How to Breastfeed Twins at the Same Time: 4 Best Newborn Breastfeeding Positions

Question

how to breastfeed twins becomes relevant precisely with natural breastfeeding. Here we will talk about how to breastfeed twins.

Very often, the main problem when it comes to breastfeeding twins is precisely the timing - is it realistic to feed them at the same time or not? It is clear that the mother wants to at least somehow unload, and simultaneous feeding is both getting used to one regimen and saving some time. Therefore, all methods, different positions and devices are being studied, including a pillow for feeding twins.

How to breastfeed twins at the same time

So you're setting up

Are you breastfeeding twins and want to save a lot of time? In this case, you need to immediately build the same feeding regimen for both children. Therefore, even before their birth, start studying the question: is it realistic or not to breastfeed twins at the same time? Nowadays, numerous recommendations are appearing on the Internet on how to feed babies with breast milk at the same time. At the same time, they give advice on how to feed with and without a pillow. And everything is very beautifully painted, so it turns out that in theory this is quite possible. But the theory - How to feed twins at the same time and the practice of feeding - are different things. Let's watch an excellent educational and practical video.

I will say from my own experience: if you keep your babies exclusively on breast milk for the first three to four months, then the question of how to breastfeed twins at the same time will not be resolved in your favor. Of course, you can try feeding two at once. What if a miracle happens? Suddenly it will really be more convenient for you, and the kids will calmly adapt to this turn of events. And even buy a pillow for feeding twins for such a case.

But in reality, you will most likely be faced with a tired back, babies who are always slipping somewhere, and who are constantly losing their breasts. And as soon as you lose one, the second one immediately begins to worry. As a result, instead of breastfeeding twins at the same time, the result is complete torture for everyone, and the children do not eat properly.

Mixed feeding of twins or when breast milk is not enough for two babies

Mixed feeding of twins involves using formula along with breast milk. This is necessary if children do not have enough milk. Mixed feeding of twins is organized quite simply. A separate feeding should be allocated for taking the formula, and it is at this time that the children should be given only the formula. Naturally, you can feed children with formula at the same time, it will not be difficult.

A big mistake is made by those who decide to supplement with formula after the children have eaten mother's milk. This will not lead to anything good, since milk and formula have different compositions and will put a lot of stress on the child’s fragile intestines.

Breastfeeding twins in turns, pros and cons

At

When breastfeeding twins in turns, the process itself is much simpler: you can feed the baby both sitting and lying down. You can help him, if he loses a breast, adjust to his pace, and not to the pace of the second baby (and the pace is often different).

Cons of breastfeeding twins in turns

The only problem

Breastfeeding twins in turns is a big waste of time for feeding. In this case, your first months will quickly merge into one big “Groundhog Day”. One feeds, then a 5-minute break, then the second one feeds. Then the children sleep. You come to your senses and... everything is new again. Pick it up, wash it, wash it, feed it. It seems like there will never be an end to this.

I can rejoice that it will happen, and very soon. The children will gradually get stronger, and feeding itself will no longer take 40 minutes, as before, but much less. Additionally, after 3 to 4 months, you will most likely need additional formula, so that one feeding will occur at the same time. And at 6 months, complementary feeding will begin, and feeding twins at the same time will become the norm.

Pros of breastfeeding twins in turns

With alternate

When breastfeeding twins, in the first months you will have a unique opportunity to give each child maximum attention. And this, in turn, is very valuable, since the close connection developed in the first days will then last throughout life. Deciding how to alternate breastfeeding between twins is quite simple. When feeding, the mother calmly lies down on the sofa and feeds one child lying down - this is more convenient for both mother and baby. At this time, the second child is either sleeping next to him in a crib, or right there on the sofa, hugging his brother (sister). And then, when one has eaten and fallen asleep, communicate in the same way with the second baby, while the first one sleeps or lies nearby. You can, of course, feed your baby while sitting, whatever suits you.

In addition, let's take not only a physical, but also a psychological moment: twins are forced to share their space from the womb. There are initially two children, and mother’s attention, no matter how much someone pulls the blanket over themselves, extends to two kids at once. So why not use those few moments when you can be alone with ONE child, giving him all the joy of your motherhood. In such a situation, the question of how to feed twins with breast milk should be resolved unambiguously - one at a time.

