After discovering we were expecting quads, I started pondering what we would need.  What did we need four of?  Surely we didn’t need four of everything.  Did we?  I Googled “baby registries for multiples” for ideas and based our registry off what I found.  However, almost all of these registries were for twins so I adapted the best I could.  I think I did a decent job, but after the quads came home, we soon realized we had too many of some things and came up short in other areas.  And…we later found some great products we couldn’t live without.  Since I’m often asked what had and what we had four of, I complied a list.  This list tells how many of each item per baby so it can be adapted for singletons, triplets, or more!

We received many toys, clothes and large baby equipment as hand me downs.  I’ve found these items at baby resale shops, Craigslist, our neighborhood buy/ sell/ trade sites, our local Mothers of Multiples Club (Psst….if you are expecting multiples I highly recommend joining your local MoMs club), and our local Just Between Friends sale (check to see if you have one in your area).  Also, people gifted us a great deal of consumable items regardless of our registry.  I probably wouldn’t put these things on a registry, but I wanted them listed here because they are well used at our house.

Feeding:

Note: Do not wash ALL of your bottles and nipples until you figure out if your babies like the ones you chose.  I chose Avent (easy cleaning and interchangeable with trainer cups, but Sydney ended up using Dr. Brown’s, which I loathed).  We had to return Sydney’s share of the Avent bottles to get the Dr. Brown’s.  The same thing applies to trainer cups.

1 set of name labels for each baby- this keeps you from mixing up things like bottles if you have multiples, or if you send your child to a childcare facility.  Some other families just use Sharpie markers, which gets the job done as well.  I preferred the pre-made label convenience.

8 four ounce bottles per baby (this allows a new bottle for every feeding when they are tiny)

8 level 2 nipples per baby

5 level 3 nipples per baby

2 Y cut or thick liquids nipples per baby (unless your babies have reflux and you need to thicken all bottles;  we only added rice to their final bottle so we don’t need more than two thick liquids nipples)

6 nine ounce bottles per baby

3-6 burp cloths per baby

6 pack of cloth bibs per baby

1 silicone bib per baby for spoon feeds

3-4 infant spoons per baby

3 packs of toddler cutlery per baby (we actually used cocktail forks because they are easier for toddlers to spear food)

1 three pack of bowls per baby

2 trainer cups per baby

1 bottle drying rack for every two babies

several bottle brushes that go with the type of bottle you choose

1 Boppy Pillow with cover per baby

1 spare Boppy cover for every two babies

1 bottle buddy or prop per baby (we used these Baby Bottle Huggers)

2-3 divided plates per baby (when we began spoon feeds, I used a four section plate to keep track of how much each baby ate e.g. one section was for each baby)

1 bottle warmer for every two babies (other ways to heat are the Crock Pot or by microwaving bowls of water, we liked the convenience of the warmers)

1 microwave sterilizer (we used for first use of new stuff and periodically.  we sterilize things such as medicine cups and nasal aspirator parts too)

1 easy to use timer to monitor bottle heating

1 large wash bin to dump bottle parts after feeds

feeding seat or table with a seat for each baby, this link shows our free step by step quad feeding table plans

2 nursing covers (I used these for pumping at the NICU)

1 gallon pitcher for formula mixing

1 large whisk for formula mixing

1 quart measuring cup for formula mixing

I recommend renting a hospital grade pump if you plan to nurse.  They are much more efficient than a personal one, and may be covered by insurance.

Travel:

1 car seat per baby (if you may have preemies, make sure you choose one that is safe for babies as small as 4 lbs)

1 snap ‘n’ go stroller that will seat all babies (we had two doubles for the quads.  for triplets, you would want a twin and a single)

1 stroller that fits all babies (we had a quad Runabout)

1 Pack ‘n’ Play or Travel Crib per baby, with a set of sheets

1 diaper bag (we had a Vera Bradley diaper bag I used regularly.  We also have a large Thirty One bag that holds enough for a day trip.)

Sleep:

1 crib and mattress per baby

1 breathable mesh bumper pad set/ crib

1 Rock “n” Play per baby (these are handy for preemies with reflux or colic)

2 sets of crib sheets per baby

1 mattress pad per baby

1 extra mattress pad for every two babies

2 Sleep Sacks or Summer Infant Swaddle Me Sacks per baby in each size (newborn, small, medium, large)

2 Swaddles per baby

2 Wubbanub pacifiers per baby (it’s always good to have spares!  they machine wash in lingerie bags)

3-4 soothie pacifiers per baby (we received many of these from the NICU and didn’t buy any, also this kind was recommended by the NICU speech therapists for oral/ motor development)

1 sound machine per nursery

1 cool mist humidifier per nursery

digital baby monitor with 1 camera per baby, or ability to mount on the ceiling for a full view of the nursery

1 nightlight per nursery

1 Angel Care (SIDS) monitor per baby (this gave us a piece of mind so we could snag a few hours of sleep here and there while the quads were infants)

The book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Twins (check out my sleep training post for tips!)

