Essential buys for your twins

The essential baby buys for your twins can often take a lot of research, from finding the best double buggies to the safest car seats.

Before your twins are born, you need to buy lots of essentials. But perhaps not as many as some people will lead you to believe. Here, we explain the true "essentials" - the stuff you really can't do without, from the big purchases, such as car seats and a double buggy, to feeding equipment, clothing and nappies.

For larger items, such as nursery furniture and a pushchair, start shopping in your second trimester. You'll have more energy and your bump will be more manageable than if you leave it to the final stages of pregnancy.

Small items, such as clothing and nappies can be bought slightly later in your pregnancy. They won't require as much legwork and are light to carry. However, it's best not to leave it too late, in case your twins make an earlier appearance than planned - a 2008 survey indicated only 43% of multiple pregnancies pass the 38-week mark.

Deciding what to buy for your twins can take a lot of research and juggling of the budget. Our shopping list for the essentials is all about taking away any guesswork and confusion. You can also download and print a version of this baby essentials shopping list for twins to take with you as you head around the shops or hunt online.

Twin baby essentials to buy in pregnancy

Nursery:

• 2 Moses baskets/cribs OR 1 cot/cotbed (your babies can share at first, but you’ll soon need 2)
• New mattress for each basket, crib, cot or cotbed
• Baby monitor
• 4-8 fitted sheets
• 4-8 top sheets and 4-6 blankets OR 2-4 baby sleeping bags

Getting around:

• 2 Group 0, Group 0+ or Group 0+/1 car seats
• Double buggy suitable from birth

Nappy changing and bathing:

• Nappies (newborn size) either disposable or reusable
• Nappy cream (from 2 weeks)
• Cotton wool
• Nappy bags/sacks

Breastfeeding:

• 3 nursing bras
• Breast pads
• Nipple cream
• Muslin squares/wraps, for discrete public feeding and burping

Bottlefeeding:

• 12 feeding bottles
• 12 teats, slow flow
• Steriliser
• Infant formula, if you’re not expressing
• Muslin squares/wraps, for burping

Clothing:

• 10-14 sleepsuits
• 10-14 sleeveless or short-sleeve bodysuits or vests
• 10-14 long-sleeve bodysuits
• 10-14 newborn bibs
• 6 pairs socks
• 6 pairs baggies/booties
• 4-6 pairs scratch mitts
• 4-6 hats
• 4-6 cardigans
• 2 jackets with hoods or pramsuits

Download our free, easy-to-follow shopping checklist for your twin baby essentials.