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Double the Stuff?

What You Really Need to Prepare for Twins

By Jamie Moore

Walk the aisles of your local baby superstore and it's easy to feel overwhelmed with the task (and cost!) of stocking a nursery – even when you're expecting only one baby. When twins are on the way, the thought of buying two of everything can be doubly daunting. True, you'll need more gear with two, but not as much as you might expect.

What gadgets and baby items do you really need? What can you forego? In the paragraphs ahead, early childhood experts and parents of twins offer advice on what to buy, what to borrow and what to do without. They also share their secrets about which items are absolute essentials for making life easier with twins.

You don't need two of everything, says Elizabeth Lyons, a mother of twins in Plainfield, Ill., and author of Ready or Not ... Here We Come! The REAL Experts' Cannot-Live-Without Guide to the First Year with Twins (Xlibris/Random House, 2003). "The only things you will definitely need two of are car seats, cribs (ultimately, at least), high chairs and bouncy seats," Lyons says. "You will also need a double stroller. As for the other pieces of equipment, whether you will end up needing two of each will depend on how much both your babies enjoy and request each apparatus (and how much space you have to store them!)."

Fortunately, there are several things you won't need to double-up on. Clothes and toys fall into this category. Also, many parents of twins say two swings, play gyms, stationary entertainers and play yards aren't necessary, but they're nice to have if you get a second one as a gift or can borrow one from a friend.

Want to see more?

• An Expensive Proposition: Raising Twins Without Breaking the Bank
• Twin Sharing: Making the Most of Your Space
• From Mobiles to Monitors: Creating a Well-stocked Nursery
• Doubling Up: Do You Need Two of Everything?
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!