Yes, of course you can nurse twins. Do you think Mother Nature would send
us two babies without providing for a way to feed both of them? In fact, it is much
easier to nurse twins than to bottle-feed twins, because you don't have to prepare and
sterilize double batches of bottles everyday. And by nursing, you will feel a
special closeness with each twin individually. Since many twins are born early and
have special nutritional needs, they need the extra advantage of mother's milk.
Your breasts will make enough milk for your twins. Remember, the more the
breasts are emptied, the more milk will be made. Supplements will probably
not be necessary for your twins if you are nursing them on demand.
You will want to experiment with different positions when you nurse your twins at the same
time. The football hold works well for some mothers. Just tuck a baby under
each arm. Another way is to criss-cross the babies in the classic cradle position
with your hands or pillows supporting them. Keep experimenting until you find the
most comfortable way for YOU and your babies.
You may want to nurse the babies one at a time. This will help you bond with each
baby individually. You might give each baby his own breast, or switch sides each
feeding. Just make sure that each baby gets enough milk. Writing down who
feeds when, and for how long may be helpful for the first few days.
Some mothers of twins have found that keeping their babies near them at night helps.
If you can learn to nurse lying down, you will get more rest.
You can definitely breastfeed your twins. Throughout humankind, mothers have nursed
twins, and some have even nursed triplets (and more). It may seem hard to nurse more
than one baby, but bottle-feeding them would be hard, too. You will need lots of
support in your decision to nurse multiples, but you can do it!
Note: This section is not intended to cover al aspects of nursing multiples.
There are good books available on nursing twins, or your La Leche League Leader or
lactation consultant can help you.
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