Comfortable feeding positions

At first, the mother of twins will have to be applied frequently, so it is important to choose the most comfortable position. It’s worth trying to attach children together and separately, and then choose the most effective method. There is no ideal position, but general recommendations can be given.

READ ALSO: How to properly place a newborn baby to the breast for lying down feeding? You should not allocate “your own” breast for each child. Babies suckle differently, and breasts can produce different amounts of milk. The separation will lead to the fact that one of them will not eat enough. Before choosing a feeding position, it is worth looking at photos and videos of twins latching.

Feeding twins in turns

It is practiced in the postpartum period, when breastfeeding is being established. You can apply it to your chest in one of the following positions:

READ ALSO: correct positions for feeding a newborn: list

• Position "cradle". The mother sits in a chair or on the sofa, supporting the baby with her left hand while he sucks on the left breast (and vice versa). With her free hand, the mother can help the baby. The elbow support will be a bolster or the side back of the chair.
• The “cross cradle” is suitable for teaching your baby to latch onto the breast. In this case, he is supported by his left hand, and he sucks the right breast (and vice versa). The baby's head in this position is slightly tilted back, which allows you to grasp the areola deeper.
• Position "from the armpit". Suitable for weak babies and babies learning to suck. The baby is placed on a pillow to the side of the sitting mother. His legs are behind his mother’s back, and his tummy is at her side. The baby's head is raised and lies comfortably in the mother's palm. In this position you can feed while sitting or reclining. The position prevents stagnation of milk in the lower lobes of the gland.
• “On your side” in a lying position. The position is comfortable after an episotomy or cesarean section. The baby's body is held in place, the head is located on the mother's hand, which allows the mouth to be at the same level as the areola of the nipple. With her free hand, the mother can help the baby while eating.

READ ALSO: features of breastfeeding after cesarean section

Feeding twins at the same time

When lactation improves and the babies learn to suck, you can try feeding them in parallel (see also: when does lactation begin and by what signs can it be determined?). This is easier, especially when children have a good appetite. You can also alternate feeding twins (together and separately). For example, when both babies are awake and crying, you can breastfeed both. If one is sleeping and the other requires food, you should feed alternately. When twins' rhythms coincide, simultaneous feeding should be practiced.

INTERESTING: photos of cots for twins

Positions for feeding two children at the same time are similar to those that help feed one baby:

• "Cradle" or "Cross Cradle". You can hold babies in your arms, or you can use pillows. Babies are placed in a “valet” position - their heads are in different directions, and their legs can cross. The advantages of the position are that the mother’s hands are free, she can help the children if necessary.
• Lying position. Mom lies comfortably on her back, placing pillows under her shoulders and head. The babies are placed on their sides, supported by their hands, and the breast is offered.
• Parallel position. Here, one baby lies on the arm (as in a “cradle”), and the second is located under the arm. Pillows and mother's palms will help you take the correct position.
• Pose from the armpit. It is important to stock up on support pillows and ask loved ones to provide the babies. In this position, it is convenient for mom to control the movements of their heads and make sure that they do not tip back.

How to increase the efficiency of feeding twins?

The main problem of a mother of twins is lack of time. Your life partner, mother, mother-in-law, and close people can help you organize your routine and breastfeeding. A pillow for breastfeeding twins and a diary where it is recorded at what time, for how long and to which breast the babies were put on will make life much easier (for more details, see the article: pillow for feeding an infant: how to sew it with your own hands?).

INTERESTING: rating of popular strollers for doubles

Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes that nature did not provide a woman with the ability to feed two babies at once. While one breast is recovering, the baby is sucking on the other. Most often, parents cannot avoid supplementary feeding. However, even mixed feeding is much healthier than formula feeding alone (we recommend reading: mixed feeding of newborns).

How to feed twins with breast milk - building a regimen

What then is the general daily routine for twins? Yes, the question is quite relevant, since earlier we talked about the fact that twins need a regime literally from the first days. This means that you need to build it, starting from the children and adjusting it to suit yourself. Moreover, if the question

When feeding twins with breast milk is decided in favor of alternate feeding, then the children themselves will build their own order, perhaps sometimes breaking it. And after six months they will calmly switch to the general regime. Of course, there are times when you need to feed both at once. But these cases should be emergency and not frequent.

