Breastfeeding twins: Can nursing moms produce enough milk to feed two babies?

Two mouths don't always mean double trouble. Expert shares how to breastfeed twins and whether nursing moms will have enough milk to supply.
breastfeeding twins
Breastfeeding twins: Can nursing moms produce enough milk to feed two babies? Image Courtesy: Shutterstock
Natalia Ningthoujam Updated: 28 Nov 2022, 20:32 pm IST
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Feeding takes up a lot of time for nursing moms in the first few months of their babies lives. If feeding one baby is too much for you, imagine breastfeeding twins! Of course, it is possible to breastfeed twins. It’s just that nursing moms would have to create a routine that suits the mother and the twin babies. While some mothers prefer to feed one baby after the other, others like to feed two at the same time. As nursing moms, a lot of questions also pop up like how to breastfeed twins, what your diet should look like while breastfeeding twins, or which breastfeeding positions are ideal. Turns out that many nursing moms want to know whether they will be able to produce enough milk for the twins.

As a new mom, it’s important not to be put off breastfeeding just because you are having twins or more babies. Breastfeeding not only helps you build a strong bond with your babies, but is a great way to soothe the little ones, according to NHS. It’s possible to breastfeed twins or more babies. In fact, lots of twins are breastfed until they grow slightly big and start eating solid foods.

To know more about it, Health Shots reached out to Dr Rijaphin R, Senior consultant obstetrics and gynaecology, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Old Mahaballipuram road, Chennai.

Breastfeeding twins
Can lactating mothers produce enough milk to breastfeed twins? Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Are you producing enough milk to breastfeed twins?

Nursing moms have a lot of questions when it comes to breastfeeding babies. “The most common question about nursing twin babies is whether the mom will be able to produce enough milk to feed both the babies. The answer is as long as you nurse the babies frequently, and on demand your body will make enough milk for your babies,” said Rijaphin. The law of supply and demand works in this case. For instance, the more your babies take the milk, the more milk you will be able to produce.

Breastfeeding twins at the same time is simple

It might be a challenge to breastfeed twins in the initial period as you and your babies are learning how to latch and position them. So, at first it might be easier to nurse the babies one at a time. But as time goes by, most mothers nurse at the same time, noted the expert. There are varying storage capacities, sucking patterns and sucking strengths, so she advised nursing moms to alternate breasts between their babies.

Eat low fat dairy foods while breastfeeding twins

You might think that eating more dairy foods can probably help to produce more milk, but that’s not the case. Rijaphin said that your diet should have low fat dairy foods and more foods high in protein.

raw milk
Nursing moms’ diet should have low fat dairy foods. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Position you can try while breastfeeding twins

Wondering if you are positioning your babies in the right way while breastfeeding twins or is there a specific style? Let’s find out.

Double football position is perfect for simultaneous breastfeeding. The baby’s head is supported in each of the mother’s hands with the child’s body lying under each of the arms, suggests the expert.

She noted that at first, many moms struggle at nursing twins, so don’t be afraid to approach your obstetrician, paediatrician or lactation consultant who have experience with multiple babies and can offer support.

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About the Author

Natalia Ningthoujam has written on various subjects - from music to films and fashion to lifestyle - as a journalist in her career that started in 2010. After getting stories from the crime scene, police headquarters, and conducting interviews with celebrities, she is now writing on health and wellness which has become her focus area. ...Read More

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