New Twin Mom Jamie Chung Didn't Want 'Tons of Baby Things,' but Now She Knows How Much She Needed Them

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Actress Jamie Chung has had her plate full for the past couple of years, co-starring in Dexter: New Blood and Lovecraft Country, continuing to voice Go Go in Big Hero 6: The Series, and breaking into a prison with Pierce Brosnan and Nick Cannon in The Misfits, to name a few projects. But nothing prepared her for how busy she is now, as the mom of twins.

"Honestly, I did not think it through; I did not know what I was getting myself into," Chung tells Parents of her baby boys, whom she and husband Bryan Greenberg welcomed last fall. "I had no idea how hard it was going to be."

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Do any of us really know until we're in it? Fortunately for Chung, her husband took charge of research to create their baby registry, even as she expressed doubts that they'd need "tons of baby things."

"I was like, 'Wait, but why do we need this?'" she says.

As they prepared for their babies during the pandemic, Chung said she was also reluctant to have any kind of baby shower because she wasn't pregnant with her twins.

"We went an unconventional route to become parents, and I don't know, I just didn't feel right throwing a shower," she says. "It felt weird to bring this attention to us, and we were trying to do things in a very private way."

But now that she's a parenting veteran of three months, Chung has a better handle of just how important certain baby products are, and how nice it is to have other parents around to give advice and lend a hand, especially with multiples. That's why she's one of the celebrity moms who have curated their own Babylist Cribs shoppable showrooms in Los Angeles. From now until January 30, expecting parents can make an appointment to visit the showroom, where they can test out products and see them in a home-like setting before adding them to their registry.

For those of us who can't make it to LA, we asked Chung to share some of the baby gear, nursery décor, and books she's found essential so far as a twin mom.

Twin Z Pillow

Despite the fact that this pillow conveniently props up two babies for bottle feeding, Chung says she initially took it off the registry after Greenberg had added it. "I was like, 'Oh, it's so ugly!'" she says. "I quickly realized, if there's only one parent there and we have to do a feeding for twins on the same schedule, we absolutely need it."

To buy: Twin Z Pillow, $99; buybuybaby.com.

Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced

"These babies are on formula, and when they're hungry, they are hungry," Chung says of why she relies on her Baby Brezza. "To have to heat up water for two separate bottles—that's just a huge pain in the butt."

To buy: Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced, $229.99; buybuybaby.com, babylist.com.

Oyoy Rainbow Rug

The décor in Chung's Babylist Crib isn't exactly what's in her Los Angeles home, but she says it may resemble the boys' room when the family moves back to their place in New York later this year.

To buy: Oyoy Rainbow Rug, $159; maisonette.com.

Keekaroo Peanut Changer

Chung says she was surprised by her boys' "accuracy" at urinating on whoever's changing their diapers, which is why she's happy she decided to get this easy-to-clean changing cushion. "I just had no idea that a changing station was so clutch," she says. Her babies are also no fans of the cold, so she likes that the Peanut's soft material keeps them more comfortable.

To buy: Keekaroo Peanut Changer, $129.99; buybuybaby.com, babylist.com.

Fridababy Soft Sink Baby Bath

"I was like, 'I think I can just get by, and I don't really need one of those,'" Chung says of sink inserts for bathing those slippery infants. She's glad she changed her mind. "They love being in that little seat, and they can move their little legs around."

To buy: Fridababy Soft Sink Baby Bath, $29.99-$39.99; walmart.com, babylist.com.

BabyBjorn Bouncer Balance Soft

"If I'm in the living room doing laundry, or if I'm in the office making a call, and the kids need to be nearby, they love hanging out in these seats," Chung says.

To buy: BabyBjorn Bouncer Balance Soft, $199.99; amazon.com, babylist.com.

Poppyseed Play Natural Pine Wood Gym

Wooden toys like this baby gym that's in Chung's Babylist showroom stimulate babies' minds. It's also so pretty, you won't feel like it's making your house cluttered with baby things, which Chung wanted to avoid in her home.

To buy: Poppyseed Play Natural Pine Wood Gym, $89.99; babylist.com.

Uppababy Vista V2 Stroller

The Uppababy Vista V2 becomes an easy-to-use double stroller with the purchase of an additional attachment. "Our favorite goes on top and the other one goes on the bottom," Chung jokes.

To buy: Uppababy Vista V2 Stroller, $1,099.99; buybuybaby.com, babylist.com.

Uppababy Bassinet

The Vista comes with one bassinet that's both suitable for infants to use in the stroller and safe for them to sleep in overnight. Twin parents can purchase a second and stagger them on the stroller. Chung says her boys are also sleeping in these bassinets at home right now, as they wait to get cribs for their place in New York.

To buy: Uppababy Bassinet, $199.99; buybuybaby.com, babylist.com.

Magnificent Baby Cotton Footies

"I was so ill-prepared, but luckily we had a lot of friend parents who guided us in the right direction, giving us books to read, sending us things that we didn't [know we needed] that we absolutely did," Chung says of her baby planning. Some friends introduced her to the very convenient invention of baby pajamas that use magnets instead of snaps. When you've got to get two babies out of dirty diapers, these are "game changers," she says.

To buy: Magnificent Baby Cotton Footies, $29.95; amazon.com.

'Twelve Hours' Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old,' by Suzy Giordano

Chung and Greenberg are reading this book as they do their best to keep their kids on a sleep schedule. It sounds like they're in the thick of the process right now: "It's a tricky thing where we're trying to wean them off of their night feeds," she says. It may be telling that the modern classic Go the F--- to Sleep is a staple in their bedtime reading rotation.

To buy: Twelve Hours' Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old, $19.49; amazon.com.

'My First Book of Korean Words,' by Kyubyong Park

Chung has her mother and a part-time nanny speaking Korean to her boys. She's also using baby books like this to enforce their bilingual upbringing.

To buy: My First Book of Korean Words, $10.39; amazon.com.

'An Adopted Unicorn, by Jennifer Y. Woodward

Chung's friend Jennifer Y. Woodward wrote this book, inspired by her own experience as a child adopted from Korea by American parents. Chung is looking forward to reading books like this to her boys when they're old enough to understand.

To buy: An Adopted Unicorn, $9.99; amazon.com.

Dadada Tribeca Six-Drawer Dresser

Chung chose this dresser for her Babylist Crib, and it resembles one in her home, too. This looks like a piece that will still be in use for years to come.

To buy: Dadada Tribeca Six-Drawer Dresser, $599.90; babylist.com.

Crate and Barrel Ikat Playhouse

This adorable tent is on display in Chung's Babylist Crib, though her boys are still a bit too young to enjoy one in real life just yet.

To buy: Crate and Barrel Ikat Playhouse, $149; crateandbarrel.com.

EcoBirdy Charlie Chair

The rounded edges of this child's chair, made from recycled plastic, make it extra safe to have around with tumbling toddlers. It's another piece of furniture future parents can see in person in Chung's Babylist Crib.

To buy: EcoBirdy Charlie Chair, $225; maisonette.com.

Big Hero 6 Baymax Plush

Chung says she already has a stash of <em>Big Hero 6</em> toys for her boys when they're ready. The characters from the movie and TV show will be just some of the Asian characters they'll get introduced to early on, including some their mom has played.

To buy: <em>Big Hero 6</em> Baymax Plush, $39.99; walmart.com.