Features of feeding babies the same age

It happens that a breastfeeding mother finds out that she is pregnant again. In this case, lactation does not pose any danger to the new life and can continue. However, you should consult your doctor about breastfeeding in a delicate position.

If everything is fine with health, there is no need to separate the older child. To avoid competition for the breast and jealousy, it is important to tell the older child that the younger one will also need mother's milk.

You can feed your mother the same milk with your milk at the same time, but the older child does not need to feed so often (for more details, see the article: Children of the same age: how to cope with unstable behavior?). He switches to complementary feeding, and the youngest baby can be on breastfeeding for up to 6 months. If there is not enough milk, supplement with formula.

How to breastfeed twins - establishing breastfeeding

Actually, it doesn't matter what process

In the end, you choose to breastfeed twins; everyone adapts and chooses for themselves what is convenient for them. The main thing when breastfeeding is normal milk production. So that there is enough of it and enough for the children.

To have a lot of milk, you need to follow three basic rules:

1. complete nutrition for mother
2. rest, if possible, but nowhere without it
3. absence of serious stress, which also depends on you

And then there will be enough milk, especially since the female body has this property: the more the child drinks, the more milk comes to the next feeding.

Naturally, today there are a lot of recommendations on how to increase lactation, what foods to eat, what diet is necessary in the first months, what is good to eat for the health of babies. All this is correct; a lot of specialized sites are devoted to this issue. But no nutritious diet will do you any good if you cannot get at least a little rest and live in constant stress.

Helpful feeding tips

In order for the lactation period to proceed without problems, you need to:

1. Watch the children. If one of them eats less and is weaker, then put him on the breast that has more milk. Also give your baby an extra dose of milk (between joint feedings).
2. Pediatricians often advise mothers to supplement weaker infants with expressed milk from a spoon.
3. Constantly alternate mammary glands. This will prevent one baby from overeating and prevent one breast from becoming larger than the other.
4. Pump milk and bottle feed your children if you cannot master feeding both babies at once. Do this with a breast pump.

Breastfeeding experts say you should pump after every feeding. Before this, it is recommended to drink a little warm liquid and massage the mammary gland.

How to breastfeed twins without fear

Fear one: How to breastfeed twins and know if they are getting enough?

Those who prefer

breastfeeding twins, this question torments me quite often. Yes, it seems like babies are always hungry. Therefore, the slightest cry is perceived as a signal to start the meal. But it is not so. Crying can be of completely different meanings: stomach pain, cold, lost mother, jealousy (the latter in twins is developed on a subconscious level and manifests itself literally from the first days of life). Therefore, you shouldn’t blame everything on hunger.

Fear two: how to breastfeed twins and know that the children have enough milk?

It is possible to organize breastfeeding for twins so that the children are full and, at the same time, do not overeat. It is worth noting that babies intuitively know how much milk they need and will never drink too much unless you force it in. And then the body adapts to a certain amount, gradually increasing the volume.

• The first significant sign is weight gain. If it goes according to plan, without visible deviations, then there is no reason to sound the alarm. Overeating is just as bad as undereating, if not worse.
• The second sign is calm, happy children who sleep a lot and soundly, as babies should. Although restless sleep can be caused by other reasons.
• The third sign is normal stool, minimal regurgitation.

The third fear: how to feed twins breast milk without milk, what if something happens and there won’t be enough milk?

If you determine that there is still not enough breast milk for twins, then refuse completely

Breastfeeding twins is not worth it. You just need to switch to mixed feeding of twins and turn to formula milk for help, of which a huge amount is now sold. You must first consult with your pediatrician.

Before going to the doctor, first of all, we look carefully.

• As in the previous case - weight gain. If it is too small, then you should think about why this is happening. There may be a small increase, but a big growth spurt. Or maybe, in fact, something is going wrong.
• Restless sleep, always dragging on, open mouth, very capricious behavior.
• Interruptions in bowel movements (although they can occur with a normal amount of food).

