Breastfeeding Twins

Using natural breastfeeding techniques makes sense for all babies, whether they are singles or twins. 

Mothers’ bodies amazingly adjust to the needs of having 2 babies by producing enough milk for each. 

This is the Supply and Demand Mechanism of Breastfeeding in action.

With twins, we recommend first teaching each baby how to latch and nurse individually in the Cradle Hold Position.

Then when both babies can latch and nurse effectively by themselves, work on nursing them together.

This timing will vary if the babies were born prematurely, which often happens with twins. 

But once baby can suck and swallow, teach them the Cradle Hold Position.

Then when they are latching and nursing well in this position, which usually only takes a few nursing sessions to learn, nurse them together in the Cradle Hold Position.

Twins are used to being together in the womb, so nursing with their bodies overlapping works well.

Sometimes twins are happy to nurse at the same time, and sometimes they are not. Yes, it helps to be able to feed them at the same time, but this may not always work. That's life with babies!

First teach each baby the Cradle Hold Position individually.

Then teach the babies to nurse together, both in the 

Cradle Hold Position. This works well because twins are used to being together in the womb.

Note that this twin mom is using whatever pillows work for her and her babies. She is not using a special breastfeeding pillow.

See how her chair has comfortable padded arms that help her to hold her babies. Mom can lean back in this chair to help get a deeper latch and for comfort.

It helps to set up a place, a 'nursing station', before the babies are born. Many moms set up one in the bedroom and one wherever her daily activities take place. 

Organizing and streamlining your home before babies come, will help.

There are many helpful resources for organizing your home for babies, but the main goal is to set up an environment that supports your nursing and your baby / child care needs. 

Think about how you will handle nursing, diapering, feeding yourself, doing laundry, meal prep, older children's needs, with babies that are awake and you are alone with them.

Naps happen, but by the time mom has a snack, goes to the bathroom and catches her breath, baby is often awake. It can be frustrating if you think that you will get the dishes done while baby naps and then the nap is too short to get to the dishes.

So, try to figure out ways to get some tasks done while babies are awake and you are alone with them.

For information on how to use the Cradle Hold Position, 

for setting up a nursing station, and how

to make sure babies are getting enough breastmilk while nursing, see 

'Breastfeeding Positions that Help / Cradle Hold Position'.

All the benefits of breastfeeding apply to both singles and twins.

To help moms avoid breastfeeding problems like sore nipples, low milk supply, sore wrists, arms and shoulders, and early weaning, it is 

critical that moms be taught natural breastfeeding techniques.

For a mother of twins, the risk of problems doubles when poor positions are used, or artificial nipples are given in the first 6 weeks.

I did a home visit for a family with newborn twins.

The father greeted me at the door.

He was totally exhausted.

The mother was even more exhausted and had many breastfeeding problems.

She had been taught to use the Cross Cradle Hold to nurse her babies.

One cannot simultaneously nurse 2 babies in the Cross Cradle Hold.

So, while the mom nursed one baby in the Cross Cradle Hold, and experienced problems, the other baby cried the whole time, in his Dad's loving arms. 

Dad would hold the crying, hungry baby, until his sister was done, then would switch babies.

This was their routine, 24 hours each day.

Both parents were exhausted. 

They were past the point of trying anything else.

Here were parents who had been committed to breastfeeding their babies.

They had spent 2 weeks trying everything the lactation consultant had taught them, they used the Cross Cradle Hold.

The mother had very sore nipples.

The babies were not gaining weight sufficiently.

The result: premature weaning of both babies.

My question: Why was the Cross Cradle Hold taught to a mother of twins?

Nursing babies together helps to meet the needs of both babies as quickly as possible.

Why teach a twin mom a hold that can only be done with one baby at a time? 

(Why teach the Cross Cradle Hold when it causes so many problems?)

Many lactation personnel teach moms to use the Football Hold for twins.

But the Football Hold also causes many problems. See:

Problems Caused by the Cross Cradle Hold, Football Hold.

With twins, the Football Hold will cause twice as many problems.

And babies in the Football Hold will quickly outgrow this position, soon kicking the back of the couch with their feet.

Moms, of singles and twins, should be given effective information that will help them to be able to nurse their babies, for free, without having to pay  lactation consultants and buy products.   

They should not be taught one position at birth and expect them to later change to the Cradle Hold Position. 

Moms often imprint with what they are taught at birth and can't change.

Very frequently, moms develop problems from using the Football Hold or

Cross Cradle Hold and end up pumping and bottle feeding instead of nursing naturally at the breast. 

They never get to the point of changing to an effective breastfeeding position.

Let's think about what it means for a mom to give up nursing and try to pump and bottle feed because 'nursing did not work out'.

(Of course this is the same for moms of single babies, I am just bringing it up again here for twins.)

With twins, for whom 'nursing did not work out', mom tries to pump enough to feed her 2 babies, for every feed.

Then she feeds them with bottles.

Washes bottles, nipples and pump parts.

Repeat, for how many feedings a day?

And who is caring for the babies while mom is pumping and cleaning the bottles, nipples and pump parts?

Versus, putting both babies to the breast in the comfortable Cradle Hold.

No washing of bottles, nipples or pump parts, no pumping.

I repeat, all moms should be taught natural breastfeeding techniques, not positions that cause problems, that hinder effective nursing.

To learn how to use the effective Cradle Hold Position see

Breastfeeding Positions that Help / Cradle Hold Position.