Should You Buy Preemie Clothes for Your Twins?

Having twins comes with many challenges. One of which, you will face as soon as those beauties come into the world! All of a sudden, you have two tiny little naked babies. You can’t leave them naked and cold! What do you do? Should you buy preemie clothes for your twins?

Having Twins Early

This is something that might only occur to twin mothers. Most babies cook in the oven for around 40 weeks. Newborn sized clothes are sized for the average 40 week old baby. When you have twins, they are almost always born premature. Twins can be born anywhere between 30 to 38 weeks but usually average 34. Considering this average is 6 whole weeks less than the average 40 week old newborn, there will be a significant size difference.

Then comes the question, Do I buy Preemie clothes?

The Clothing Problem

First time moms might not know, but babies grow fast. Newborns can grow out of the 0-3 month old sizes in just a few weeks. Some babies come out and never fit into any newborn sizes! Luckily, because of traditions we have, like baby showers, we can normally count on our friends and family to give us an abundance of baby clothing options with sizes for the whole first year.

That being said, if you are having twins, chances are you will be under stocked. Most people don’t realize that twins comes early, and your friends will likely not get you any preemie sized clothes. So what do you do? There are really only two options: either buy preemie clothes or don’t.

Option 1: Buy Preemie Clothes

This is a very good option now-a-days. Just a few years ago, finding preemie clothes was hard. In store options are severely limited, and buying for two makes this an even bigger challenge. With our current online shopping abilities, there are now many options for your precious little ones.

Etsy used to be the only hub for preemie clothes. All handmade, all adorable, all pricey. Etsy is still a fantastic place to go for some incredibly original styles and patterns. That being said, they are no longer the best option.

The online shop, Little Me, has options up the wazoo! Almost every single style and pattern for babies is available in every size: preemie to 18 months. Plus, they have an extensive collection of to-die-for cute Toddler clothes. Almost every onesie and pajama set comes with a hat or hairband, critical for bald babies, and there are extensive pattern options. Although they have a great selection, Little Me is a little to pricey for me, with each piece being from $12-$15. If price is not a concern, this online shop could be just what you are looking for.

If you want something that wont break the bank, carter’s is just the place. I am very lucky, and my home town has a carter’s physical location with a huge collection. Every time I go to the mall with my husband we take a stroll through those baby clothing covered walls! It is a magical place. If, however, you are not lucky enough for a physical location, their online store is even more extensive. Carter’s is widely considered the ultimate baby clothing store. Partnered with Osh Kosh B’gosh, they pump out the cutest and freshest baby styles. Their website is incredibly user friendly, and on the home page you can shop by size! Including “Preemie.” Talk about perfect! As for the price, most of their singles are around $8, significantly less than Little Me and much more affordable if you are buying everything in pairs! Carter’s also offers packs of onesies for around $15. That can be 3 onesies per twin! A real steal!

There are of course other opportunities which might arise, but are less reliable. If you live in an area with lots of babies, you could always check Facebook marketplace or other secondhand methods for any preemie clothes. You could get really lucky and hit the jackpot from a neighbor, or you could search and search and come up empty handed. Of course, if these opportunities present themselves, I highly recommend you take full advantage so you can have clothes that fit your babies, at the most affordable price.

Option 2: Wait

This may sound a bit crazy. No mother likes the idea of their baby going in the nude until they grow up! Especially because if how adorable baby clothes are. Don’t worry! I am not suggestion you leave them naked and cold.

From the other twin mother stories I have heard, a lot of twin moms will do one of two things instead of the financial investment of newborn clothes. Either they put their baby in newborn sized clothes anyways, or they swaddle.

Swaddling is recommended for all newborn babies. Premature babies especially need lots of swaddling. When your babies go for any daytime or nighttime sleep, they should be swaddled. For at least a few hours during the day, mother so preemie twins will let their babies swaddle naked, especially in warmer climates, or during summer months. Some mothers even go to extremes and only ever put their babies in diapers. Swaddling is certainly a very viable option for covering up your naked babies during their nighttime sleeps. A word of caution though, be careful not to swaddle too much, too tightly, or for too long. You can read more on swaddling here!

Swaddling can be useful in certain situations, but there are still times where you have to put those babies into something! A lot of moms will put their babies in a roomie onesie. Even if it is a little too big, it is only those first few weeks you will have to worry. Like I said, babies grow fast! Even faster once they are out of the womb and eating regularly.

Your Choice

To buy preemie clothes, or not to buy preemie clothes. This is 100% up to you! Buying preemie clothes is much easier now than ever before! But, buying double and only being able to use these clothes for two to three weeks are big deterrents. If you are still expecting, and have some time left before they arrive, I recommend putting just a few preemie pieces on your registry. If your twins are smaller than expected, or are growing slower than planned, perhaps buying some things would make you feel more comfortable. Discuss your options with your spouse and do whatever you need to do to take care of those babies!