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.
It is tempting to allocate one breast to each baby, but it's best not to. Babies will grow and develop better if they feed on both sides. Swap at each feed to help you balance your milk production, especially if one baby has a much stronger suck. Any amount of breast milk is good.
If you're a mom of twins, breastfeeding can be doubly challenging at first: After all, you've got two mouths to feed, two little bodies to balance and three people who need to figure out this whole breastfeeding thing. Of course, the many benefits of breastfeeding make it well worth the effort.
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.
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].
(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). Early cessation of breastfeeding in twins may occur for several reasons.
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.
It can take several weeks for you and your baby to feel happy and confident with breastfeeding. Once you've both got the hang of it, it's usually possible to offer your baby bottles of expressed milk or formula alongside breastfeeding. This is sometimes called mixed or combination feeding.
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.
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.
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.
A balanced diet is one where your daily meals include a variety from the four main food groups: Fruit and vegetables, whether fresh, frozen, tinned, dried, or juiced. Aim to have at least five portions a day. Starchy food, such as potatoes, and, ideally wholegrain, rice, pasta and bread.
But if you are breastfeeding, or ever plan on being alone with your twins, you'll need to teach yourself how to feed both babies simultaneously. You might as well start learning now! The best way to feed both twins simultaneously is with a large twin-feeding pillow, which works for nursing and bottlefeeding.
Tuck a burp cloth or rag under each chin or on each chest, so that it will be close by. Start with your less dominant hand first; if you are right-handed, give the baby on your left the first bottle so that your capable hand is free to help. Once the first baby is "plugged in," start feeding the second baby.
While 40 weeks is the full gestation period of the average pregnancy, most twin pregnancies are delivered at approximately 36 weeks (range 32-38 weeks depending on the type of twin pregnancy).
Twins are more likely to be born early, often before 38 weeks, so it's important to understand your birth options. Less than half of all twin pregnancies last beyond 37 weeks. Because of the likelihood that your babies will be born early, there is a good chance one or both of them will spend some time in special care.
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.
Regular mixed feeding with formula can make breastfeeding more challenging as it can interfere with your milk supply. Some babies may start to prefer drinking from a bottle. The way you feed your baby is a personal choice. You may choose to feed your baby just expressed breastmilk as you prefer to feed using a bottle.
If your baby tolerates both breastmilk and formula separately, then mixing them together should not cause an upset stomach, according to Dr. Crosby. If, for any reason, your baby does have an upset stomach, try burping them or bicycling their legs to alleviate any gas that might be built up.
It's completely fine and perfectly safe to do. Many families choose this type of combination feeding method, whether out of necessity (e.g. low breast milk supply), convenience, or simply personal choice. In some cases, breastfeeding and providing formula may be recommended by a doctor for medical reasons.
The signs of a twin pregnancy are different for everyone, but typically include heightened normal pregnancy symptoms. Common signs include more severe nausea, earlier weight gain, intense fatigue and increased appetite.
The risk of preterm labor and premature birth are heightened when there is more than one baby in the womb. 1 Other conditions such as preeclampsia, placental dysfunction, and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome are more prevalent in twin pregnancy and increase the risk of an early delivery.
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.
The average weight of twins is 2.5kg.