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11 Tips and Tricks for Breastfeeding Twins

Tips for Breastfeeding Twins.

When I found out I was pregnant for the second time I was thrilled but pretty relaxed about things.  I mean, we had done this baby thing once before.  Sure, things would be different with two kids.  It would be totally doable though.  

No big deal.  

Then I found out we were having twins.  Oh my, that sent me straight back into research mode like when I was pregnant with Ben.  This time it was all about two babies at once.

Tips and tricks for breastfeeding twins. Wondering how you are going to be able to nurse your twins? You can. Here are 11 tips to get you started from a mom who breastfed her twins for 15 months. Breastfeeding Twins | Nursing Twin Tips | Twin Newborn Tips #Breastfeeding #twins #newborn #baby #nursing Team-Cartwright.com

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You can find a lot of information about twins online, but one area I had a hard time finding information on was breastfeeding twins.  

I nursed Ben, and I knew I wanted to at least give nursing the girls a shot.  I found a lot of information saying nursing twins was possible.  I found a bit of information on how to hold the babies to nurse them.  But honestly, beyond that, I felt a bit lost.  It was very frustrating.  

Nothing beats having an actual person talk to you face to face about how to go about nursing twins.  I can’t do that for most people, but I thought I could at least toss some tips out there to hopefully help some ladies out.

Easy Tips for Breastfeeding Twins

These are the things that I learned right away while breastfeeding my twins. Some, fortunately, were tips I received. Others I had to figure out on my own. Before you get started with nursing your twins you need to read these.

1. Learn from someone who has actually breastfed twins.

I am blessed in that my wonderful sister in law also has twins.  She sadly lives nine hours away though.  She had a lot of great advice, but something that was super helpful was attending a ‘Surviving Multiples’ class my hospital offered.  We were the only people in the class, which was awesome because we got to really focus in on my questions.  

The woman who taught the class had a set of twins and a set of triplets.  She knew things.  She brought a nursing pillow and a couple of dolls with her to the class so I could practice a couple of holds.  With Ben, I didn’t take any nursing classes.  I read the books and thought we would figure it out together, which we did.  

But with two babies I wanted to have a better idea of what I would be facing before even starting.  That helped build my confidence.

Once my twins were here and nursing, it was so helpful to get advice from moms who had actually breastfed their twins. Yes, I know lactation consultants have been trained on this. And I know it isn’t that different from nursing a singleton.

But a twin mom will just get it.

2. Breastfeed your twins one at a time at first.

Yes, nursing them together saves time.  But nursing a sleepy newborn is tough.  I mean really, trying to keep such a tiny person awake can take your whole focus! Two at once is even harder.  Add to that you are recovering from birth, have hormones flying, and are exhausted.  

One at a time is a little more peaceful.  It also lets you focus in on just one sweet baby at a time, giving you both a chance to feel more bonded.  

There is also the practical aspect that a newborn baby can have a hard time holding herself on to the breast and keep sucking.  Focus on each baby individually so they can get a full feed and really learn what they are doing.

3. Breastfeed your twins at the same time.

What I mean by this is nurse one, then immediately nurse the other.  The one piece of advice I heard all the time after telling people about the girls was to get them on a schedule.  

I am all about having a reliable pattern to our days, so getting the girls on a schedule was a huge goal of mine.  Well, that can never happen if they are eating at all different times.  Eating at different times means sleeping at different times.  

Having one newborn is chaotic enough, I didn’t want to have to deal with two completely different schedules.  Luckily newborns are very sleepy, so the girls didn’t usually notice one was eating and one wasn’t.  Plus they got used to having a slight offset in their eating (about 15-30 minutes) which actually made nighttime feedings earlier.  

I couldn’t promise that one baby would want to eat just because her sister did, but I would at least offer. (Learn how to actually get both babies into position when you are alone here: The Logistics of Breastfeeding Twins On Your Own.)

4. Breastfeed frequently.

This is important to establish and keep up supply, especially in the early days.  I think it is even more important with twins.  

As I said it is hard to keep newborns awake to eat, which makes it hard for them to get a full feeding.  This leads to them being hungry again sooner, which leads to you doing nothing but feeding your baby all day.  And yes, I am saying to do that with two babies.  

But just as it is hard to keep a newborn awake to eat, it is even harder knowing that a second baby is waiting to eat too.  At least for me, it was tough mentally to know my baby was waiting to eat.  

