Breastfeeding Twins

Breastfeeding twins can be a challenging experience. In fact, choosing to breastfeed is the best possible nutrition for their immune system to help protect them. Additionally, you can also spend this wonderful time bonding with them in a special way. If your twins are born prematurely, you may need extra help with coordinating the sucking, swallowing and breathing required to breastfeed successfully. If the baby is not ready to breastfeed yet, you can supplement with a bottle until the baby or babies become stronger and you can put your breast milk inside.Premature babies have a tendency to get tired out when breastfeeding so, watch and make sure that this is not happening. Once the babies are stronger and your milk supply is well established, breastfeeding will be more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone. Many moms begin their feedings sessions at the breast and then offer a bottle. You can switch the order to help your babies relax and get more comfortable at the breast because they have had a bottle and feel a little full. Finger feeding is also a great option. I teach many of my moms how to finger feed.The baby mimics the sucking at the breast when they finger feed. Also, massaging the breast while the baby is sucking can help increase the milk flow for the baby. At first, you can feed each baby separately so you can focus on each one's needs, then you can try to feed them together. There are a number of breastfeeding positions that a mother of twins can choose. A mother of twins soon realizes that she has a favorite position to feed her babies. She also has a favorite place to feed her baby whether it is a big chair, sofa or in her bed. Extra pillows can also be added for comfort. You can use various positions such as the double clutch hold, double cradle hold, cradle and clutch hold or the lying down hold to breastfeed your twins. For the double clutch hold, the baby's head go to your breasts while their bodies go along your sides, under your arms. For the double cradle hold, each baby lies in your elbow on the sides facing your breasts.Their bodies criss-cross in your lap. For the lying down position, you need to cradle a bay in each arm. It is important for the mother to eat healthy, a balanced diet, not eating for 2 to 3 but making sure you eat the daily nutritional requirements as decided by your doctor. This way you will have strength to breastfeed. With twins, often one is a stronger sucker then the other. So, alternating each baby, so they can have a chance to breastfeed at different feedings the other breast is a good idea. This way each baby will get enough of the foremilk and hindmilk. Foremilk is the breastmilk that comes out first and provides fluid for the baby while the hindmilk provides higher fat content and is more filling. In conclusion, try to find a feeding routine that will work for you and your twins. Not only do you have to meet the needs of your twins, you need to take care of yourself too. So, try to be patient and enjoy being the mother of your beautiful twins. Breastfeeding twins requires dealing with two different babies so remember that you will need to learn and practice breastfeeding them as an individual little human being.You may have to respond to your babies differently and to their needs differently and learn to position them in correctly order to have a successful breastfeeding experience.