How to Successfully Nurse Twins

Congratulations! You are expecting twins! You're probably overwhelmed with all the planning you have to do now - especially if these are your first babies. One of the decisions you'll be faced with is whether or not to breastfeed your little ones. You might already know all the benefits of breastfeeding, how it helps to boost their immune systems, provides just the right amount of nutrition for their growing bodies, not to mention how much money you will save from not buying all that formula! If you want to nurse your twins, but are nervous about nursing two babies, here's some information that can help make your breastfeeding experience a positive and successful one.

The first thing you need to know is that it is not as hard as it sounds. When my twins were born and people found out I was exclusively breastfeeding them, they acted as though I was a super mom. As good as their compliments made me feel, I felt as though I was hiding a secret because it really wasn't that much more difficult than nursing one baby. Not to say that it was easy - nursing in general can be a challenge- but if you can nurse one, nursing two doesn't take all that much more effort. So take heart, you can do it!

Second, you should try to find a good lactation consultant in your area who can help you out if there are any issues. When my son and I developed thrush, it went undiagnosed until I saw a good lactation consultant because my son didn't have the classic white patches and my nipples looked normal. I dealt with severe pain during nursing for months because I didn't know a good lactation consultant. Calling your local LaLeche League is a good place to start when trying to find a lactation consultant. Also, check with your hospital to see if they have any on staff - some offer lactation advice for free and some will even come to your home if you need help. Establishing a relationship before your babies are born will go a long way should you have any trouble once they have arrived.

Just as important as finding a lactation consultant is finding a pediatrician who supports breastfeeding. I was bitterly disappointed to find out that the pediatrician I had selected for my son knew very little about breastfeeding. When I brought my four-day-old baby in for a check on his jaundice, the doctor handed me several cans of formula and told me that if I stopped nursing my baby for two days and fed him formula instead, it would get rid of the jaundice. If I had followed his advice, even with pumping for those two days, I might have lost my milk supply altogether because pumping is usually not as effective at building up a milk supply as nursing. Thankfully, I was able to find another pediatrician right away who gave me much better advice, but that was hard to do with a newborn. Be sure to interview your pediatrician about their views on breastfeeding before you find yourself being told that you should just give up if trouble arises.

When your twins are born, you will need to experiment with different positions for nursing. A lactation consultant can help you with this. Most twin moms find it easier to nurse both babies at the same time (tandem nursing) to save on time, otherwise they find themselves nursing a baby every second of the day. Experiment with different holds: having one in a cradle hold with the other in a football hold, both in a football hold, propping the smaller twin up on the larger one so both can be in a cradle hold. It sounds like trying to nurse an octopus and sometimes it feels like it, but take heart, once you find what works for you and your twins, it gets so much easier! You might also find that you have babies who eat rather quickly and nursing one at a time won't be as time consuming as you thought - this is a great option, too.

There are a few items out there that can help make nursing twins easier. One is a good nursing pillow. While many nursing pillows are good for breastfeeding a singleton, you'll want something specifically designed for nursing twins. You can often find used twin nursing pillows by searching ebay or other auction sites. You might even find that a local multiples support group will have one they can offer you. I found my twin nursing pillow to be invaluable and the one thing I definitely cannot live without when nursing my daughters. It holds them at the correct height and helps them to stay latched on without me having to hold them so I am free to do other things like eat or read a book. In the early weeks, feedings can take up to an hour and having your hands freed during that time is helpful to say the least.

When you are nursing your babies for the first few weeks, having help around the house can make a big difference in your success. If you are stressed about cooking, cleaning or taking care of older children, it can affect your supply. So accept help when people offer it and if they don't offer to help, ask for help! It makes a big difference when you can just focus on taking care of your new babies and yourself.

If you ever want to get out without having to worry about nursing twins in public or if you actually want to go out without bringing your babies along, you'll want to purchase a good breast pump to build up a supply of frozen milk you can use for bottles. Talk with your local lactation consultant about what pump they would recommend. A dual electric pump will be the most efficient at collecting your liquid gold, but a manual pump can work, too, if you won't be needing many bottles. Remember that twins are sometimes born early and if they spend any time in the NICU, you will want to start pumping for them right away after they are born so that they can get all the benefits of the colostrum and to get your milk to come in.

Lastly, remember to have patience. Nursing twins, as with nursing one baby, can have its difficulties. The first few weeks are always the hardest, but after that it gets easier. Many mothers find that nursing gets easier around six weeks of age as the babies become more efficient at nursing and the amount of time they take to finish eating drops. If you can make it to twelve weeks, they become even faster and eventually feedings can take as little as five minutes. However, if for some reason, despite your best efforts, you find that trying to breastfeed is causing you a lot of stress, don't feel guilty if you decide to quit. The important thing is that your babies get fed - whether you feed them with a bottle or are successful at nursing. A happy, unstressed mommy is a mommy who can best meet the needs of her children.