If the girl I was nursing went to sleep and wouldn’t wake up, I would switch to the other girl, even if the first maybe should have had more.  I don’t mean that I let the girls go hungry or not eat enough, just that they didn’t eat enough to last three hours.  They would need to eat sooner than that.  (Three hours is the common length of time you hear to have between feedings.)  Knowing I had two to feed and not wanting to have hungry crying babies, I tried to stay ahead of the big hunger and fed them every two to two and half hours.  

Yes, you really do just feed babies all day.  For me, the mental part of that was hardest.  But settle in, line up some shows on the DVR, and try to enjoy all the couch time.  It feels like forever while you are at this stage, but it really is just a couple of weeks.


More Helpful Twin Information For You!

picture of sleeping baby twins with text overlay Baby Twin Tips What You Need To Know To Thrive In The First Year With Twins
The Ultimate Resource Guide to Breastfeeding Twins. This is a must read for twin moms and those pregnant with twins. Learn about how to keep up milk supply, the best nursing positions, how to tandem feed, the best breastfeeding supplies and nursing pillows. Even learn how to breastfeed twins all alone (or with a toddler around!) #BreastfeedingTwins #NursingTwins #MilkSupply #NursingPillow #TandemFeeding Team-Cartwright.com
picture of newborn twins with text: 2 Years of Sample Twin Schedules

5. When you feel ready, tandem breastfeed your twins.

It took me about a month to reach this point.  I’m sure it varies, but for my girls, at about a month old they could hold on and nurse properly without needing as much assistance.  They also stayed awake to eat without as much help needed from me.  

Nursing twins at the same time saves so much time.  Around this point, the girls started having some really longer nursing sessions, sometimes about an hour.  With both of them going at the same time I was only couch-bound for that hour at a time, not two.  

Plus nursing both at once means you are taking care of both at once.  This is helpful because most women at this point are starting to have the kids on their own.  No need to entertain one baby while one eats.  

Transitioning to nursing at the same time should be pretty easy timing wise.  My girls were already used to eating at the same time in that I would feed one then immediately the other.  I didn’t have to switch one up or try to come up with a new schedule to fit both, they were already there.

6. Get a nursing pillow!

I never liked nursing Ben with a nursing pillow.  This is kind of funny because we ended up with four boppies from nice friends and family.  They got used, but never for actual nursing.  I don’t know

 how I would nurse the girls without my pillow.  It is huge, it is cumbersome, but it is awesome.  I have the  My Brest Friend Twins Nursing Pillow.  

Yes, the name is terrible.  But it really is a great product.  I hook it around me like a belt and the girls can both lay on it in the football hold.  (Heads toward the middle, feet in my armpits.)  The pillow slants in a bit, so if the girls do wiggle or slide they slide into me.  Yay safety!  

I love it because I am kind of hands-free while nursing.  Yes, sometimes they need help for positioning, but I don’t have to actively hold them the whole time.  If you have older kids this is a must.  

I can help Ben with things.  He can bring me books to read.  I keep a water bottle nearby to refill his sippy.  I can read and play on my phone.  (I know that can be frowned upon, but really.  I nursed those girls literally for over 7 hours a day in the beginning, we bonded.)

It also means I can wipe up spit up and drool.  I can help one baby while the other eats away happily.  All in all my nursing pillow is one of my favorite twin products.  They are a little pricey, but so so worth it.

(Decide for yourself which twin pillow is best—> Twin Z vs My Brest Friend: Which Twin Nursing Pillow is Best?Twin Z vs My Brest Friend: Which Twin Nursing Pillow is Best?)


More Must Read Twin Tips

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7. Be prepared for breastfeeding to be hard.

Yes, nursing can always be hard, but you have two babies you are feeding with twins.  You are feeding on both sides every time.  

This means if one nipple starts to hurt you can’t give it a break, you have to power through.  

It means instead of two little hands grabbing and pinching you there are four.  

Nursing both babies at once is awesome, but it means if one spits up and the other is still eating you end up messy.  For the first four months of nursing, I would end up with spit up and milk all over me basically every day.  That is mentally hard.  

It isn’t fun to feel stuck in that newborn phase of wearing bodily fluids.  But with two babies nursing, it is hard to get a cloth in and catch spit up.  Then there are those times when babies can be fussy over nursing.  They may cry, latch and let go, pinch at you, etc.  And with twins that is double.  

It is so doable to nurse twins.  And honestly in the grand scheme of things I have it really easy with my girls, but in the moment it is still hard.

