It is often a shock for many (expectant) mothers when they hear that they are expecting twins. The pregnant woman is bombarded with many questions, including the question, how do I feed the two of them? “Then give them the bottle” often comes from outside, but is that always what mom wants?
Because nature has taken good care of us so that we can also provide optimal nutrition for twins. This post is about breastfeeding twins. There are many positions, here I would like to introduce you to three that are relatively easy to implement, even for inexperienced mothers.
First of all, the most important thing is that every position should be comfortable, because breastfeeding should never hurt or cause tension afterwards!
In the first position, the two are in the football stance
The football position seems a little more difficult or even complicated at the beginning, but with a little practice and good cushions it is very easy to implement, especially at the beginning. In this position, the outsides of the chest are more emptied as this is where the baby's chin lies. This means it is emptied better and the breast is stimulated to produce milk. There is more breast tissue on the outside than on the inside.
What's the best way to sit down now?
This is best done with a good, firm nursing pillow (not one with beads) or larger, firm pillows. You can place the children in front of you and place them close to your chest one at a time. If you sit comfortably, the two can dock. If they can't do this very well on their own, you can of course help a little by supporting them in the shoulder and head area. Depending on the age and size of the children, you can continue to support them or take your hands away again and leave them free. Make sure that your stomach is at your side and your hands can “hold” your chest. So one hand above and one below or, depending on the size of the child/chest, on the left and right of the chest. The advantage of this position is that you have your hands free. You can also support weaker twins by compressing or stretching the breast while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding-friendly supplementary feeding is also very possible here, as your hands are free and you can hold/dose the syringe or similar.
The next position is often more comfortable and can be done on the go without any aids, but requires more practice or help from a second person
As you can clearly see in the picture, you sit more upright and have the children lying parallel to your body. You can support your elbows well with pillows, as depending on how long you're breastfeeding, they can stretch into your arms. If you are practiced, you have both of them on your shoulders, lie back comfortably and let them slide down to your chest and they can dock. If you have a second person, please let them help you. First put on one twin and then have the second one given to you or put on directly. Here too, make sure that the two of them lie with their stomachs against your stomach and that one arm is under their chest and the other on top. The head should be slightly stretched.
The next position is very similar to the weighing position
At first this may seem a bit uncomfortable for the twins. But twins often like these very much because they lie on top of each other like in their stomachs and feel each other a lot. It is still very possible, especially at the beginning. If the two become larger and heavier over time, it is advisable to position them differently as they could interfere with each other or even kick each other.
Similar to the previous position, first lie down comfortably. Here you can lean back further and support your arms again with a pillow. Some people can sleep well in this position after breastfeeding. Feel free to try it out once you're all safe.
As you can clearly see in the picture, the twins lie on top of each other; the smaller twin is often placed on top of the larger twin. If both are the same size, feel free to alternate them. You can put it on yourself as in the previous position. See how it's easiest for you whether you put the lower twin or the lower twin first. Moms often feel differently about this, so just try it out for yourself.
Why breastfeed both at the same time?
The advantage of both breastfeeding at the same time is that they both trigger each other's milk ejection reflex again and again. If one twin is weaker, he will benefit even more from breastfeeding together, as the stronger one triggers the MSR more often than he could. Another advantage is the time factor. Especially at the beginning of milk production/in the postpartum period, you often spend a lot of time breastfeeding. This means both can breastfeed at the same time and you as a mother have more time in between than if both wanted to breastfeed one after the other. From experience, many twins come at the same time, but if one twin isn't hungry, that's not a problem. You shouldn't wake him up or anything like that if the weight curve is good.
Especially in the beginning, it often seems difficult to imagine that you can keep them both fed and happy or that you can put them on without help. But you will notice that practice makes perfect and it will get better each time. It is also important that not every twin gets a fixed side. For many mothers, the breast does not work equally well on both sides; it is often the case that one works better than the other. Likewise, the children should not develop a favorite side, but should be able to drink well in any position. So they need their muscles evenly, especially in the mouth and neck area, which is also very important for later. Therefore, change sides and positions regularly; whether you change each breastfeeding or whether it is easier for you per day/night is not so important if both stay well on their weight curve.
Your Carina from Mamaluja, mother of 5 children, including twins, doula and breastfeeding and lactation consultant IBCLC
If you want, you can find me on Instagram _carinarosen_ or on my homepage https://mamaluja.de