Pro Tip

Nipple Flows: When to Switch?

Warning: If you breastfeed and bottle feed, continue using a slow-flow nipple to make sure baby doesn't lose interest in the breast. If it's too easy to get milk from a bottle, they'll be less inclined to put in the work at the breast.

For the rest of you: Your infant will send clear signs they're ready for the next level:

• Irritability
• Extended feeding times
• Lack of interest

The third, lack of interest, is very true for my daughter, Lily. At 7 months, she uses a level 3 nipple. If ever a level 2 accidently finds it way on a bottle of hers, she will eat a couple of ounces and be done. As soon as you replace the nipple with a level 3, she goes to town.

Pro Tip

4-oz Bottles

They're a waste!

Source

I bought a variety of bottle sizes (4 and 8 ounces). At first, we used the 4-oz bottles exclusively but inevitably, the girls started eating more than 4 ounces at a time.

Now, they're totally useless and I wish we had registered for more 8-oz bottles. They were never able to hold their own bottle during the 4-oz bottle reign, which would have been the only useful purpose for having a smaller bottle.

However, the formula cap pictured is AMAZING. We have three of these and they come in handy when you have a screaming hungry baby at 3 o'clock in the morning and need to throw together a bottle STAT.

Pro Tip

Bottle Warmers

Forget them! This was the one item I wish we hadn't registered for. With twins, you need milk ready for hungry babies NOW! Single-bottle warmers require a 10-minutes intermission between uses. This wasn't going to cut it for us.

Source

Not to mention, the MIL had no idea how to use the warmer and I wound up with a flood of water all over my kitchen counters any time she attempted to use it. I ended up hiding it in the back of a rarely used cabinet and there is remains.

Check out the products that I DO recommend here.

Amazon Mom

How to Optimize Your Subscription

As a mom of twins, you can imagine we go through a lot of diapers and wipes. With our many time constraints, we don't always make it to the grocery story as often as we'd like. Amazon Mom to the rescue!

Each month, I get a huge box of diapers and wipes (and various other things) delivered straight to my front door for a fraction of the price you'd pay at your local grocery store.

Subscription Perks

• Amazon Prime benefits
• Free 2-day shipping
• Prime instant video
• Kindle owners' lending library
• 20% off diapers and wipes (with subscribe and save)
• 20% off other family essential items (when ordering 5 or more items in any given month via subscribe and save)
• If you have less than 5 items, you still get 5% off!

Learn more about Amazon Mom here.

...all of this for only $79 a year! According to my Amazon account, I've already placed 51 orders in the last 6 months. If I had paid shipping for all of this, it would have easily been well over $80. And let's not forget the 5-20% savings I get on all diapers, wipes, and household items. Hello!! This is a no-brainer, people!!

So what do I buy?

My Subscribe and Save Items

• Pampers Baby Dry Economy Plus Pack
• Pampers Baby Fresh Wipes
• Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads
• OxiClean
• Bounce Dryer Sheets
• Finish Jet Dry Rinse Aid
• Whirlpool PUR Push Button Side-by-Side Refrigerator Water Filter
• Palmolive Ultra Baby Dish Wash Liquid (3-pack)

....basically, if I can anticipate how often I'll need an item and it's available via subscribe and save for a lower price than what I can find in the store, then I add it to my list! You just can't beat the convenience. If they had Similac formula in the appropriate quantities, that'd be on the list, as well!

Pro Tip

Baby Bottles

Being a total noob to parenting, I made sure to buy an assortment of 4 ounce and 8 ounce bottles. In retrospect, I wish I had bought all 8 ounce bottles.

At some point, your little ones are going to need way more than four ounces and you won't have a use for those tiny bottles any more!