Breastfeeding twins - my experience, the first 2 months

In no way do I pretend to be an expert, but I just want to share what breastfeeding with twins in the first months is like for me. I hope the formidable inhabitants of my beloved and ever-saving GW community will not swear at me for imperfectly following all the commandments of GW)) Also, if anyone is interested, there are reports on the topics:

Pregnancy with twins

Childbirth

First 2 months with twins

Setup and preparation

I have such a bad quality. Categorical. This means that if I decided that there will be breastfeeding, that means that’s it. Only breastfeeding, not a gram of formula, echidna mothers of children on IV, and all that)) of course, this is not so! But I want to start my story with this revelation, maybe it will also help someone to rethink their principles and beliefs.

Even during pregnancy, I was firmly convinced that I would have EP without the slightest intervention and breastfeeding without the slightest introduction of anything else. If the EP was almost a success (except for the fact that at 41 weeks with twins, I myself already dreamed of stimulation and puncture of the bladder))), then with breastfeeding it was more difficult. During pregnancy, advice from sympathizers came from all sides that I would not have enough milk. That I won’t be able to feed, that it’s impossible to feed two, and also that I don’t need it and that I’ll immediately switch to formula in order to survive with twins. That the milk won’t come, and if it does, it will disappear in a couple of months. And also - the twins will be born small, and it is better to immediately feed them with formula so that they do not die from exhaustion and do not get an umbilical hernia from a hungry cry. Sounds familiar?)

Needless to say, with my stubbornness in life, such advisers only strengthened my thoughts that, in spite of everyone, I would feed my twins on pure breastfeeding (well, with complementary feeding from the beginning of food interest) for up to a year for sure. Therefore, the last month of pregnancy was spent studying the breastfeeding community, the book “The Art of Breastfeeding” (I highly recommend it! motivates and talks about everything for dummies) and buying a breast pump (it was decided to take it to the maternity hospital just in case). So, now let's move on to what happened after childbirth.

In the maternity hospital

My twins survived until 41 weeks, they each ate 3500, the birth was difficult for me, 17 hours. Difficult not in the process, but in the fact that I have a slim figure, and when my stomach was freed from 10 kg of net weight and 5 kg of something else in 1 day - it was very hard for me) not painful, but hard: organs were dangling in the air, That’s why I couldn’t get out of bed from the word “at all.” Immediately after giving birth, I persuaded them to give me the children, and not because I didn’t want to part with them (my maternal instinct woke up much later!), but because God forbid they give them formula, it’s poison))) And, of course , as expected, immediately after giving birth they were applied to my completely empty breasts (honestly, not a drop of colostrum). So, we spent the first night together. The children slept soundly, without food/water, for half a day, all night and morning. As expected, they brought me the mixture, but out of principle I drank it myself))) Well, to be honest, it’s just delicious, and I also really wanted to eat)) The children’s sister went nuts when she saw it and brought me food)) and a supplement mixtures for children).

The next day I felt even worse (weakness, some kind of nirvana). I couldn’t get up and pick up the baby; They couldn’t take the children away from me by force, but, of course, I gave them away myself. Because I couldn’t even stand up to them if they burped or something happened. So, the children were taken to the nursery. Let me make a reservation right away: the maternity hospital is completely in favor of breastfeeding! The pediatrician strongly suggested bringing them to me every 3 hours for feeding. And my hands gave up. The breasts were absolutely empty, the pediatrician said that it seemed to me that there was colostrum, she pressed the nipples (my eyes were popping out of my head), but there was not a drop of anything. And I answered that there was no point in tormenting only me and the children with these three-hour rituals. But the children were still put to the breast several times a day. After which they gave me the mixture in front of my eyes, they happily drank it and passed out.

On the 3rd day the milk came. A lot of. I think it helped that, due to the unusual sensations in the nipples, due to my complete powerlessness after childbirth, I applied them for quite a long time. The pediatrician said to hold each for no more than 10 minutes, so as not to kill the nipples, until the milk comes. But I went a little overboard. And my breasts probably realized that the load on it would be heavy) So, the milk came. Breasts are stone, hot, you can’t even squeeze the areolas. My friends who recently gave birth developed lactostasis and mastitis, so I was concerned about these dangers even before giving birth. What to do? That’s right, remove excess milk “until relief”. I tried to give birth to the children - at first they refused altogether, because they could not squeeze the swollen areola, then, as soon as I pumped, they ate a little and passed out) and I continued to panic about the stagnation and even forced myself to crawl out of the room for the first time and walk along the wall to the nurse with request to teach how to pump.