8. Know how you feel about having formula in the house.

We got the usual set of sample cans in the mail.  Some people do better at nursing by having no access to formula.  It means they don’t have a choice in how to feed their baby, they have to nurse.  That is great if that works for you.  

I prefer to have a can in the house.  I feel more at ease knowing that if for some reason nursing just does not work we can still feed our babies.  This allows me to relax and keep trying in the beginning.  Fortunately, it didn’t take too long to reach the point where nursing seems so much easier than mixing up formula.  

I still feel better knowing we have a backup plan.  Know yourself and plan accordingly.

9. Know how you feel about nursing in public.

I know women are allowed to breastfeed anywhere.  I think that is wonderful and how it should be.  Babies need to eat, and there is nothing indecent about a woman feeding her child.  

However, I personally am not overly comfortable with that.  I wasn’t very comfortable doing so with Ben without being covered, and that is just fine.  With twins, well, it is even harder to cover up.  Let’s just say everything is out there the whole time.  

Again, I think it is awesome if women want to nurse in public places and they should have every right to.  It just isn’t my cup of tea.  Because of that, I make sure to plan ahead to either nurse at home or somewhere else I can be private.  I aim to be home most of the time, the nursing pillow is kind of annoying to schlep around.  

Babies nurse a lot, especially in the newborn days.  It is important to know how you feel about nursing on the go so you can plan your days and let others know why you may not be out and about so much.

11 Tips and tricks for breastfeeding twins. Here is the best advice for how to start breastfeeding your twins. #breastfeeding #twins #nursing #baby #newborn #tips #hacks Team-Cartwright.com

10. Eat and drink!

This is even more important when you are feeding two babies.  I have never drunk so much water in my life as these past few months nursing the girls.  You are providing all the nutrients two human beings need.  

Take care of yourself so you can take care of your twins. (If you are looking for some foods thought to increase milk supply, check out this post from Birth Eat Love—> 11 Foods That Increase Milk Supply)

11. Set small goals.

I am hoping to make it to a year with nursing my twins.  I don’t want to set myself up to feel disappointed if we don’t make it that far though.  There are so many reasons why nursing might not work out, and having twins just adds to that list.  

I try to set small goals for myself.  At first, it was just to make it to a month.  Then three months.  Now I am aiming for six months.  

I know a lot of women beat themselves up if they don’t nurse as long as they think they ‘should.’  There is a ton of mom guilt as it is, there is no need to add to that.  

Nursing is hard, especially at the beginning.  It can be very daunting to think you are the sole source of food for not just one but two babies.  Having small goals makes it seem more doable and takes some pressure off.

Bonus tip!

A lot of people who have nursed want to know about the how of rotating the babies.  With one baby you generally feed on one side, switch, then start with the second breast next feeding.  With my twins, each girl gets one side per day.  They get their whole meal from that side.  

Yes, your body can make enough to do that.  If one girl didn’t want to eat much at one meal, she didn’t get stuck getting all foremilk all over again by switching breasts at each meal.  She could kind of pick up where she left off.  This method of feeding the girls ended up working really well!  

Just make note of who is on what side each day, it is surprisingly easy to forget!

Tips and tricks for breastfeeding twins. Wondering how you are going to be able to nurse your twins? You can. Here are 11 tips to get you started from a mom who breastfed her twins for 15 months. Breastfeeding Twins | Nursing Twin Tips | Twin Newborn Tips #Breastfeeding #twins #newborn #baby #nursing Team-Cartwright.com

These are my biggest tips for nursing twins.  

The beginning can be hard.  We are over five months into this thing now and I am happy to say we are in the time where the thought of bottle-feeding seems way harder than just nursing.  It is different than nursing just one.  You have to play referee between the girls sometimes, you have four little hands grabbing at you instead of two, and it is way messier than just nursing one.  (Stock up on burp cloths.)  

But it is also so amazing.  You get to hold and cuddle two sweet babies at the same time.  You get to save double the money.  I am happy I am providing for my girls the best that I can.

Having twins can bring up a lot of challenges, but nursing doesn’t have to be one of them.  If it is something you want to do, try!

-Kim

Tips for Nursing Twins

Tips for Breastfeeding Twins

Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour

Tips for the beginning stages of breastfeeding twins. The first few weeks and months can be tough. This advice comes from a twin mom in the trenches with you.

