Our house is small, about 1,100 sq feet. So we have given much thought to what items and what number of items might be best for our space-saver needs. Here's our list, some of the brands we have chosen, and some of the whys. There's so much out there to choose from. Our list is divided into Essentials, Non-Essentials and Luxuries. Really in terms of stuff, all one "needs" for a baby is food, clothing and a place to sleep. But since we're having three at one time we've included some recommended timesavers. So "Essentials" on our list are the things we've decided are essential for us to survive three babies at one time and be able to have a functional household. I started with everything I could think of and then started pairing down. Quantities are a guestimate based on everything I've read so far. I'll let you know after babies arrive how we did with numbers and items.
Before I get to the list, a word or two about obtaining all these items.
Garage sales are awesome places to find well-cared-for used gear for usually at least half the price of new and most of the time much less. Babies use some items for a very short amount of time. In our community there's a Moms of Multiples (MOM) group. MOM groups are great for connecting with others who've actually been there, done it and have survived to pass along their wisdom. Our group has two garage sales a year. We just went to the spring sale. It was huge, hundreds of items if not thousands. I've never seen so many baby things in one place. The best things about the sale: 1) I was able to see almost everything I've been looking at over the internet live and up close; 2) There were little things I'd forgotten all about; and 3) Because the sale spans various ages I was able to file away ideas of things we might need in the future as the babies move from infancy to toddler. It was a bit overwhelming at times for us (where to start, stay on budget, etc.) but I've been working on this list since January so we went in looking for specifics.
Some people are awesome planners and sharers. In my family my sisters, brother, sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws have been diligent in keeping clothes and passing them along to the next child growing into them. This usually entails boxing them up according to size as the last child in a family grows out of them and carting and exchanging boxes at holidays or other family gatherings. As individual families have decided their family is complete they have also passed along the gear that's still in good shape as well. We are now on the receiving end of this hand-me-down kindness. It's been a relief to know that the bulk of the clothes we will need are taken care of. Friends too have been so generous and are saving and passing along clothes and gear that they no longer need. When the triplets are finished we will pass along too. I would think groups of friends could coordinate and pass clothes and gear back and forth like a large family. If any of you have been doing something like that I'd love to hear about it.
Ok, onto the list.
The Essentials
~ Cribs (3), Pack-n-Plays (3) - We are starting with one crib and three Pack-n-Plays. I hear Pack-n-Plays should only be used for a child up to 22 lbs so we may have to get two more cribs down the line. We plan to start all three babies in the crib and then graduate them to their own Pack-n-Play. Here's an example where our choices are based on what's been passed along and available to us. We'll keep our eyes out for a good deal on two more cribs but if they don't come along we'll keep with the Pack-n-Plays. By the way my sisters would tell you a Pack-n-Play is an indispensible item for travel. Very helpful.
~ Waterproof mattress pad (6)
~ Crib sheets (6)
~ Diapers, prefold cloth (30-infant, 4x6x4), (120-regular, 4x8x4) - Yes, we've decided to go with cloth. Average diaper usage is 7-10 diapers a day per child (estimated by diaper services), that's 210-300 diaper changes a week. My brother-in-law estimated that's about $75 a week in disposable diapers.
~ Thirsties diaper covers (20-size 1, 6-18lbs), (20-size 2, 18-40lbs) - This is the cover we've chosen to go with the prefold diapers. If you don't want to go with a pre-fold and cover, bumGenius is an insert cloth diaper that gets great reviews.
~ Flushable diaper liners (4-6, 100 ct packs per month).
~ Wipes
~ Diaper Pail (2) - One for wet only, one for dirty. We're looking for something that will fit between our washer and dryer in the laundry room. Though 5 gallon buckets with lids might work next to the washer. The Gamma Lids are amazing if you've never seen one. They would help the buckets work well as diaper pails.
~ Diaper Bag - We liked the Okkatots Backpack Diaper Bag. It seems to have enough space and holders for a triplets' worth. We especially like the little cooler area for bottles and that it's a backpack.
~ Bottles (15) - We plan to use the Playtex Drop-Ins.
~ Pacifiers (6)
~ Toddler Feeding Table (We like the yellow seats on the blue table) - This is one of the space-saving, ease of use items. This fits in our kitchen/dining room and will give the kids a play/activity space, as well as function as a highchair. Easy to clean. No nooks and crannies to clean and the seats can go in the dishwasher or be showered off in the tub. The seats can be purchased separately so if you have the time, right size table and the skills, you can make one of these. (See the Surviving Triplets blog in our blogs list.) (This is the only item I've ever searched for on Amazon that I wasn't able to find available through the site.)
~ Clothes - Most babies grow out of infant clothes really fast, so you don't need many of them. However, multiples are usually premature so we are anticipating the babies will be in preemie and infant sizes for much longer.
~ Cool Mist Humidifier
~ Car Seats (3) - See our post on getting 3 across in our Toyota Yaris. Diono Radian RXT Convertible car seats.
~ Stroller - Foundations Quad Lx stroller - Three spots for babies and one for gear.
~ Baby Carriers (3) - Ergo Baby - We're pretty active and this will allow us to carry babies with us. Good to use with infants. Especially useful around the house with fussy babies.
~ Boppy Pillows (3)
~ Baby Monitor
~ Baby Bibs (12)
~ Baby Washcloths and Towels (6)
~ Breast Pump - The MOM group says with multiples it's very important to get a hospital grade breast pump. We decided on a Medela.
~ Baby Bouncer chairs (3)
~ Recliner Chair - Our doctor recommended we have one of these for J for her to use as an alternative to sleeping in the bed or on the couch. A recliner will provide different angles for sleeping and may give her more comfort especially as the weeks progress in the pregnancy.
Safety Items
~ Outlet Plugs
~ Breathable Baby Crib Bumper
The Non-Essentials
~ Changing tables/stations (2)
~ Swing - Fold-up portable, travel size. Swings can take up a great deal of floor space. Be sure to check dimensions before ordering.
~ Jumper (2)
~ Receiving Blankets (12)
~ Bumbo Seat
~ Infant Bath Tub
~ Fisher-Price Booster Seats (3) - These are basically highchairs that sit on top of a chair. If we had enough room in our kitchen/dining area we would get them to use as our regular highchairs in place of the toddler feeding table but we don't. We will use them as travel highchairs and to use in a playspace in our back yard.
Luxuries and Play
~ Books - Dunston Baby Language, Baby Sign Language Basics, and Flash Cards, Songs for Little Hands, Twelve Hours Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old
~ Wipe warmer
~ Bottle Drying Rack
~ Glider Chair and Footstool
~ Step 2 Choo Choo Wagon - (step2.com) - A wagon with 4 sections, for times and places when toddlers may want to get in and out, like the zoo or park. These come highly recommended by the MOM members.
~ Toys
~ Blocks - We both grew up with blocks and love them as toys that last through an entire childhood.
~Video Camera
