Twins. Twice the joy – and twice the expense? Do you really need two of everything? What can you get by with having one of, and what do you need to double up on?

"For the first few months, most twins enjoy sharing a crib," says Linda Gulyn, mother of two sets of twin boys, Timothy and Daniel and Jonathan and Christopher, and assistant professor of psychology at Marymount University in Arlington, Va. "After about three months they need their own bed. Otherwise they will disturb each other's sleep."

"There is nothing wrong with having twins share a crib for the first few months," says Dr. John Dorsey, a pediatrician at Beaumont Hospital in Detroit, Mich. "There is no danger of having the two together; the same rules apply for any newborn crib. No loose clothing or blankets or other items that might cause suffocation. The biggest issue will arise when one is sleeping through the night and the other isn't. Girls will start sleeping through the night between 6 and 8 weeks, while boys often take 12 weeks before doing so. Twins of the same sex will generally have the same sleep pattern. However, if you have one boy and one girl, the little boy may disturb his sister's sleep after the first few weeks."

David Parmet's twins, Sara and Lucy, share a room but each have their own crib. "Lucy started sleeping through the night right off the bat, but Sara took a bit longer, so we had to separate them to keep Sara from waking Lucy up," says the proud Stamford, Conn., father. "We already had most of the items we needed from when our son was born, so we only had to buy an extra crib, Diaper Genie, etc."

"Since most families with multiples need to watch their budgets a little more, and may be crowded for space, save your money for the essentials like sleepers, diapers, wipes, bottles, formula and such," says Gulyn. "You really need two car seats, highchairs and a double stroller. But one bathtub, one changing table and one swing will usually be enough."

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