She showed me how to do it. Terrible pain for the sake of two drops... And I realized that I couldn’t do this) She said I had to express until it was completely soft. Oh come on! Well, it’s true, she demanded the impossible) but I still had nothing to do, the children were still in the nursery, and I began to express with my hands. First on the diaper, then she got wet through and through - on the second diaper, in the end I and everything around were covered in milk. And the breasts are still huge. I've never seen anything like this! I was really scared. I stopped drinking, didn’t take a warm shower, and pumped and pumped. The day before discharge I took the children to my place! I still couldn’t stand, but I understood that something had to be done with my breasts, and I couldn’t cope without children. The children are on her chest for a day, but she is still a stone. I constantly changed and dried the bed, because milk flowed from me in rivers, in 5 minutes - a wet spot with a diameter of 30 cm from each breast.

The next day I again had health complications, and the children were taken away again. I took out a breast pump because my breasts were getting bigger and harder. 30 minutes on each breast in combination with children - hello, cracked nipples on both nipples. Then my hands dropped, I waved my hand and went to bed.

At 5 am I woke up in a bed completely wet from milk and with two, excuse me, cans. I started expressing with my hands. Useless) She ran to beg to bring me the children. The nurse said, “Well, I don’t know, it’s unlikely they haven’t been fed formula yet, but I’ll find out.” I sat and prayed that they wouldn’t make it in time)) And so, they brought them to me at 6 in the morning. Feeding two hungry children with breasts aching from overcrowding and bloody cracks is still a pleasure)) she put them on the bed, and she lay down on top. Their hands were numb, but the children worked responsibly and were already squealing from the pressure of the milk))

At home

At 12 noon the same day we were discharged. At home, first of all, I lay down with a pillow for feeding twins (it’s impossible to sit with stitches) and began to feed, feed, and feed again. By evening, one breast became soft, and in the second the crack was bleeding even more, so it became impossible to feed. And I had to run for breast pads.

In the store (daughters and sons) the first question is what size nipples are you? What?)) Do they have a size?) In despair, I apologized to the sellers and undressed))) When the sellers saw my huge breasts, they groaned and dragged me to the toilet to try them on) and I became the owner of Chicco overlays. After a couple of days, both breasts became equally completely soft and I finally began to drink and go to the shower))) I don’t know what this story can teach. Perhaps I miraculously avoided problems with my breasts, or maybe I really don’t need to pump and my breasts will bear everything. The only thing is that I don’t recommend torturing your nipples with a breast pump at the very beginning, shields are not super cool) We began to adapt to life at home. The children slept and ate, sometimes they were capricious, I gave them nothing but breasts and rejoiced at my own coolness. By the way, before giving birth, I seriously planned that the children would live in a separate room, we even allocated it for them. They say, I have a husband, we need personal life and personal time. Yeah))) In short, from the first night we slept together, and from the second, my husband moved to the “nursery”, because even on our rather large bed it’s impossible for four of us) Well, what can I say here. If you don't sleep together, you are aliens. I couldn't bear to get out of bed at night and go somewhere. My maximum is to turn on the other side and put the desired part of the body into the screaming mouth)

About weight

Soon my dad came to visit and brought scales. And we weighed ourselves. The children lost weight.. I immediately went to the breastfeeding group for help. There I learned about hanging on my chest around the clock, about the lack of intervals in the first days. And I realized the problem. I treated breastfeeding as my duty. Feed the children quickly - and go about your business! Fool around with your husband, wash the dishes, cook food, tea, take a walk! In the second week of life, one of our walks lasted more than 3 hours. Of course, with feeding outside, but still. Since pure breastfeeding without supplementation was very important to me, I changed our day. She settled in bed, and her husband did the rest of the work. Following the advice, I started supplementing with expressed milk: but it was enough for me for 2.5 feedings. Because the children wanted to breastfeed around the clock, I forcefully removed them in order to express milk for them... And then feed from a bottle with a nipple, I tried from a syringe - it’s impossible) In general, nonsense. I talked to my cousin, who nursed children (not twins) until they were 3 years old each, she said to throw out the scales and settle into bed. And I did just that. Next, I will indicate the weight of the younger of the twins: he was more lethargic and lost more. Here are our indicators:

