How to Feed Twins
Gather essential breastfeeding supplies., Gather optional supplies if you want., Start by feeding one at a time., Latch the babies properly., Try different nursing positions., Know when the babies are full., Burp them after each feeding., Keep track...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather essential breastfeeding supplies.
Before your twins arrive, it is necessary to gather the things you need in order to prevent stress and chaos.
When newborns are hungry, they tend to cry, and if you don’t have the proper supplies, you can get upset and stressed.
While breastfeeding really only requires the breast itself, many supplies make the process easier, especially with twins.
Gather burp cloths, which help catch and clean up spit up.
Prepare snacks and a water bottle to help you stay hydrated and well fed.
You may feel very thirsty and hungry after each feeding.
Get a comfortable chair or spot on the couch reserved for nursing.
Plush gliding rockers are nice, as are recliners and plush easy chairs. -
Step 2: Gather optional supplies if you want.
You may benefit from a breast pump, a piece of equipment that the Affordable Care Act requires to be furnished free of cost by most insurance companies.You may also need bottles, nipples, a nursing pillow, and nursing clothing to make yourself more comfortable.
Pumping helps prevent engorgement when your milk first comes in, and allows you to be away from the baby if you need to.
Purchase nipples with a variety of flows to grow with your baby for feeding bottled breast milk.
You will also find a nursing pillow designed for twins to be one of the best supports for breastfeeding.
These pillows are extremely dense so that you can sit comfortably with a twin on each side.
You can find clothing that helps with nursing, like nursing tank tops and nursing pads, which help you access the breast without having to remove your clothes and prevent you from getting covered in breastmilk. , Starting off breastfeeding by feeding each baby individually allows you to focus on the needs of each baby.
For example, one twin may have trouble latching while the other does not.
Individual feedings at this crucial stage help you work out any problems so that you can successfully breastfeed long term.You can transition to simultaneous feedings once each baby seems to be latching properly, if you want.
Some mothers like simultaneous feedings because it saves time, but some babies might prefer to be fed individually.
You should alternate which baby you feed first, if possible.
Especially early on, the milk at the beginning is really nutrient dense, so you want to make sure that each baby gets enough nutrients.
It's also a good idea to alternate which breast you feed with first. , Start by getting into position.
Get in your comfortable chair and place a pillow under the breast you want to feed on first.
Hold the baby comfortably across your arm, with their head in your hand under the breast you are feeding on and feet toward the crook of your arm.
Make sure you aim your nipple toward the baby's upper lip to get them to open wide.
Then when the nipple is in their mouth, make sure the top and bottom lips are flared out like a fish.Watch the jaw line for movement.
This indicates sucking.
Also listen for swallowing sounds. , You might try tandem nursing (feeding at the same time ) positions like double clutch, double football, cradle clutch, and double cradle hold.If you don't want to nurse at the same time, you can use these same positions for a single baby.
For example, double clutch or double football means that you position each baby under an arm, like a football player does with a ball as he is running.
Place each so that their faces are at your breast and their legs are toward the back of the chair.
Secure their bottoms with your elbows.
A nursing pillow for twins is helpful for this. , Allow the babies to suckle until they are full.
Signs of fullness include relaxed hands, falling asleep, hiccups, being calm, a relaxed body, and unlatching on their own., After each feeding, or between sides if you decide to feed one baby on both breasts in one sitting, you should burp each baby to minimize gas.
Set one baby down safely, then cover one shoulder with a burp cloth and hold the other baby against this shoulder so that their face is peeking over.
Gently bounce your body and pat their back until you hear a burp or they spit up.
Repeat with the other baby.
If you don't burp between sides or directly after a feeding, some babies will spit up more than usual. , You may want to get an app or make a feeding chart to be posted in your home so that you remember when each baby ate last and which breast they need to be on.
The frequency of feedings decreases over time, but at first you should be nursing every two to three hours. , Even if you aren’t feeding the twins simultaneously, you can at least get them to eat within the same hour.
This way, you aren’t feeding them 24 hours a day and you can get some rest.
One way to do this is to watch for hunger cues in one baby and offer the breast to other even if they aren’t showing signs of hunger. -
Step 3: Start by feeding one at a time.
