Your
babies will have distinct feeding personalities. One is probably bigger than the
other, and one may want to nurse more often than the other. As the babies become
more adept at latching on it will be easier to nurse them at the same time, at
least for some feedings. (Feeding on both breasts at the same time will really
boost your prolactin levels.) At times, you may want to encourage the
less-demanding baby, or the one who is not very hungry yet, to nurse at the same
time as his sibling, especially at night so that you can get some rest. There
will be other times when you want to give each baby individual attention at the
breast.
Mothers
of twins need lots of pillows for everyone to be comfortable. A special nursing
pillow that fits around your lap is a big help when there are two babies and you
have only two hands. A nursing stool, or something else under your feet, will
help raise your lap to better contain the babies. Try these positions:
Double
clutch hold. Position the babies on pillows along each side or on a nursing
cushion on your lap. Their heads go at the breast, their bodies extend along
your sides, under your arms. Hold each baby in close to you with enough pressure
against the nape of the neck from your hands. This helps them stay latched on.
Use pillows behind your back and be sure to bring the babies up to the breast
rather than to hunch your shoulders forward.
Double
cradle hold. Each baby lies in the crook of your elbow on their sides so they
are facing toward the breast. Their bodies criss-cross in your lap. Use pillows
under your elbows for support.
Cradle
and clutch hold. Nurse one baby in cradle hold and the other in clutch hold. The
head of the baby in clutch hold lines up with the feet of the baby in cradle
hold.
Lying
down. Lying on your back, put two pillows under your head and shoulders. Cradle
a baby in each arm, with their bodies on top of yours, their knees meeting in
the center. You will need pillows at your sides to support your arms.
Mothers
of twins soon figure out a favorite position and a favorite place for
simultaneous feedings. This might be a big easy chair, or a big recliner with
wide armrests, or it might be a corner of the couch, where an older sibling can
sit by mom and read a story while the babies nurse.
While
the typical cue-(or demand-) feeding approach could be too tiring for mothers of
twins, the babies may not thrive on a rigid schedule. Somewhere in between is a
feeding routine that will work for your family, one that meets the needs of the
babies and lets the parents get enough rest. Bringing babies into bed with you
may be the only way to get enough sleep.
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