Copyright © 2008. Published by AMACOM Books. http://www.amacombooks.org.
PREPARING THE GEAR AND YOURSELF
Getting your gear, yourself, and your car ready ahead of time is one of the biggest keys to success. You'll have to pack diapers, blankets, bottles, and lotions for the babies. But be especially kind to yourself and bring drinks and food, too.
Pack Food Separately
Yes, you will need that enormous diaper bag on your shopping trip, but most often you need quick access to a couple of bottles (if you're bottle-feeding), milk or juice, or some kid snacks. Insulated lunch bags work great. They're small, inexpensive, and can sit in the front part of the cart in plain view. Throw in an icepack, a couple of bottles, and you're set.
Make "Quick Change" Bags
Use plastic freezer bags to pack one diaper, a few wipes, and, if you want, some travel packs of diaper cream. Prepare a couple of these packs for each baby and put them in your diaper bag. That way, when you reach into the bag you are not rooting around searching for that elusive diaper or container of wipes while your twins cry ever more loudly. Instead, you have everything you need in a single-use bag. When you're done, you can throw the freezer bag away. (On the other hand, if you're really interested in recycling, you can take that single-use bag, clean it, and repurpose it for another time.)
Carry a Couple of Receiving Blankets
Bring a couple of receiving blankets with you at all times. They make great bottle props, do double-duty as changing mats, and keep your babies warm.
Take Medicine
Carry Advil or Tylenol and a bottle of water in the car for your whopping headache. This tip comes care of my husband, who was the king of stress when the babies were small. Trust me, shopping with twins (or more children) will be stressful. We'd pack up all three kids, get bundled up (it was winter), and then after ten minutes of being at the store, he'd get crabby and rush me to finish up because he had a headache. Do yourself a favor and keep something for your (or your husband's) inevitable headache with you at all times.
Grab a Banana
Having a banana or some trail mix with you can be another lifesaver. This tip isn't meant to prevent you from overbuying at the grocery store, but it is a way to stave off headaches due to energy crashes. So many parents of twins tell me that they just don't have the time—or, ironically, the energy—to eat. Then they decide to leave the house and wrangle two wailing babies into the car. And as soon as they get to their destination, they realize they're hungry and don't have the energy to do anything else except go home. Be kind to yourself and carry some snacks in your purse or diaper bag.
Write Lists and Focus on What You Need
Once again, it may seem like an obvious point, but you will get baby brain with twins. You will go to a store and not remember what you came for, or you'll get there and feel rushed as the babies start to cry. The key is to be organized and give yourself as much help as possible. Write a shopping or to-do list before you leave the house.
Wear Clothes with Pockets
Don't underestimate the sheer amount of stuff you'll have practically slipping through your fingers. Diaper backpacks are great, but you still need somewhere to hold your car keys, your wallet, and one or two pacifiers. Make it simple and wear clothes with pockets.
Prepare Your Car
Preparing your car means having a second set of anything you might conceivably use when going out on errands. A coworker of mine kept an extra diaper bag in his car, prepacked with nonperishables for the occasional impromptu trip. "It just saved my sanity knowing I didn't have to run around and collect everything in the world before we could leave the house. We would just pack up some food and go," he told me. Think about packing receiving blankets, diapers, wipes (or some "quick change" bags), extra pacifiers, hand disinfectant, rattles, trail mix, and anything else you might need, like a pen or a notepad. Make sure to have some pain relievers and a small bottle of water while you're at it.
Keep at Least One Front Pack or Backpack in the Car
More often than not, you will be running out the door and simply forget that one crucial thing you need to help you carry a baby—a front pack or backpack. If it's already in your car, it's one less thing to worry about.
Use Two Diaper Bags
Some parents of twins prepare a diaper bag or backpack for each baby, doubling up on everything, including insulated bags for food. This two-bag system is great when you and your spouse go out together but end up going your separate ways in the store.
Dagmara Scalise is the author of Twin Sense: A Sanity-Saving Guide to Raising Twins from Pregnancy Through the First Year and The Everything Health Guide to PMS. She is an award-winning journalist, researcher, and former educator who has written many how-to guides for healthcare and business leaders. She lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and three children including two fraternal twins. You can visit her website at http://www.twinsensebook.com.
