If you’re expecting twins (or more), you may be asking yourself if it’s even possible to nurse two babies. Well – It is. Harder? Perhaps so. Possible? Absolutely. Breastfeeding twins is something you can do.
I breastfed my own twin boys until the age of one and here is my take on the ups and downs I experienced throughout that year, as well as how I managed to do it.
Your Pediatrician will tell you that breastfed babies experience fewer respiratory infections, ear infections and bouts of constipation. Breastfeeding is linked to higher IQ scores. It’s thought to lower obesity, diabetes and certain cancers. I could probably write an entire post on all the benefits to mom and baby, but you can look that stuff up online elsewhere. You don’t need to hear it from me. The bottom line is its good stuff.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of Breastfeeding Twins
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THE GOOD
To reiterate what I said above, it CAN be done. Of course there are certain medical reasons some women are unable to breastfeed. Those things aside, you can do it.
This small fact in itself was enough to help get me started after the birth of my twins. Unfortunately, despite knowing that it was possible, the expressions on my Nurses faces told me it wasn’t necessarily the norm for twin Mama’s to actually find success with breastfeeding.
But I showed them, and now I have bragging rights for life.
Will I have enough milk?
If there’s a demand, your body will produce it.
If you are worried about it, don’t be. If you are really worried about it, pump. After you finish a nursing session, try to express some milk to build some extra stored milk. I unfortunately was not one of those women who gushes milk all over the place. I never had a freezer full of milk. I had just enough. But I did pump from time to time. I also didn’t get hung up about offering a bottle or two of formula. If you are stressing about it, offer a bottle, and pump. It is better to stay relaxed than to agonize over some formula. Your milk supply will thank you. A stress free mom is a milk full mom.
If you do become engorged with milk in the beginning, get that stuff bagged up. It is your ticket to freedom. Pat yourself on the back for being a milk goddess. Not all are so lucky. I wasn’t.
THE BAD
It sucks. Well, in the beginning at least. Think about how often a newborn eats.
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Every Two Hours
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Every Hour
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Every Twenty Minutes
The answer is all of the above are possible scenarios.
A newborn baby does exactly three things. They eat, they poop, and they sleep. Breast milk is more easily digested by the body, which is why a breastfed baby is more likely to want to eat more often. Depending on the personality of your newborn, they may also want to nurse for comfort. This isn’t typically a concern, except when you have another hungry baby waiting on the sidelines.
YOU WILL BE A FEEDING MACHINE
For the first two weeks it is almost essential that you have a support person with you. You are in pain from the birth, and there are two helpless babies to tend to. For me that person was my husband. During those early weeks we worked in an assembly line. A baby would wake and he would change them, and then place them on my lap to nurse. If the other woke while I was still busy with the first, he would change him and hold him until I was ready to switch.
Since I experienced latch on issues with one of the twins, I was a sweaty stressed out mess by the end of his nursing session, but would have to turn around and begin anew with his brother on the other side.
We all slept in the living room. My husband on the floor, I on the couch and the babies in a pack and play next to the sofa. In fact, I don’t believe I left the living room at all during those first two weeks, or maybe it was the first two months, except to use the bathroom on occasion.
One at a Time
In the beginning when you’re trying to learn how to breastfeed, it is awkward and uncomfortable, and latching one child, let alone two is a daunting task. That is why for myself, I nursed one at a time for the first 4 weeks. So the question is, where and what do you do with your second baby while you are nursing the first?
In an ideal world, one of your babies will either be asleep or have an easier disposition and will be willing to wait the fifteen or twenty minutes it takes for you to nurse their sibling. If not, bouncer seats will become your new best friend.
After my husband’s leave was over and he returned to work, I would position a seat in front of me on the floor, and lightly bounce one child in it with my foot while nursing the other. I would sing, make goofy faces or just carry on a one sided conversation with the bouncing twin, until it was time to switch. Most often the nursed baby would be asleep by the end of their nursing session and could be transitioned to the crib for the duration of the second baby’s turn.
Several times a day, I would attempt to latch them both on together. It took some time for the three of us to master it. There were a whole lot of frustrated tears. It wasn’t easy, but I didn’t give up. I knew that my key to success would be learning this skill. If I couldn’t, failure would be more likely. Nursing them individually equated to being held prisoner by my couch. If I ever wanted to sleep, I needed to learn to nurse them together. About a month in, we finally managed it, and it was a glorious day.
The Logistics of Nursing Two
Just as with breastfeeding one baby, with two it is critical to find a nursing pillow that you are comfortable with. For me that was the My Brest Friend Twin Nursing Pillow. I also heavily utilized Boppy Pillows, but only as a positioning device, not to nurse.
Sitting on the couch I’d place a boppy pillow on either side of me, and then the Twin Nursing Pillow on my lap. I would place each baby in a boppy pillow next to me and then pick one up, latch him in place on the same side as the child still sitting in their boppy, and then pick up the other to be latched on. It is done in this way so the first baby will not unlatch when you reach over to pick up the second baby. You are also able to keep them securely in place, and prevent them from rolling away from you. Once a child finished nursing I’d slide him back over into his boppy pillow, or bouncer seat, until the other was done.
Once the babies learned to roll, I’d transition the finished baby onto a waiting bouncer seat in front of me, and bounce them with my foot if needed until their brother finished up.
THE UGLY
Exactly That. You may want to hide all your mirrors for a while because sleep will only exist in fairy tales my friend.
- Round the clock feedings that only you can provide
- Sore nipples
- Pumping Sessions (if you experience latch on issues with a twin as I did)
It’s exhausting, difficult work. But rarely do things that are worthwhile or meaningful come easily. With that being said, I acknowledge that it isn’t for everyone. Despite their best efforts, many women experience obstacles that they are unable to overcome, and no woman should ever feel guilt if in the end it doesn’t end up being right for you.
You are Doing Your Very Best
My goal here is to share my own experiences and help those who may not have expected breastfeeding to be a challenge. Oftentimes we are led to believe that if it doesn’t come naturally, we are failing in some way. Hopefully, it will be a snap for you, in which case you are supremely fortunate, but most likely not reading this. I myself experienced struggles.
By sticking out the early weeks, I was rewarded with so many beautiful moments as the months went by. With their faces pressed close together in the night, my boys would both fall asleep on the nursing pillow holding hands. The closeness I experienced with my babies was something indescribable.
If you are just beginning your breastfeeding journey, keep up the good fight, because the rewards will come in time, and you will be so grateful you stuck it out. Remember, even a few days of breastfeeding is beneficial to your babies, and all each of us can do is our very best. I hope I have inspired you to reach for yours.