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Step 4: Latch the babies properly.
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Step 5: Try different nursing positions.
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Step 6: Know when the babies are full.
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Step 7: Burp them after each feeding.
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Step 8: Keep track of feedings.
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Step 9: Get the babies on the same nursing schedule.
Detailed Guide
Before your twins arrive, it is necessary to gather the things you need in order to prevent stress and chaos.
When newborns are hungry, they tend to cry, and if you don’t have the proper supplies, you can get upset and stressed.
While breastfeeding really only requires the breast itself, many supplies make the process easier, especially with twins.
Gather burp cloths, which help catch and clean up spit up.
Prepare snacks and a water bottle to help you stay hydrated and well fed.
You may feel very thirsty and hungry after each feeding.
Get a comfortable chair or spot on the couch reserved for nursing.
Plush gliding rockers are nice, as are recliners and plush easy chairs.
You may benefit from a breast pump, a piece of equipment that the Affordable Care Act requires to be furnished free of cost by most insurance companies.You may also need bottles, nipples, a nursing pillow, and nursing clothing to make yourself more comfortable.
Pumping helps prevent engorgement when your milk first comes in, and allows you to be away from the baby if you need to.
Purchase nipples with a variety of flows to grow with your baby for feeding bottled breast milk.
You will also find a nursing pillow designed for twins to be one of the best supports for breastfeeding.
These pillows are extremely dense so that you can sit comfortably with a twin on each side.
You can find clothing that helps with nursing, like nursing tank tops and nursing pads, which help you access the breast without having to remove your clothes and prevent you from getting covered in breastmilk. , Starting off breastfeeding by feeding each baby individually allows you to focus on the needs of each baby.
For example, one twin may have trouble latching while the other does not.
Individual feedings at this crucial stage help you work out any problems so that you can successfully breastfeed long term.You can transition to simultaneous feedings once each baby seems to be latching properly, if you want.
Some mothers like simultaneous feedings because it saves time, but some babies might prefer to be fed individually.
You should alternate which baby you feed first, if possible.
Especially early on, the milk at the beginning is really nutrient dense, so you want to make sure that each baby gets enough nutrients.
It's also a good idea to alternate which breast you feed with first. , Start by getting into position.
Get in your comfortable chair and place a pillow under the breast you want to feed on first.
Hold the baby comfortably across your arm, with their head in your hand under the breast you are feeding on and feet toward the crook of your arm.
Make sure you aim your nipple toward the baby's upper lip to get them to open wide.
Then when the nipple is in their mouth, make sure the top and bottom lips are flared out like a fish.Watch the jaw line for movement.
This indicates sucking.
Also listen for swallowing sounds. , You might try tandem nursing (feeding at the same time ) positions like double clutch, double football, cradle clutch, and double cradle hold.If you don't want to nurse at the same time, you can use these same positions for a single baby.
For example, double clutch or double football means that you position each baby under an arm, like a football player does with a ball as he is running.
Place each so that their faces are at your breast and their legs are toward the back of the chair.
Secure their bottoms with your elbows.
A nursing pillow for twins is helpful for this. , Allow the babies to suckle until they are full.
Signs of fullness include relaxed hands, falling asleep, hiccups, being calm, a relaxed body, and unlatching on their own., After each feeding, or between sides if you decide to feed one baby on both breasts in one sitting, you should burp each baby to minimize gas.
Set one baby down safely, then cover one shoulder with a burp cloth and hold the other baby against this shoulder so that their face is peeking over.
Gently bounce your body and pat their back until you hear a burp or they spit up.
Repeat with the other baby.
If you don't burp between sides or directly after a feeding, some babies will spit up more than usual. , You may want to get an app or make a feeding chart to be posted in your home so that you remember when each baby ate last and which breast they need to be on.
The frequency of feedings decreases over time, but at first you should be nursing every two to three hours. , Even if you aren’t feeding the twins simultaneously, you can at least get them to eat within the same hour.
This way, you aren’t feeding them 24 hours a day and you can get some rest.
One way to do this is to watch for hunger cues in one baby and offer the breast to other even if they aren’t showing signs of hunger.
About the Author
Rebecca White
Creates helpful guides on home improvement to inspire and educate readers.
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