Realistically, how many clothes for twins?

[Strong Mama]

In the beginning, the first 6 months, how many items of clothing do you need for twins?

I am going to yard sales everyweek, buying stuff and need a rough estimate of how many clothes you can get by with, with twins. Thanks!

[Lisa1970]

Honestly, not as much as you think. Everyone overbuys, even when it is just one baby.

When I nannied for triplets, they stayed in baby tshirts at home (they were summer babies) because you are just changing diapers too much for anything else, to have to mess with sliding up and down pants. Little dresses are good too as they can just be flipped up to change.

Also, babies grow so fast. Since yours are twins, I am going to assume they will be born a little early so they will have a little more time in smaller clothes. But AT MOST, you can plan on newborn sizes for 1 month. My first wore newborn, but the rest went straight to small sizes. No child ever really stays in small past 3 months old, but the average sized baby seems out by 2 months old. Since yours will probably be a couple weeks early or more, I would still plan on them being out by 2 months after they start wearing that size (assuming NB size for a month and then small size). Some people have smaller babies and some have bigger. My teeter on the edge of average. They start out bigger but then do not grow fast as the average baby so they have all been below the 5th percentile by a year old.

If you get the stuff cheap, it won't hurt to have 7 things per child. Remember that used clothes are often off on their sizes due to some brands shrink faster than others (namely Carters, they shrink fast, Gymboree and Old Navy barely shrink). If you are paying $1 or less per item, it really probably does not matter if you way over buy and then bless some other family with the outfits later when your babies grow out of them.

But don't forget that baby clothes seem to be the most popular gifts. If I were you, I would put out the word that you would love diapers for gifts, all sizes, not just newborn.

Congrats and good luck!!!

(PS I have only had singletons but always had so much in clothes, despite having less than most, that I swear I could have kept quads dressed all year long!)

[herdingkittens]

I would do 10 no-frills, unfussy, comfy outfits per baby (assuming they sleep in what they wear during the day, esp. when they are newborns). That gives you a weeks worth, with the inevitable extra changes for surprise blowouts!! plus one or two "nicer" duds for church or a special outing.

From what I remember, we did gowns and onesies with soft pants for the boys (they were born in Dec.) for a long time.

Also, I liked having a nice stack of swaddling blankets, too. Those you can find in abundance second hand, as I recall, for quite cheap. Seems people are always unloading those.

Congrats on your news!!!!

[Julia'sMom]

For the first 3 months, my babies never got out of their sleepers. I had more than enough on my plate to worry about "dressing" them everyday. So, about 7 sleepers each was plenty with 1 nice outfit for church/showing off. 3-6 months I started dressing them a little. You can get by with only 7 each still. Just use bibs for the constant drooling to save on clothes. Now bibs, I stocked up on those by the boatload.

[hergrace]

A lot depends on how often somebody is doing laundry. For the first couple of months, we didn't need much at all because my MIL was here doing laundry whenever there was a full load. Later on, we used more because the laundry just wasn't getting done often enough.

[cdahlgrd]

I agree that you don't need tooo many outfits when they are little. I loved the little zipper sleepers from Target when mine were new and it was summer.

Later, when they start eating solids. . . well that is another story.

I also found that there are 2 ways of having clothes and doing laundry. 1. Have just a few outfits and wash several times a week. 2. Have 2 weeks or more of outfits and do laundry occasionally.

[Smurfette2]

I mostly use gowns or onesies. Onesies when they're swaddled.

At first we fussed with the cute preemie clothes but meh, we're

over it now. Unless they go out - their basic outfit consists of

Socks

Cap

Mittens (occassionally)

Gown / Sleeper

T-shirt

Diaper

We wash once a week. Their clothes barely make up an entire

load but I wash their linens frequently because my silly cat

likes to jump into the bed with them. I wash their socks, caps

and mittens in a lingerie bag so that they don't get lost.

My girls seem quite long. Most of their preemie clothes do

not fit and neither does the newborn gear from Gap. It's like

Gap expects babies to have really short legs or something.

Anyway - buy as much as you want. No matter what, you'll

always have clothes you do not use. Find a local women's

shelter to donate your clothes to when you're done. :)

[SashaBreeze]

I agree, not as much as you would think and my boys were born in late fall when you have to bundle them up.  I have a couple of older boys and other than a few cute matching outfits just for fun we have done fine on their hand me downs alone.  What I did end up needing more of was cloth diapers.  I wish I had bought more of those so I could have went longer between washing in those early months when you are so tired.