Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

After dealing with the challenges of a twin pregnancy, adjusting to life with two babies, and coping with out of control hormones--a relaxing vacation is just what you need to feel human again. But lack of organization and preparation can turn your road trip with twins into a disaster.

Before you start packing, sit down with a pad and pencil, and write out a checklist of the things you’ll need to take on your trip. Include all of the no-brainers such as pampers, wipes, t-shirts, bibs, a comb, infant spoons, a bottle brush, weather appropriate clothing, and diaper ointment. You can save space by substituting large bottles of baby lotion, baby wash, and dish detergent (for washing bottles) for travel size containers.

Pack enough formula, juice, and baby food (if your twins are on solids) to feed your twins for the duration of your trip. Include things for emergencies such as insurance cards, pediatrician’s phone number, Tylenol infant drops, medicine dropper, thermometer, and a nasal syringe. 

Obviously, your babies will need somewhere to sleep. If they've reached the stage of development where they can roll over on their own, you’ll need to take two playpens--if not, they can bunk together in one playpen. Some hotels will provide cribs in the room per request--but you don’t know the condition of those cribs, and using them is not worth the risk to your twins’ safety.

When you’re making hotel reservations request a room with a refrigerator so you can keep infant formula properly stored. If you’re using powdered formula, having a room with a refrigerator is not absolutely necessary as you can mix it as needed. If you want to avoid a double dose of diarrhea, never use water from the hotel faucet to mix your twins’ formula. 

Babies are messy. They spit-up on everything, and have leaky poops at the most inopportune moments. The number of dirty bibs, t-shirts, burp-cloths, and blankets will add up fast. So check with the hotel to see if it has a laundry room on the premises.

Pack a diaper bag that will be immediately accessible throughout the duration of your road trip. The baby bag should contain everything you’ll need to care for your twins while you’re on the road--diapers, wipes, changes of clothes, pre-made bottles, and baby food. The amount of these items you pack will depend on how long it will take you to reach your desired destination.

It will be impossible to carry out daily tourist functions with two infants if you don’t have a double stroller. If you forget the stroller, you’ll have to cough up between $150 and $300 to buy a new one when you reach your destination.

The vehicle you drive should be roomy enough to accommodate everything you’ll need for your road trip. Being stuffed in a car with suitcases on your lap, two screaming infants in the backseat, and no room to maneuver is a nightmare. I’ve learned through trial and error that vans are perfect for road trips with twins. If you don’t own a van, you can rent one from a local rental car company for a reasonable amount of money.

A van is large enough to accommodate your twins’ rear facing car seats and still leave plenty of legroom for you. There is enough room for the double stroller, playpens, luggage and anything else you’ll need to bring on your road trip. When you make pit-stops, you can remove your infants from their car seats, feed, and change them without stepping foot outside of the van.

With meticulous planning, and a little patience, you can achieve your goal of having a nice relaxing vacation by making your road trip with twins a success.