Instructions

  1. Learn from someone who has actually breastfed twins.
  2. Breastfeed your twins one at a time in the beginning.
  3. Breastfeed your twins one directly after the other to keep them on the same schedule.
  4. Breastfeed frequently (every 2 to 3 hours.)
  5. Once your twins have established good nursing habits, begin to tandem nurse.
  6. Use a nursing pillow to give stability and make tandem nursing easier.
  7. Be prepared for breastfeeding to be hard and have realistic expectations for yourself.
  8. Decide whether or not you want formula in the house just in case.
  9. Decide how you will go about nursing in public.
  10. Make sure to eat enough and drink plenty of water.
  11. Set small goals and focus on them.

Notes

For help with all your breastfeeding needs check out this resource: The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding Twins

picture of sleeping baby twins with text overlay Baby Twin Tips What You Need To Know To Thrive In The First Year With Twins

picture of twins sitting against a wall with text overlay: Toddler Twins Tips How to handle the unique challenges having twin toddlers can bring
The Ultimate Resource Guide to Breastfeeding Twins. This is a must read for twin moms and those pregnant with twins. Learn about how to keep up milk supply, the best nursing positions, how to tandem feed, the best breastfeeding supplies and nursing pillows. Even learn how to breastfeed twins all alone (or with a toddler around!) #BreastfeedingTwins #NursingTwins #MilkSupply #NursingPillow #TandemFeeding Team-Cartwright.com
Twin Sleep: Your guide for the first year. Everything you need to know about getting your twins to sleep. Twin beds, twin cribs, naps, nighttime sleep, safety. Help from a real twin mom. #twins #baby #naps #sleep #eatplaysleep #twinnap #twinsleep #twincribs #safesleep Team-Cartwright.com
Here are some more helpful posts:
11 tips and tricks for breastfeeding twins! Here the best tips from a real breastfeeding twin mom to help you on your nursing journey. #breastfeeding #breastfeedingtwins #nursing #nursingtwins #breastfeedingtips #breastfeedingtwinstips #feedingtwins #twintips #newborntwins Team-Cartwright.com

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Tips and Advice for Feeding Twins (BFBN Guest Post) — Christine Keys

Thursday 10th of August 2017

[…] Nursing Twins: Tips to Get Started […]

Kimberly Cartwright

Monday 18th of July 2016

Thank you for the tips on nursing without the pillow! That is so good to know for when I am without it. (It is giant to try to take places.) It is helpful to hear what else works. I know there is no one 'right way' to do this. I like the idea of nursing them separately before bed for some special time, that is a good way to help my worries I'm not getting enough one on one time with each of my girls.

Thank you for commenting! I love hearing from other twin moms that have nursed their babies. It is so encouraging!!

Chelley N

Monday 18th of July 2016

I have twin girls who are 17 months old, and I nursed them until just about a week after their first birthday. They were babies #3 and 4 for me - and I had also nursed my older two - but nursing twins was a whole different ball game for me! I love these tips!!! I too knew I wanted to nurse my twins but finding info about it was HARD. We just learned as we went and found what worked for us. I nursed them together from the day they were born ... When they got older, I did nurse them separately before bed for a little special bonding time, but other than that they nursed together! Also, I had a My Brest Friend double nursing pillow and hated it. We did better nursing in an armed chair with regular pillows on each side - football hold mostly. As they got older, one preferred nursing football hold and one preferred cradle hold, so we did that for the last several months they nursed. Anyhow, great post with helpful tips!

Kate Smith

Friday 15th of July 2016

As they got older, they got much faster at eating (except when they get distracted). I also have one who eats WAAAAAY faster than the other. So when I need them to behave when eating, I will feed them one at a time, feeding the quicker one first. They do fuss if they see me nursing the other one, so I usually try to be in a different room. My fast one usually takes 5 minutes if she is really focused and then I can let my slow one take her time, never more than 15 minutes.

When they first bit when eating, I was so shocked that I jumped and squealed (without really meaning to) and I scared them so much they both started crying. I think that cured them because we haven't really had any issues since then. One sometimes bites when she's bored, so I really try to help her focus on feeding and when there's less to distract her, she just relaxes, focuses on eating and pulls away when she's done.

Good luck!

Kimberly Cartwright

Thursday 14th of July 2016

I love hearing that you made it to a year nursing twins! That is so encouraging for me. So far things are going well, but I am curious to see what happens when the girls get more distracted as they get older. And what will happen if they hit a bite-y phase! Any tips for nursing older twins?

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