born: 3540 discharged (7th day): 3280 14th day: 3170 If the district pediatrician had found out about these numbers, they would have killed me) But I saw that the diapers were heavy (I didn’t count the number, with twins there’s no time for that)), the children are happy , active, do not scream, sleep and wake up well. And at my own peril and risk, I did not supplement with formula or my own milk. In the meantime, the nipples had healed, I removed the shields, and the youngest refused to breastfeed without them. Here I did not follow the lead and steadfastly withstood the whole day of hysteria. As it turned out, the older one also got used to the pads, which finally convinced me to urgently get rid of them. Moving a little away from the topic, I am very grateful to my husband for supporting me in my desire to keep clean breastfeeding. We consulted with a good friend who is a pediatrician, and she allowed me to wait a few more days. And - oh, miracle! — the weight slowly crept up! At 21 days the babies were finally back to their birth weight! But this is still unusual, so the same pediatrician ordered us to gain 200g in the remaining week. Otherwise, still introduce the mixture. Total: birth: 3540 7th day: 3280 14th day: 3170 21st day: 3470 1st month: 3900

2 months: 5200 Weight loss was 10.5% in 2 weeks. By all laws, this is already critical. But I saw that my children were fine!! This is probably just an exception. By the way, despite 41 weeks and a weight of 3500, an ultrasound of the brain determined that we were immature. Maybe something else has something to do with this? In general, by 1 month I am summing up the first result: the first problems of breastfeeding are behind us!) The gain in 2 weeks from the minimum weight was about 750g. My observations

They still gave us pacifiers. One screaming child can be picked up, but two on the street... And we drive in the car with pacifiers. Everything seems to be ok with the grip) although one person completely ignores the pacifier and starts yelling indignantly when you try to give it, well, okay, one is enough for us) I eat all the watermelons/melons in huge doses, chocolates, nuts, etc. I administered it carefully and in small portions, of course. Some say it will be easier (although it’s not difficult for us)) in 3 months, others say in a month. I noticed changes already in the 3rd week. They began to be interested in the world, began to calmly ride in a stroller/car seat and look around, without wanting to eat. We even went to the shopping center to buy bras and a blouse for me . And what makes me happy too is that they started eating quickly! Literally 10 minutes, and then it’s endless sucking and falling asleep on the chest. I also began to feel strong milk flows. After them, children get full especially quickly) I think calmness helped me survive the first month. I ignored the scale readings, I haven’t pumped since the maternity hospital (except for two attempts at supplementary feeding), I never tried to understand or check whether I had enough milk, I never worried about whether the children were screaming from hunger. Because I saw that the children were having a good time! And I knew that breastfeeding is not difficult, and you just need to worry less) By the way! All my friends ask: “Is there enough milk? Fatty? People, I'm afraid to ask, how do you determine the fat content of your milk? For color? Or does it taste like?))) It never occurred to me to think about it, I’m sure that my milk is exactly what my children need! Maybe I’m rejoicing too early (I wanted to write such a post at 3 months, but I want to now, the impressions are very fresh), but I already consider 2 months of breastfeeding with twins a reason for pride). By the way, it turns out that Jolie breastfed the twins for up to 3 months, but was unable to continue. So maybe you shouldn't relax!