Health/ Hygiene:

1 set of nail clippers

1 package of fine grit Emory boards

1 hair brush

1 infant bathtub

1 bath kneeler

1 infant toothbrush per baby

1 infant bath seat for every two babies (when they can sit up, they can bathe together!)

1 Exergen thermometer

1 digital thermometer per baby (in case you have to check rectal temp)

1 nasal aspirator per baby (we preferred the Baby Comfy nose over the traditional bulb and an electric version for when babysitters were helping)

1 changing pad per nursery

2 changing pad covers per nursery

2 bath towels per baby

1 six pack washcloths per baby

baby bath

baby lotion

diaper cream (notice on our freebies list we got four tubs of Triple Cream!)

Vaseline (good to use regularly to prevent diaper rash)

hand sanitizer

Diaper booster pads (for diapers smaller than size 3) OR Huggies Overnight diapers for size 3 and up (these are great for when they sleep through the night!)

wipes (For commercial wipes, we found that the Walmart brand wipes are cheapest, smell best, and fit in Huggies boxes.  However, we later discovered how to make homeade baby wipes inexpensively.)

infant Tylenol (check with your pedi about medication dosages for babies under age 2)

infant Advil

infant Benedryl

gas drops

saline drops

safety swabs

diapers (no need to register for preemie diapers;  babies are usually out of them or close by the time they come home from the NICU)

Dreft stain remover (great for getting rid of spit up odors!)

Nature’s Miracle stain remover (we bought this when we were potty training our Yorkie;  we love it for baby stains to because it removes organic material like urine and vomit with enzymes)

Baby friendly laundry detergent (we make our own and use vinegar as fabric softener)

Miscellaneous:

1 laundry hamper per nursery

1 diaper pail or disposal system per nursery (my husband built a custom “diaper chute” to the garage”)

battery charger

assorted rechargeable batteries (baby stuff uses TONS of batteries!)

1 muslin swaddling blanket per baby (ours did not sleep with these, but they are handy for when we have to undress them at the doctor’s office because they are large and lightweight

1 4-6 pack receiving blankets per baby (these are used for padding tiny babies in contraptions and car seats)

Clothing:

5-6  sleepers per baby, the zip up kind are our favorite

4-5 short sleeved onsies per baby

4-5 long sleeved onsies per baby

4-5 pairs of pants per baby

1 jacket per baby

6 pairs of socks per baby

4 pairs of Baby Legs per baby (these are GREAT to keep legs warm while making diaper changes easy and for doctor’s visits when vaccinations will be given)

2 hats per baby (winter one and sunhat)

3-4 12 packs of hangers/ baby

Play:

We had a variety of bouncers, swings, Jumparoos and Exersaucers.  We kept no more than four contraptions in our den at once.  It allowed everyone can be contained at the same time if needed.  We had a total of 3 bouncers, two swings, two saucers, one Jumparoo and four Super Seats.

We had four Summer Infant Super Seats because these are versatile and store easily.  They work like Bumbo chairs as floor seats with a play tray.  However, they also convert to booster seats supporting up to 40 lbs and they stack for travel.

I also recommend choosing the travel version of items such as swings and bouncers because they are smaller and often fold up.  Space savers are life savers with multiples!

1 playmat for every two babies (two can share one)

1 mobile per baby and/ or 1 crib soother per baby (our kids outgrew the mobiles around 7 months when they could grab them, but used the crib soothers until they moved into twin sized beds at age 3)

1 set of wrist rattles per baby

Plastic mirrors

Noise making toys with easy press buttons

dangling toys

soft cloth toys

cloth books

activity tables

riding toys

crib soothers (these look like aquariums for cribs and are great for entertaining older babies)

board books (our babies love Eric Carle and Dr. Suess books best because of the high contrast pictures and rhythm)

Baby Einstein DVDs (I know, I am not a huge fan of babies watching TV, however there are times that a 20 minute DVD is helpful.  I put three babies in bouncers watching a DVD while I bathe the other.  This gives each baby individual time with me so I’m ok with the TV then)

I’d bypass these items, and why:

Bumbo Chairs (we preferred the Summer Infant 3-Stage Superseat for functionality and price, also Occupational Therapists discourage Bumbo chairs due to the position of the legs in them)

mittens (keeps them from being able to self soothe with fingers)

wipe warmer (ours don’t mind a cool wipe)

seat protector for your car (these keep the carrier base from installing tightly and void car seat warranties)

infant headrests besides what come with car seats (these are not recommended for car seats and void warranties)

custom car seat covers (cute, but they void warranties and NICU will not discharge a baby with one)

Gripe Water (not effective or doctor recommended.  ask for prescription colic drops if you have a baby with colic)

You can also check out my post on Twiniversity, What Not to Put on Your Twins Registry.

hugs!

Amber

P.S. If you are starting a baby registry, you’ll probably want to choose a couple of retailers so your friends and family have options for what is convenient to them.  Speaking of convenience, you may want to consider setting up an Amazon registry.

Shop Amazon – Create an Amazon Baby Registry