How To Burp Twins
Twin life seems like it shouldn’t be too different than singleton life. You just do everything twice, right? Or not…
Experienced twin parents can tell you that little things about twin life can give you pause. Like how exactly do you hold two babies at once? How do you breastfeed two babies at once?
And how do you burp two babies at once?
Yeah, it’s a question that you don’t really think about right away. (Which is understandable. Figuring out what twin gear you need and how in the world you are going to give birth to the twins are big questions.)
But sooner or later, this question will come up. So this post is all about this one tiny topic: How to burp twins.
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How To Burp Twins
Confession: Burping babies is one of the most annoying parts of parenting to me. I know, it is such a little thing, but I find it so frustrating! Why can’t babies just burp?
But having twins meant I had to figure it out and do it right. I did not want two babies with gas pains, so I took the time to try all the different configurations to figure out what worked best for us.
I’ve done the research, and here are the results.
Burp Your Twins One at a Time
This seems like an obvious one, but I am going to mention it anyway. Just burp your twins one at a time.
This is really the only option if you are feeding your twins one at a time. Feed one twin, burp, then feed and burp the second twin.
But you can do this if your twins eat at different paces too. If one twin finishes first, go ahead and burp them right away. Then when the second twin is done you can burp her as well.
This option can also work just be staggering mid-meal burps.
And, my favorite, this is the best option when you have help. Let someone else burp one of the twins. It’s a great way to share post-feeding snuggles and enjoy a few moments of one on one time.
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Burp Your Twins on the Boppies You Feed Them On
A common way to bottle feed twins is to have them laying in boppies so you can use your hands to hold the bottles for them. This is perfect, you can burp on boppies too!
When your babies are done eating, simply turn them on their bellies over the boppy like you would for tummy time. Then you can burp them both at the same time.
The drawback to this is you usually need two hands to flip your babies, so if one baby is ready to burp before the other you might have to pause the feeding. But you can work with that.
Burp Both Twins On our Twin Nursing Pillow
If both your twins are ready to burp at the same time, you can use your nursing pillow to burp them by yourself.
Place your nursing pillow on the floor. Put both babies belly down on the pillow with their arms and faces over the side like you would do with tummy time. This way you have both hands free to burp both twins at the same time.
I will note this one is a bit more challenging with the My Brest Friend twin nursing pillow. It is stiffer and has higher sides, making it a little harder to get your twins in the right position. But not impossible.
(Unsure of which twin nursing pillow is best? Here are the pros and cons to help you decide: Which Twin Breastfeeding Pillow Do You Need?)
Burp One Twin Over Each Knee
If you are done nursing your twins you can take your nursing pillow off and burp both twins on your lap.
Place one on their stomach over your knee, head pointing towards the middle of your legs. Do the same with the other twin on the other knee. Now you can burp.
This method works well if you are on the floor (no fear of your twins falling) or sitting far back on a couch or chair. Keeping both babies facing towards each other prevents them from kicking each other. You might want to roll a burp cloth between their heads so they don’t bonk into each other though.
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Burp Both Twins On Your Shoulders
I think the usual way people think of when they think burping is the over the shoulder hold. And you can do that with twins too!
Once you have finished nursing, lift one twin up onto your right shoulder and the other twin onto your left. Lean back a bit and burp!
I think this method is actually pretty simple if you are breastfeeding. You can easily lift your twins off your nursing pillow and into position.
Pro tips for this method: Lean back a little bit to help hold your twins in position. And it is a good idea to place burp cloths behind you, especially if you are nursing on the couch or a comfy chair. You probably want one over each shoulder too. Spit up happens.
(Read more about what supplies you need to breastfeed twins, like burp cloths: Breastfeeding Twins Supplies)
Burp Both Twins Sideways on the Nursing Pillow
If you aren’t comfortable lifting two babies to your shoulders at once, you can still burp your twins right on the nursing pillow.
Just gently roll each baby so they are on their sides facing you. Gently pat them on their backs to burp.
It is best to have our twins facing you so if they move from the burping they just move closer to you and aren’t at risk for falling.
Once again, think burp cloths.
What Is The Best Way to Burp Breastfed Twins?
If you are breastfeeding your twins one at a time then it makes the most sense to burp them one at a time. You can do it right after you feed each twin. Or hand off the baby that is fed to your partner so they get bonding time and you can get to feeding the second baby.
If you are tandem feeding then I think the easiest ways to burp are the one you don’t have to get up to do. You can put one twin up to your shoulder and then the second, lean back a bit, burp, and enjoy the cuddles.
Alternately you can tip your twins on their side while they are on your nursing pillow. This works well if one twin finishes eating before the other.
(Have questions on breastfeeding twins? Here is the answer you need: The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding Twins)
What Is the Best Way to Burp Bottle Fed Twins?
If you are bottle-feeding your twins one at a time, or if you are bottle-feeding one while your partner bottle feeds the other, you can burp your twins right after you feed them.
If you are bottle feeding both twins at the same time, I recommend the burp on the boppy method for both twins. They are already lying on their boppies, so you just need to roll them over and burp them.
Again, as I can’t say it enough, put burp cloths down behind your twins before you start feeding them.
Burp Cloths
I know I sound like a broken record, but plan ahead and have your burp cloths ready before you start feeding your twins. The last thing you want to do if you have both babies eating is to stop them and go get a cloth if there is spit up.
Or you could have to just sit there with spit up on you until both your twins are done. (I speak from experience, it is not fun to marinate in baby puke.)
More than that having burp cloths in place means you are planning ahead when feeding your twins. And that is key for twin life in general.