At the latter half of the twentieth century, there was a trend towards bottle feeding twins. However, many parents of twins wanted to give their babies the chance to breastfeed, especially as twins are often smaller and premature and are in even greater need of breastmilk. There is no denying that establishing breastfeeding for twins means lots of hours breastfeeding in the early days as your babies build up your milk supply and get more efficient at feeding. However, in time it is easier, less costly and less time-consuming than making up bottles of formula for two.

• If one twin is hungrier than the other, try to follow the needs of the hungrier baby, so they are both getting enough.
• Many mums find feeding cushions designed for use with twins helpful. You can lie them on, one on either side.
• Rugby hold or tandem feed one on each side, see our lesson on breastfeeding positions to see how to do this.
• Get everything ready and close to hand before you start, so you don’t have to move once you start feeding.
• Get as much help in as you can from friends and family since you will be feeding a lot, and probably quite tired, during the first few months.
• Try to resist switching to bottle feeds, thinking it might be easier. You’ll have twice as much to do washing and sterilising bottles and it’s harder to feed them together if you’re using bottles – which will happen if your partner returns to work. You may also find that your supply reduces if you add in some bottles or that you are more likely to get engorgement or blocked ducts if you skip breast feeds.
• Try to feed your babies a lot in the early days and weeks since your breasts will make more milk as they get signals that more is needed. Even with twins (or more) you can make enough milk, your breasts work on supply and demand, and they’ll make more when they know it’s needed.
• Attend a breastfeeding group if you can, so you can get support and advice if you need it.
• According to calculations from La Leche League International, breastfeeding during the first year saves a mother of twins about 300 hours and more than $1,200.
• Alternate the twins on each breast, each feed, since one will probably feed more strongly than the other. You don’t want one breast producing less milk. If you can’t remember who was on which breast for each feed, try alternating them every day instead, and that will also help keep things balanced.
• If you have premature twins, and one stays in the hospital longer than the other twin, you can simultaneously breastfeed on one side and pump on the other to keep up your milk supply.
• Count the twins’ wet and dirty nappies or diapers to know if they’re getting feeding enough. In the first 48 hours, there should be around 2-3 wet nappies. After 3-4 days they should each be making around 6 wet nappies a day. By about day 4-5, they should also be doing at least 2 yellow poos a day.
• Check your twins are both gaining weight as they should be getting them weighed with your clinic. If they are, then they’re feeding well.
• If either of your twins is not producing enough nappies or gaining weight as they should be, it’s important to get them assessed by your midwife or doctor immediately. Sometimes your midwife or doctor might suggest supplementary feeds. That doesn’t mean you can’t continue to breastfeed as well. Your midwife can talk to you about the ways to tell if a baby is getting enough milk.
• See our other videos for more information on effective attachment. With effective attachment, you should be able to avoid problems like sore nipples, mastitis and so on.
• Learn how to express your breastmilk. Expressing milk can also help you overcome and prevent problems like mastitis. If your twins spend time in hospital or take a bit of time to get the hang of breastfeeding, you may be advised to express frequently with a double hospital grade electric pump.