Only a few women won't have enough milk for their babies. Milk supply works on the principle of supply and demand. Breastfeeding tells a mother's body to produce more milk in response to her baby's (or babies') needs. With two babies, more milk is removed from the breasts, so more milk is made.
Mothers of twins consistently released twice the volume of milk as mothers of singletons. Mothers of triplets were capable of producing up to a remarkable volume of more than 3 litres/day when the infants were aged 2.5 months.
Parents who nurse twins can encounter many of the same challenges that all nursing parents do: sore nipples, latching and positioning issues, concerns about weight gain, and milk supply. Because twins are more often premature or have low birth weight, these concerns may be amplified.
In the beginning, try nursing your twins on the same schedule. However, keep in mind that even identical twins have different personalities, appetites and nursing patterns. So try to tune into the needs of each; one may need to nurse more frequently than the other.
If you're planning on pumping breast milk for your twins, there's no reason to wait for their stomachs to catch up to you. To help establish your supply, try pumping every two hours — or about eight to 12 times in a 24-hour period.
(2010) found that about 80% of mothers of twins had breastfed for 2 months. Despite this rate of breastfeeding during the first months of life, a large number of the preterm and term twins were weaned before 6 months (1).
Do I Need A Breast Pump With Twins? Many moms are able to exclusively breastfeed their twins, but having a breast pump can also be helpful. It may even help you establish your milk supply as your body adjusts to feeding two hungry babies instead of just one.
Can I feed my twins from the same bottle? The official answer here is a resounding no. However, if you find that you accidentally feed both babies from the same bottle, don't panic. Many of us have in the middle of the night.
Vaginal Birth of Twins
The good news is that even though you have two babies, you only have to labor once. Once the cervix is open, each baby will have its own pushing stage. This means you will have to push twice, but the majority of the time the second twin is born much more easily than the first.
If your babies are unable to feed from the breast the nursing team will help you to start expressing as soon after birth as possible, ideally within 6 hrs of birth. You will be advised to double pump (from both breasts) 8-12 times per 24-hour period for the first 14 days.
For women born 1870-1899, moms of twins averaged reproductive spans of 14 years 11 months versus 14 years for singleton moms. Both results were statistically significant. Moms of twins also were older at the time of their last birth.
It is recommended that all pregnant women drink 8 to 10 large glasses of water daily, totaling 64 to 80 ounces. Women expecting multiples should drink at least this amount because of the extra demands placed on your system by the needs of multiple growing babies.
For twins, formula-feeding may make it easier to feed both of them at the same time.
Multiple birth babies have about twice the risk of congenital (present at birth) abnormalities including neural tube defects (such as spina bifida), gastrointestinal, and heart abnormalities.
The authors of the study believe the reason twins live longer may be because of the social support they provide each other, and the psychological and health benefits that come with that social connection. "There is benefit to having someone who is socially close to you who is looking out for you," Sharrow said.
The reality is that raising multiples is hard. You have double or triple the feeding, diapering, and laundry and, as a result, less time to spend cuddling and getting to know each baby. To be sure, there will be days when you feel as if you're walking up a down escalator.
Here are some estimates based on your twins' age: Newborns (first month with twins): 10 diapers per baby per day = 20 diapers for the newborn twins per day = 140 diapers per week. 2-3 months: 8 diapers per baby per day = 16 diapers for infant twins per day = 112 diapers per week.
Likelihood of Vanishing Twin Syndrome
According to one study, about 36% of twin pregnancies experience vanishing twin syndrome. It also occurs in around half of multiple pregnancies, or pregnancies where a woman carries more than one baby.
The general rule is that you will burn an additional 500 calories while nursing one baby. Thus, for twins you will probably be looking to add around 1000 extra calories to your diet to provide enough nutrition for the three of you.
What Is Dangle-Feeding? Dangle-feeding is when you place your baby flat on their back, on either your lap or on a blanket or comfortable solid surface, and dangle your breasts over them to nurse. Typically, you crouch over all fours over your baby, while you dangle your nipple in their mouth.