how to breastfeed twins?

Just don't do it...

I know everybody will probably tell you to try etc. but it was the best decision I made.
I made the decision while I was still pregnant . I breastfed my first and loved it but with twins it s a completely different situation. It is going to be HARD just looking after 2 babies but I think breastfeeding twins is just too difficult a on you physically and mentally. You ll be exhausted and probably stressed because it won t work well, your babies will be unhappy because they will be hungry etc...

My first kid wasn't sleeping through the night until he turned 1.
My twins sleep 12 h every night since they were 3 months old.
The formula makes a BIG difference in getting a good routine you ll be able to feed them every 3 hours from the start then every 4 hours at around 3 months. Once you have a good food routine in place, the sleep will follow naturally in my opinion.
If you re baby isn't hungry when you put him to bed you won t get into bad habits of rocking, singing etc which will create really bad sleep asssociations in the long run.

People from la leche league i m waiting... be nice to me :-))))
 
People do still breastfeed twins - but it is an individual decision. I've never done it but the options are pretty much either a) use the football hold and feed both at once (although maybe that wouldn't work as well until they have the ability to latch on by themselves), or b) one at a time!!

I know personally, if I had twins, I would TOTALLY prefer to breastfeed - or at least try. If they fed as easily as my first daughter, it would still be easier to breastfeed twins than it would be to bother with formula. And if it wasn't too hard, you can always go to formula - but you can't start on formula and change your mind about that!!
 
I think if you are keen to try breastfeeding then do so, but make sure you seek help from a lactation consultant right from the start. My friend successfully breastfed twins - sometimes she used football hold for both at once but when they got a bit bigger and onto their own schedules she did one at a time. She did use formula for some feeds to have a bit of a break, because it was hard work and very tiring especially in the start. Good luck with whatever decision you make.
 
Good luck! I don't personally have any experience with twins but a good friend of mine pumped everything out for her twins. Her twins were small when they came out so they had trouble latching on. She had a lactation consultant help her from the start but it was a huge struggle so she just decided to pump. She was lucky that she didn't have any supply issues and never had to give her twins formula until she was ready to wean at 7 months.
 
I would just like to point at that all the answers are coming from people who don t have twins...

Good luck with your decision, it wasn't an easy one for me don t get me wrong
 
i dont have twins but i have two young children both under two and i wouldnt attempt it trying to breast feed my new born and trying to feed my son his food at the same time was impossible and very stressful for all of us we where all unhappy once i was in a better routine with the bottle i was able to manage my time better and work around the feeds for both of them, made it much much easier once i stopped.

I know its better for them but i also believe that a happy more relaxed mother is also better all around. No one wants a grumpy tired stressed out mother who has no energy to play and be fun around, so definitly worth weighing up the pros and cons you can always try it out and if it doesnt work then at least you have everyone opinions anyway. good luck

you might want to also think about if you do breast feed them both at the same time how you wil do this when your out and about just something to ask if you get professional advise, you dont want to stay home all day either.
 
My wife and I are expecting twin boys in Feb. She's decided to breast feed which I think is great. But both of us know that it's unrealistic to expect her to be constantly burdened with the responsibility for feeding both babies.
So, we got a pump. Most likely, our boys will be bottle-fed with breastmilk. If it doesn't work out, we'll fall back on formula...not a big deal.
 
Two important facts which affect your ability to breastfeed are:

How premature your twins are. All premature babies have a difficult start with breastfeeding. But if your babies are full-term or near full-term then everything, including the breastfeeding, is easier.

There is not much you can do about babies coming prematurely. But mothers with good nutrition are more likely to have full-term babies than mothers with poor nutrition ? so look after yourself and eat as healthily as you can.

The second thing is to learn as much about breastfeeding as you can before your babies arrives. The reasons that mothers of twins stop breastfeeding are the same as the reasons for mothers of single babies. Having said that feeding twins is harder than feeding a single baby but only marginally, especially if they are near full-term.

There is a great book about breastfeeding multiplies called, Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada, http://www.lllhk.org/Library/Books/MotheringMultiples.html

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
As a Maternity and Breastfeeding Consultant I have been lucky enough to teach over 25 twins mothers to simultaneously breastfeed their babies in the house and out and about. It is very possible to do and just takes patience and dedication at the beginning. The most important part is to have a lot of support from family, friends and help within the home. As has been said, each persons experience with breastfeeding is different and it is best to try and probably be successful than not to try and regret it!

If i can be of help in the future please do not hesitate to let me know and can I wish you all the best with such an exciting event!
 
i would contact the hong kong mums of multiples group. they are very active and supportive. many of them have breastfed their twins/triplets and will be able to give you advice and tips on products.

http://www.moms-hongkong.com/

congratulations and good luck on whatever your decision is.
 
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