And another very important point for me. At first, as I already wrote, I fed because it was necessary, because it was necessary for the children, because I decided so, etc. And things went well, but obviously through force. And when I settled into bed with the children, everything changed! GW really started to bring me some kind of inexplicable buzz! Yes, I spend about 8 hours a day in the nursing pillow in the same position. But I feel so irreplaceable! I like that we went to the doctors, one woke up and began to act up, I just put him to my chest and covered myself with a cape and continued to sign documents with one hand. I like that my husband says “it’s so good with you, the children are so quiet, calm and happy.” I love that any crying, whining or furrowed eyebrows of the children are resolved simply by my chest. And I like that they eat and sleep endlessly on their chest on a feeding pillow for hours) and at this moment I torture them, feel them, trim their nails)

Feeding and regimen

For me there is only feeding on demand. At least for now. I see absolutely clearly that the children are now completely dependent on me: on my chest, on my husband’s and my hands, on warmth. What is it like to feed them according to a schedule? What to do when they cry, are capricious, and demand the breast? Insert a pacifier into your mouth or turn in circles in an attempt to make you rock to sleep or, which is unacceptable for me, let me scream? To each his own, I don't judge anyone! But I can’t do that) but when they have just eaten well, fallen asleep, but immediately woke up and demand attention - if possible, we try to entertain them, of course, if you give the breast, they will fall asleep on it again, but they should still have life's entertainment. By the way, we still have a daily routine, but it is not rigid (I won’t push sleepy children out of the way for a bath) and practically does not concern feeding. I wrote about the regime and life in general with twins in a post about twins.

I won’t brag that it’s easy for me, I won’t say that those who didn’t succeed are weaklings, because I understand perfectly well that we are all different people, that perhaps I was just lucky in some things. While sitting on the cushion, I, of course, surf the Internet. And it became interesting - I began to read the stories of the first months with children) And I can tell my conclusions with confidence. The key to success when having children is being prepared for them. I immediately prepared for the fact that my life would belong only to children. Of course, if you hope to have time to work, keep your apartment perfectly clean, pamper your husband with food every day, or meet with friends, go shopping - then the appearance of a child will be shocking.

I’ll tell you about one day of our life, it seems, in the third week of childhood. My husband's friends were invited to visit. The question arose of what they should eat. My husband suggested ordering food, but I’m a great housewife!) I decided to make nuggets with sauce (homemade from chicken breast, takes a long time to cook!) and homemade pizza. Well, you understand) We made it until the evening, it’s time to go cook at a fast pace, and then the children ask for attention. I put them on the pillow, fed them until they fell asleep, put them on the bed and ran off to cook. They quickly wake up, I'm back on the pillow. As a result, I sat and told my husband what to mix with what and how, as soon as the children fell asleep, I ran to the kitchen to cook. We managed to cook right away, we got nervous, and most importantly, that day the children were extremely hysterical. I’m sure they felt that mom was trying to quickly get rid of them and run away on business, so they were nervous too! And as soon as the guests arrived, I closed the door and said that I would show the children only when all three of us had calmed down. They turned on the series, dimmed the lights, my husband brought a tasty treat, and, oh, miracle! - half an hour later the children and I were already calm, happy) For me this is a very important example and lesson. When a child appears in the house, the mother does not have to plan anything. And if she plans, then she must always be prepared for the fact that at the most inopportune moment for her, the child will simply need her. And this should not be perceived as “why now!”, but on the contrary, the child should be grateful when he manages to do something, and take it for granted when he fails. And then there will be no disappointed expectations, and it will not be difficult, and there will be no irritation with the children.

What are the problems? Since childhood, I have been a bit of a sleepwalker) a couple of times I went far in my sleep and did strange things. At an older age, this only happens in the case of a strong moral shock or an emotional day. But in life, I always don’t wake up right away: my first phrase may be some kind of nonsense, and so on) So. I sleep at night between the children. One screams - I turn around and feed him. But the problem is that in a dream I don’t understand who is screaming) several times it has already happened that one is screaming, and I turn to the other and start poking the sleepy, incomprehensible child in the eye with my chest, he naturally wakes up and also begins to scream indignantly , that’s when I also wake up and realize what I’ve done))

Poses

This is a very open topic for discussion, I’m really looking forward to your stories and advice!

About changing sides and breasts. For me, the most convenient thing is to change sides every day: each person is assigned their own breast for a day. By the way, I change it in the evening; when I was changing in the morning, I noticed that one was eating the other: the older one likes to eat to his fill at dawn, and the younger one - closer to getting up.

