Breastfeeding twins

Breastfeeding twins is often successful for anyone who wants to do it, but it may be wise to plan in advance for some extra support in the early days. Learning to breastfeed takes time, and learning to breastfeed two children is even more time-consuming. You also need to remember to make time for yourself – rest and recovery are important. Having a supportive partner, or a close friend or relative, who can take some of the pressure off is particularly helpful. Also remember that breastfeeding, no matter how many mouths you have to feed, is rarely a bed of roses in the beginning, and it takes some practice to get off to a good start with breastfeeding.

How do you breastfeed twins?

A good way to get started with breastfeeding twins is to start breastfeeding your babies one at a time. That way you’ll get to know both of them – how they latch on to the breast and how they eat, because even though your babies may look the same, they have their own personalities and may have different needs when it comes to food. Some babies eat a lot at once and others eat less but more often. It’s a good idea to have someone else look after the baby who is not currently being breastfed, as it can be quite stressful trying to breastfeed one baby while hearing the other one crying. If that sort of help isn’t available, it becomes a mental exercise in accepting that one baby might feel unhappy for a while, and trying to let go of the stress and potential guilt that your body is programmed to produce. You’re doing the best you can and it’s just not possible to clone yourself – even if you would like to sometimes.

Advantages of tandem breastfeeding

Once you’ve got to grips with breastfeeding and how each baby eats, you may want to try tandem breastfeeding, which means breastfeeding both babies at the same time. There are multiple advantages to tandem breastfeeding, but above all, you are less tied up and don’t have to worry about an angry baby next door who also wants to breastfeed (which can become more and more pronounced as babies get older and more aware). Another big plus is if you can tandem breastfeed at night as well – this will give you a little more continuous sleep, which is incredibly valuable.

Tips for tandem breastfeeding

Feeding two small mouths at the same time needs twice as much concentration – so here are our top tips for breastfeeding twins at the same time:

• Place one baby on the breast at a time and make sure they are in the correct position, then move on to the next baby. This is because if babies breastfeed in the wrong position, the risk of getting sore nipples and breast engorgement increases.
• Start with the baby that latches on easiest, or the baby who sucks most effectively. This is because if one twin sucks harder than the other, it tends to cause milk to flow into both breasts, making it easier for the weaker sucker to get milk.
• You should also try switching sides from time to time as there may be a slightly different milk flow in each breast.
• See each breastfeeding session as a learning opportunity. Tandem breastfeeding is a bit tricky at first, but usually becomes much easier as the children get bigger and stronger and know what they are doing, so try to keep that in mind in the difficult times.

Which position is best for breastfeeding twins?

Finding a comfortable position is important when breastfeeding, as being all tensed up is no fun for anyone involved – so think nice and cosy! The most common way of breastfeeding twins is the underarm or rugby ball position, where the babies lie on either side of the breasts, on separate pillows. But it is also possible to have your babies in front of your body, in a kind of wrap-around position, known as the ‘laid-back’ position, which means that you are reclined with both babies resting on your stomach and upper body. It may be a good idea to ask for help from a healthcare professional to try different breastfeeding positions.

Is there enough breast milk for two babies?

You can certainly produce enough milk for two babies – there’s no need to worry about that. Breastfeeding is all about supply and demand, so the more babies feed, the higher the milk production. Two babies feed twice as much as one, so the mother will also produce twice as much breast milk. Cool, right?

Partially breastfeeding twins

Breastfeeding takes time and effort, especially in the beginning. If it is too difficult for whatever reason, it is often possible, if you wish, to breastfeed partially while also giving formula or bottled breast milk. This means the babies will be breastfed for some meals and bottle-fed for others, and our top tip is to get someone else to do the nighttime feeds if you can. You can also breastfeed one child and bottle-feed the other and switch the next time so that each child gets to breastfeed every other time. It’s worth noting that bottle feeding and breastfeeding usually involve slightly different sucking techniques, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on babies who are partially breastfed to make sure they don’t get lazy with their latch, as this increases the risk of various complications. Try looking for the special bottles available, where the teat is made to mimic the nipple as much as possible. They are designed so that the baby can get a natural, wide latch on the teat and maintain the same sucking technique for both breast and bottle.

Partner support when breastfeeding twins

Being a new parent generally involves a lot of stress, and being a parent of two little ones doesn’t exactly reduce the mental load. But feeling stressed and trying to breastfeed is not a good combination as stress can slow the release of the milk. So, if you are parents of twins, you need even more help, and if you are a single parent with two little ones, you may need some extra support from your friends and family. This may mean that the person who isn’t breastfeeding provides food and water, gets up in the middle of the night to give a bottle (if that’s what you want), and is there to look after the baby when he or she isn’t breastfeeding. In some countries, parents of twins get extra parental leave, so check to see what applies where you live. And don’t forget that healthcare professionals are there to support you – and that many countries have breastfeeding helplines or charities who can offer support.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.