Becoming the mother of multiples comes with its own unique joys and challenges–and the very first one you may face is breastfeeding. While nursing your newborns can be a wonderfully rewarding experience, it can also be difficult when there is not one but two (or more!) hungry babies to feed. Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you along the way.— And if the going gets rough, remember you can always seek help in expert lactation consultants (like the ones mentioned below) and find tips on twiniversity.com, where we have hundreds of posts about breastfeeding twins in our forums.
Invest in a good pump. The hospital-grade pump you may be given in the hospital gives you a good start on the road to breastfeeding your twins, but moving to a pump like the Medela In Style or the electric double breast pump by Simplisse will work just as good at home. Being a mom of preemies and using a hospital-grade pump in the hospital for 31 days, I welcomed the ease and expert action from my Medela pump at home. (Note: if your twins spend even a day in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), your insurance will most likely cover the entire cost of your pump. Just ask the social worker in the NICU for a letter to include for reimbursement to your insurance company.)
Reach out for support. The Manhattan Twins Club hosts a monthly class exclusively for moms breastfeeding their twins. Led by the legendary twins breastfeeding expert, Kate Sharp, along with a fellow mother of twins with some expert advice of her own, this monthly session will provide you with education and inspiration along with a heavy dose of motivation. (Note: You can also have a lactation consultant come directly to your home for one-on-one support–Kate Sharp is a great choice, as is Sheri Bayles.)
Have patience. Considering that it could take up to five days for your milk to come in, and perhaps weeks of trial and error before getting everyone latched on right, having patience is key. Staying consistent and positive will help make your overall experience better. If you are having trouble, set mini goals for yourself. Don’t say “I plan on breast feeding for a year.” Say to yourself, “I’m going to breast feed for two weeks…a month…two months,” etc. Doing this will give you a sense of accomplishment and pride when you hit your goal and you can always extend it as you go.
Did I mention support? You need support not just from other humans, but in the form of a good double breastfeeding pillow. My Breast Friend has perfected the twins nursing pillow and it is the one most commonly used by Twiniversity Moms. These pillows are specifically designed with you and your twins in mind. This is one of those hot items that make the rounds on the Manhattan Twins Club classifieds section as well. It’s perfectly acceptable to buy this used since you can always buy yourself a new pillow cover.
Get an extra pair of hands to help. Since Mother Nature only gave us two arms, in the beginning, having another pair of hands from a spouse, partner, parent, or baby nurse can make your overall breastfeeding experience much easier. Getting yourself in position and then getting your twins handed to you is a lifesaver–especially if you are sore after a c-section, when moving around too much can cause discomfort. Plus, think about this: if someone is with you in the middle of the night bringing you your babies, all you need to do is feed ‘em and roll back over and go right back to bed. Ahhh, the life of a queen!
