May.
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