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.
Can twins share a bottle? Pediatricians and research both say an emphatic no to feeding twins from the same bottle. The reasons for this are many, but the spreading of germs is the most serious concern. Some twins might require different formulas or nipple size for flow as well.
How many bottles do you need for twins? You'll want 8-16 bottles so that you can make it through at least half the day (if not the whole day) without having to wash bottles. Bottles come in various sizes like 4 oz, 8o z, 9 oz, 11 oz, etc. If you want to save money, buy a larger size.
Most baby bottles can be cleaned and sterilized easily. That means it's safe to use them for multiple babies.
You can put them on a counter or table and stand to feed the babies, on a bed or sofa and kneel in front of them, or on the floor and sit to feed them. Everyone is comfortable and relaxed for the feeding session. Tip: Prepare bottles in advance so that they are ready for feeding time.
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.
Bottles. As long as they're not broken or warped, bottles are fine to reuse. You'll just need to buy some new teats.
Feeding will take up a lot of your time in the first few months of your babies' lives. 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.
Infants' Friend Oral Liquid can either be added to the bottle or dropped directly onto the tongue.
Both babies will be tucked on either side of you, with their heads in front of your breasts, their bodies parallel to your chest and their legs pointing behind you. Once you've set up everything you need, lay your twins on the bed on either side of you, using bolsters or a feeding pillow to keep them in place.
Making a Formula Bottle
When you have twins who are bottle feeding, you'll be making at least 16 bottles a day. This gets to be really tedious and annoying! We highly recommend that you register for a Baby Brezza formula maker to help with making all those formula bottles.
Will I have enough milk? Mums expecting twins aren't always encouraged to consider breastfeeding; but twins, and even triplets, can be breastfed exclusively. Only a few women won't have enough milk for their babies. Milk supply works on the principle of supply and demand.
Regular mixed feeding might make it more difficult to keep breastfeeding because it can interfere with keeping up a good supply of breastmilk. So if you're thinking about supplementing with formula, it's important to talk about it first with your midwife, child and family health nurse, lactation consultant or GP.
How many baby bottles do I need for each day? If you assume that your little twinnies will be coming home from the hospital eating about 2 ounces about every 3 hours, that would be about 8 feedings per day. Of course, this may vary a bit, so don't worry if your doctor suggests more or less by a feed or two.
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.
You probably need to prepare milk in at least five different bottles, depending on what your baby's daycare provider requires. As your child grows older, the number of bottles needed for feeding increases at first. But this gradually decreases as they learn to use a cup or glass for drinking their milk.
Because of the risk of tooth decay, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends parents aim to transition their child from a bottle to a cup around the time they reach their first birthday.
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.
It's recommended that newborn babies be burped between breasts if breastfeeding and every 2 to 3 ounces if bottle feeding.
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.
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.
Put your babies down in a safe sleeping position, on their backs with their feet touching the bottom of the cot or Moses basket. Make sure they do not get too hot, particularly if they're sharing a cot. Keep blankets securely tucked in. Have a bedtime routine and stick to it.