Establishing a twin nursing schedule For the first few weeks, infants need to breastfeed eight to 12 times per day. That breaks down to about once every two to three hours, day and night.
Your body will produce more than enough breast milk for your babies if you have twins, triplets or more. But finding time to breastfeed and manage life's demands can be daunting. Arrange plenty of help and support from family and friends.
The breastfeeding initiation rate for twins ranges from 38 to 80%, and the rate of any breastfeeding at 6 months from 10 to 50%, with 8–22% of twins breastfeeding exclusively [8, 9, 12,13,14,15,16,17].
There are various twin breastfeeding positions you can try, such as the double rugby ball (with a baby under each arm), the parallel hold (with your babies lying across your body in the same direction), or the laid-back position (with both babies lying on your tummy).
Keep your twins on the same nighttime schedule
Change one, then the other, and then feed them both at the same time. What if you don't have any help? Stagger the feedings by 30 minutes until you've mastered feeding and burping them at the same time.
Stimulate your milk production.
In the first few weeks, massage and then hand-express or pump both breasts for about 10 minutes after most feedings. This will help your body make more milk for your babies.
For twins, formula-feeding may make it easier to feed both of them at the same time. Your partner can help out with night-time feedings and share the bonding experience with your babies. Scheduling feedings may be easier.
Whether you breastfeed or formula feed, you'll need to create a routine that suits you and your babies. Some mothers can feed 2 babies at the same time, while some prefer to feed 1 after the other. Others feed whenever their babies seem hungry (on demand).
The hardest thing about having twins is...
“Managing the movement of two babies. Carrying them both up and down the stairs, getting them into the car, etc.” —Simeon R. “Often having to make one baby wait!” —Catharine D. “Being outnumbered—the logistics of two on one is definitely the hardest.
Eat at least 7 ounces of grains, such as cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta, every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta. Eat 3 cups of vegetables each day. Choices include: • Dark-green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach.
That breaks down to about once every two to three hours, day and night. Each session should last about 20 to 30 minutes — but wait for each baby to signal she's done before calling it quits: The suck-swallow pattern will slow down to about four sucks to one swallow.
Another option is to place them in two Boppy pillows on the couch while you sit on the couch in between them. If your highchair seats recline, you can put the babies in them reclined back and sit in a chair or on a stool. The Table for Two is a great seat that allows both babies to sit close together.
While the average single baby weighs 7 pounds at birth, the average twin weighs 5.5 pounds. Triplets typically weigh 4 pounds each, and quads weigh 3 pounds each. Babies born at under 5.5 pounds are considered to have a low birth weight.
This is called co-bedding and is perfectly safe. In fact, putting twins in the same cot can help them regulate their body temperatures and sleep cycles, and can soothe them and their twin.
You may like to sleep your twins in their own Moses baskets or cots from birth, or you may decide to co-bed them in the early weeks and months. Co-bedding means siblings share the same sleep surface during any sleep period, for example by being in the same cot together.
Some twins will start sleeping through the night as early as 8-10 weeks. Typically you can start seeing longer sleep stretches around 12 weeks. Many twins wait until 4-6 months. The bottom line is that every twin is different.
Caring for twin babies is a lot of work. There are two mouths to feed, two diapers to change and two different cries to soothe. So don't be afraid to get help from friends, family or a nanny. “I thought I should be able to handle it all while my husband was at work,” Szydlik recalls.
Locked twins are generally manipulated using cesarean section. Large pelvis, oligohydramnios, small fetuses, early rupture of the second amniotic sac, monochorionic–monoamniotic twins, and uterine hypertonicity are some predisposing factors of locking.
You can use a stretchy baby wrap to carry one or both twin babies on your chest, as shown by this mom and babywearing expert below. You can also tandem carry your twins with two structured carriers by using a front carry and a back carry position.
Adequate hydration also is important for breast milk production. The amount of liquid you put into your body affects how much breast milk you can produce. I encourage women to carry a bottle of water for themselves in their diaper bag.
"UNICEF and Indian guidelines speak about initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding but do not comment about any difference of milk in twins of opposite sex. Mothers produce enough milk to breastfeed both the children is all that the guidelines speak about.