7 Simple Tips For Breastfeeding Your Twins

Breastfeeding your newborn child is a great thing. It not only helps provide your child with the basic immunity and proper nutrients that is required for full development and growth, but also helps you to bond with your little bundle of joy. It is a natural process and the safest diet that a newborn can have.

The challenge is when you have twin babies. How to feed twin babies?

[ Read: Advantages Of Breastfeeding ]

Benefits Of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the process where you feed your child with the milk that is produced in your body after you give birth. Let us first take a look at why it is favorable to breastfeed than to feed your babies using infant formula.

• Breast milk is known to contain the perfect balance of all the nutrients that your child needs.

• Breast milk boosts the immune system of your child because of the antibodies that it contains. It strengthens your baby’s health.

• In cases where a baby is born prematurely, breast milk is the best food option.

• Breast milk is easier to digest for infants than any synthetic formula.

• Breastfeeding helps you lose some of your ‘baby weight’ as well.

• Breastfeeding increases your interaction with your baby and therefore, forges a strong bond.

Let us now talk about how you can breastfeed your twins properly.

7 Simple Tips For Breastfeeding Twins

It can be quite an exhausting task to breastfeed your two babies, maybe even daunting initially. However, with time you can get used to it.

1. Start by figuring out your babies’ feeding pattern.

2. Feed each one at a time. So that you can keep a record of the duration of time that each baby takes for feeding and how often they need to be breastfed.

3. Once you get an idea of their feeding patterns, you can easily decide on whether you want to feed them separately or together.

4. Feeding your babies separately can result in investing a little extra time.

5. Alternatively, you can save on some time by feeding both of them together.

6. Take help of your partner or near ones, while starting off with feeding your babies. Experience counts in making things easier for you!

7. You could also use a good breast pump to pump out your milk and feed your babies with a feeding tube or a feeding bottle. This way you can feed them anytime and anywhere.

[ Read: Foods To Avoid While Breastfeeding ]

Tips For The Mom!

Breastfeeding your twins can tire you out. Be careful to rest adequately and take breaks from feeding them if you are feeding them separately.

• Your breasts usually fill up with milk as soon as they are empty. So, you need not worry about the milk supply falling short.

• You may, however need to use a breast pump in the initial weeks of feeding to increase the supply.

A word of caution:

Using a breast pump may be quite an alluring option but the mechanical sucking of the milk can lead to your nipples getting sore, making it difficult to breastfeed your babies later.

How To Hold Your Babies While Feeding?

The best position makes all the difference in making things easier for you. Here are some different ways you can hold your two babies while feeding them. These positions offer mothers to have comfortable and effective nursing experience.

1. Football Hold:

• It is the most typical and easiest way to start breastfeeding your twins.

• Here you will be supporting their heads in a better way with your hands while guiding them towards the nipple.

• In this position, you will place each baby’s feet near your elbow and rib region, and their head lies near your breast.

• Your babies will be comfortable positioning on their sides.

• This position can be difficult when your babies grow a little bigger as their feet will be interfering with the back of what you are sitting on.

2. Cradle Hold:

• It is a typical feeding position where your baby lies on your arm with her head near your breast and her body and legs in your hands.

• When you use this position for nursing twins, they will end up with arms or feet over one another. It will be comforting to both of them as they feel the closeness of one another.

• It can be a difficult position when babies grow bigger as they will be distracted from feeding.

3. Stacked Position:

• In this nursing position, one baby lies on top of another baby with their heads at opposite breasts.

• It works well when your babies are swaddled together. It comforts the twins by stimulated a comfort feeling of their bodies lying against each other.

• You will find that one baby does better at the bottom while the other at the top.

4. Criss-Cross Position:

• You will sit in a slightly reclined position cradling each baby.

• One baby will lie diagonally to your body with her feet near your hip while another baby assumes the same position on the other breast and hip.

• The second twin wraps over the first twin’s body.

• It is the best feeding position as your babies grow bigger.

5. Football And Cradle Hold (Cradle Clutch Combination):

• Feeding one baby in a cradle position and another one in a football hold is another great option.

• You can try these positions when your babies grow older and when they possess good neck control.

6. Reclined Sitting Position With Babies Upright:

• You will sit in a reclined posture with your twins lying towards your front in an upright manner.

• You can cradle them in your arms, and as you are reclined, the gravity will keep them in place.

• It is again a comfortable position when your babies grow older since they possess better neck control.

[ Read: How Many Times To Feed A Newborn ]

It will take some time to get used to feeding your twins easily. Ask for help with managing the feeding cycles. Once you get used to it, it shall become a pleasant experience!

We hope this article on tips on breastfeeding twins. Tell us your opinions and suggestions at.

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