The main position is on a pillow for feeding twins. True, it is about to become irrelevant - children are turning into elephants. I put 2 regular pillows under my back and a feeding boomerang to raise the pillow up to my chest. I can carefully remove the sleepy ones and put them on the bed (the chance that they won’t wake up is very small), but more often they sleep on me endlessly. Everything is simple here, although the standard picture from the Internet does not suit me, because I would have to bend over, my chest high. So a little modification. The advantage is that this (maybe more reclining) position was suitable in the first weeks when sitting was not possible. And the children's heads are higher than their bodies, which seems to be good.

At night, I put them on both sides of me. Whoever raises his voice, I turn to him and feed him. I sleep motionless, but soundly, so when and how many times they eat at night - I don’t know, it feels like 3 times each; It’s difficult when they start demanding hours at the same time. Then I try to put one person to sleep. Sometimes it doesn’t work out - you have to put it on the pillow and fill it up while sitting. Lately, I’ve been more willing to feed both at night at the same time, because at night they fall asleep quite well after being shifted. Or he doesn’t fall asleep alone, but I put him to sleep while lying on his side.

Another night position for simultaneous feeding - thanks to the girls in the breastfeeding group for the advice! I don’t quite succeed in it, but I can say one thing for sure - it’s definitely comfortable for the night, because sleeping in it is better than sitting with a pillow))) It’s really not very convenient for children to latch on to the breast. But what can you do) I’m copying the description from another topic (thanks to the author!)

«The position is good: you are lying almost on your back *you need to turn a little more to one side. Pillows under your head. There are pillows on the sides (they should go slightly under you). One child lies on a pillow and sucks on the breast (but this should already be a soft breast in mature lactation) on the side where you are slightly turned. The second one is on you. His leg placement options vary (I find it most comfortable with my knee bent and his legs to the right and left of my knee). Your hand hugs the child in support. His head is somewhere right on your elbow (inside). At the same time, your hand lies on the pillow and does not get tired. »

By the way, about my night's sleep. It’s difficult to cover yourself with a blanket with twins: they are on both sides, their heads are at the level of my chest, so I’m only covered with a blanket up to my chest, otherwise I’ll definitely cover someone’s head. And in a couple of nights I caught a cold like that (my chest was frozen. A perverted idea came instantly: I took my husband’s T-shirt, cut holes in it for the chest and I’m no longer freezing ^^ there won’t be a photo for ethical reasons)))

And the last pose is lying over them. Lately I’ve been switching to her from the pillow (children are heavy, plus I can quietly leave without waking her up). I adapted to lie with my body on a nursing pillow, my head and arms on regular pillows, and my chest with my children. The advantage is that in this position there is a chance to feed them until bedtime and disappear somewhere without waking them up! And at night it’s easier to shift from this position than to pull it off the pillow.

When only one person wants to eat, I cook or eat, stupidly put him on the dining table, breast in mouth, and go about my business))

I don’t know how else)) bending over the bed/table is not an option, I feel sorry for my back.

I bought a sling with rings, but it didn’t work out ((which is a pity. Feeding with the children on my lap or stomach doesn’t work, the two of my children can’t fit on my stomach. I tried all the positions, but nothing else worked. Share your experience, how do you get out? ) What helps you, besides a regular pillow?

I think I told you everything, I’ll be glad if you were interested

As always, I’ll be glad if someone is interested in children’s weight loss Instagram, kidsandhappiness)

PS People who don’t let a child’s nose bury itself in their chest - don’t worry!)) The wings of the nose will save them from suffocation)) In general, this is just a photo for a laugh, as he usually sleeps after eating, without leaving the cash register, so to speak)

How to breastfeed twins - summing it up

As seen,

Breastfeeding twins is a completely natural process. And in a normal life, there will be enough milk for two. Therefore, for successful breastfeeding, you need, first of all, to develop a feeding rhythm: simultaneously or alternately.

To solve the practical question of how to breastfeed twins, you can really try all the options and choose the most suitable one for yourself. And at the same time fight for your milk, if there is not enough of it. With a good life, milk should last up to 4 - 5 months, or until complementary foods are introduced.

In rare cases, twins manage without formula at all. These cases exist; we can be proud of such mothers. However, most often in practice, mixtures begin to be used a little earlier: from three to four months.

In any case, everything is in your hands. And remember: breastfeeding twins is the best feeding option.