I have heard no less then 50 times over the past two years that my home looks like a Toys R Us and considering all the toys and gear I have gone through, I would have to agree!

Have you ever thought about what it takes to raise multiples? Other than a lot of physical energy I mean?

According to MOST (Mothers of SuperTwins):

Number of feedings/bottles in one year:

Twins: 4,420
Triplets: 6,630
Quadruplets: 8,840

Number of diaper changes in the first year:

Twins: 4,534
Triplets: 6,801
Quadruplets: 9,068

Number of diaper wipes used in the first year:

Twins: 5,000
Triplets: 7,500
Quadruplets: 10,000

But what about the gear? Do you really need two or three of everything?

Some things you really do need one per baby:

• swings – For your sanity you will want as many swings as you have kids. The best break is when all the babies are sleeping quietly in their swings.

• high chairs/feeding chairs – You can share a bench but you can’t share a seat.

• beds/cribs – This is a pretty obvious one. While small babies can share a crib or bassinet, at some point they will become too big and will need their own space.

• pack n plays – Follows the same line but with triplets we actually have 4 pack n plays so that we can easily leave some up for nap separation and still have enough to transport with us wherever we go.

• a few dolls and toys – Whatever you find they use a lot of, you’ll probably want to have one per child.  For example, my parents bought them each their own talking Care Bear for Christmas, and that has been great – something they don’t have to share!  We also have 3 doll strollers so that each of them can push their own, and that is a blessing.

• car seats – Again an obvious one – you need one for every baby…or they really won’t even let you take them home from the hospital!

But we don’t have 3 of everything – a few things we don’t need duplicates of:

• entertainers – These are great but how boring is it if you have 3 of the same?  Rather invest in 3 different kinds of play areas – a stationary entertainer; a stationary jumperoo and a bouncy seat – then you can rotate your babies through each different area.

• strollers – This can actually go either way. For some reason many moms of multiples buy multiple strollers (and we joke about our collection),  but generally one good one that is easy to use every day is great.

(Photo courtesy of Misty at The Urech Quads)