Since we made the decision to primarily formula feed the twins (with the exception of the roughly 10-12 ounces of breast milk I pump per day), we’ve had to get our gear and routine together to help support formula feeding. Some items of gear we already had from when Miss H was a baby — we’re just using things more heavily this time around — while other things we’ve purchased on the fly as we’ve found a need.

1. Bottle Brush: We threw out the bottle brush we had for Miss H but loved it enough to purchase the same one again – the OXO Bottle Brush. We clean A LOT of bottles and this one gets the job done!

2. Drying Racks: Fortunately we already had two drying racks and we make use of every inch of both racks! The Boon Grass rack is great for bottles while the Munchkin Deluxe Drying Rack is perfect for the little components that go along with the Dr. Brown’s bottles and bottle nipples, as well as my pump parts. When we switch to the larger 8-ounce bottles they’ll go on this rack. Both drying racks are jam packed on a daily basis.

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3. Bottles: We have glass Dr. Brown’s bottles from when Miss H was a baby. We love them, even though there are far more parts to wash than with a standard bottle! We have seven 3.5-ounce bottles and six 8-ounce bottles. Right now we are only using the smaller bottles because the babies only eat 3 ounces per feeding. The seven bottles gives us enough to up have up to 6 bottles prepped as needed, with a seventh to use if we need to do a small feeding for an extra hungry baby. Currently we only have four bottle nipples; however if we had more we’d probably have far more dirty bottles sitting around. With only four it forces us to get the bottles washed!

4. Bottle Warmer: We’ve actually opted not to purchase a bottle warmer. Instead we use a two-cup Pyrex and fill it up with hot water from the tap – we can stack one bottle on top of the other in order to warm two at once. This isn’t the most efficient method for warming a bottle, but fortunately the babies are fine with bottles that aren’t incredibly warm so it works for us and is one less appliance to have in the kitchen.

5. Bibs: Lots and lots and lots of bibs are used in our house each day! In addition to the random bibs we’ve picked up here and there, this big pack of bibs is awesome, especially for the price. They’re not very cute or fancy, but they do the job.

6. Formula: Obviously we have to purchase formula! Far too much of it. We originally stuck with what we knew from 2 months of formula feeding Miss H – Similac Advance. However once we finished up what we have of the Similac we’re going to make the switch to the Target Up & Up formula. For the same price we can get double the formula and I’ve heard from many moms that it’s just as good as the name brand formula! And with double the babies to feed, this savings will be a huge deal.

7. Formula Pitcher: After a couple of weeks of mixing bottle after bottle of formula we ordered the Dr. Brown’s Formula Mixing Pitcher and it is awesome – no more fumbling with powder in the middle of the night! We make up a big pitcher of formula in the evening and then pre-fill 6 bottles to get us through our first few feedings. The rest of what’s in the pitcher goes into the fridge for future feedings. The pitcher mixes the formula up perfectly without all of the air bubbles you get from shaking the bottles. Love it!