Tips for Breastfeeding Twins (or Single Babies)
I breastfeed the twins on the floor. I set the babies each in a Boppy pillow-we bought a second from a yard sale site just for this purpose. Then I sit down on the floor, strap on the Twin Deluxe nursing pillow and lift the babies onto the twin pillow. I can set them down in the Boppy pillows when a nursing session has ended with no risk of the babies falling. If I fed them sitting up on the couch, there would be a risk of falling.
If you do not have two Boppy pillows, use two bouncy seats, or one Boppy and one seat.Of course if you are feeding one baby, sitting wherever you are comfortable works fine. The nursing nest idea can still work for you, you just designate a spot that is always for you while feeding the baby. Keep your phone, a paper and pen, a good book, etc. nearby and it will always be ready for your next feeding session.
After gaining 50 pounds with the twins, I lost a lot, quickly, after they were born. Forty pounds came off in about 2 months! Breastfeeding is the best weight-loss program out there. Now I still weigh 10 pounds more than I did before getting pregnant, for a necessary reason-milk production.
If you start gaining weight due to too much snacking, then cut back a little, but ease into cutting back so your body knows it has calorie stores and calorie flow to support this high-calorie breastfeeding task.
4) I have to drink a lot of water
I have a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle. It gets filled up before almost every feeding. Try to have a bottle or glass of water with you at all times. Every time I sit down to breastfeed, I take at least 3 gulps of water and then again at the end of the feeding I do the same. (Of course drink whenever you feel thirsty.)
Through the night, I keep the water bottle next to my bed. Three gulps before and after a feeding…and more often if I feel thirsty.
If I have been nursing for a longer stretch-some nursing sessions last 30 minutes-and the twins start tugging at the breast like they want more, when I take some gulps of water, my milk has actually started to let down again. It is pretty amazing how the body works! Staying hydrated is so important.
5) When Baby acts like they need more
There are times when my babies act like they want more milk at the end of a nursing session. It is frustrating to hear a baby whine or feel them tug at the breast when they are not satisfied, but think about this in terms of how we adults feel at times:
Often when I am eating a really tasty meal, even when I eat every last bit, I feel like I want more. I may not need more, though. There is a delay between the stomache feeling full and the brain recognizing it. A pediatrician once told me, when I was concerned about how much my first child spat up after feedings, that breastmilk tastes good to babies. They sometimes keep drinking, or want to keep drinking, after they have had enough.
*Acting like they want more IS NOT always a sign that baby NEEDS more!
7) (For the twin moms) Feed both babies at the same time
Breastfeeding is skin-to-skin contact, it stimulates hormones that fight off post partum depression, and it is natural. I know that some moms do not have good experiences with breastfeeding. We are all different. This list is what has worked for me.I truly hope the ideas I shared can help you push through the challenges and reach breastfeeding success. Remember, if you do have to formula feed (and I did for a bit with baby #1), you are still caring for your child, and no one would tell you not to do that!
More Great Tips for Breastfeeding Twins here. To search for a lactation consultant in your area click here.
For more tips and resources about feeding babies, check out the list of blogs sharing in the Ultimate Guide to Baby’s First Year:
Ultimate Guide to Taking Care of Baby ~ Lemon Lime Adventures
Breast Feeding
Bottle Feeding
Tips for Unexpected Bottle Feeding of your Baby ~ Powerful Mothering
Starting Solids
Top 5 No-Cook Baby Food Recipes ~ True Aim Education
Baby-Led Weaning
Why I skipped purees ~ Dirt and Boogers
Enjoy your time at home!

Thanks for the tips! Just a bit curious about the keeping your babies satisfied tip..if they aren’t content and they haven’t gotten enough milk, how on earth do you take a break for 10-15 minutes from nursing if that’ what they’re yammering for?
I didn’t. I was basically nursing from 5pm until 10pm or later every night during my twins’ first 6 months of life. They cluster fed that whole time. It helped my body know to make more milk. If I had stopped feeding and the babies were not stimulating more production, my milk supply could have dwindled. It was a very hard time and a huge challenge to breastfeed twins. it requires a lot of patience that may not seem like it is available all the time.
Hello everyone, I’m a new mother and I am trying to get my four month little one to sleep longer during night. At the moment I am fortunate to have three hours rest per night. Thanks
The newborn stage is so hard due to sleep. I know how that goes. As your child grows and eats more solids they will sleep longer. I have twin 2 year olds who still wake up at night. Personality, metabolism and other factors play a part. You should join the Stay-at-Home Moms Share Together group on Facebook. I know other moms there will be able to share about their babies and sleep. Hang in there!
My first were triplets, and breast feeding them through the first four months was a constant activity! I'm currently expecting #4, a singleton, and look forward to putting some of these tips into action with just one baby. Thanks!
Katie, you are my idol! I am at my limit many days with the twins plus older 2. You are a champ for breastfeeding triplets as long as you did! How fun to have the singleton experience on the way-my doc always told me I did it wrong having the twins last! LOL! Enjoy your new baby when he/she arrives. Thanks for stopping by to share.
I am very happy to read your articles it’s very useful for me,
and I am completely satisfied with your website.
All comments and articles are very useful and very good.
Your blog is very attention-grabbing. I am loving all of the in.
turn you are sharing with each one!….
Wonderful advice. I wish I had been able to read this before I had my twins.
Thanks, Erin! I too wish I would have known many of these back when I had my first, but we just get to live and learn. I appreciate you sharing!