Nursing Multiples

“Virtually all mothers can breastfeed one or more infants, provided that they have correct information and the support of their family, the health care system, and society at large.”

– Bennington, Linda K. “Breastfeeding Multiples: It Can Be Done.” Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews 11.4 (2011): 194-197.

Nursing multiples might seem daunting, however it’s 100% possible. In fact, most people are able to produce plenty of milk for two or even three babies! However, successfully nursing multiples requires determination, a bit of planning during pregnancy, and a strong support team during the postpartum period. It might feel overwhelming at the start but if it’s something you’re passionate about, hang in there! In the long run nursing actually saves time and money: no bottle washing, no formula prep, and it doesn’t require any supplies while out and about.

New parents of multiples really benefit from having as much support as possible in the weeks following birth; learning to nurse multiples can be time consuming. It’s a great idea to have your support network in place before you give birth, because the last thing you’ll want to be doing is scrambling to find support while you have hungry babies in the house! As soon as you know you’re expecting multiples and decide to breastfeed you can start building your support network.

Postpartum support is particularly important for parents of multiples. During you first few weeks postpartum you should plan on spending the majority of your time learning how to breastfeed. Having support at home to help with things like making meals, doing laundry, or running errands can be particularly helpful to give you this space to learn. This support can come from a postpartum doula, or from family or friends. Whoever you choose, though, it’s important to be surrounded by people who fully support your decision to nurse your babies. No Debbie-downers allowed! You can find postpartum doulas through doulamatch.com, through DONA International’s website, or sometimes through your midwifery practice or OBGYN. If you’re concerned about the cost of having multiples (two of everything adds up quickly!) it’s helpful to know that many doulas offer a sliding fee scale for clients with demonstrable need. If in doubt, reach out!

It’s also a great idea to work with a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). A CLC can support you in myriad ways: helping you teach your baby a good latch, helping you with positioning, helping with troubleshooting and catching issues early, and establishing a feeding plan. Many birth or postpartum doulas will also be CLCs and will have plenty of knowledge of feeding multiples to support you. If you need more support you can easily find CLCs and other lactation professionals in your area. Some great places to start are The La Leche League website for your community and kellymom.com (https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/bfhelp-find/).

Another key factor of success for nursing multiples is establishing an abundant milk supply. Breastfeeding as often as possible is the best way to achieve this. You should aim to nurse each baby at least 8 times in 24 hours or whenever they show feeding cues. After nursing you should make sure that your breasts are entirely empty. At the start this often means hand expressing or using a pump to make sure all milk is completely drained. Completely emptying the breasts after each feeding will signal to the brain to make even more milk next time, which is exactly what you want to create an abundant supply. Once you have a strong supply established and your babies are nursing effectively you don’t need to worry about this step. All this feeding and pumping takes a lot of time - so be gentle with yourself. You and your babies will learn together and things will become smoother and more sleep-filled as time goes by.

Feeding on demand (whenever they show hunger cues) is a good idea for the first few weeks to get breastfeeding established, but after a few weeks of successful nursing you can work to get your babies in sync so they are eating at the same time throughout the day and night.

Positioning multiples to nurse might take a bit more practice than a singleton but you will eventually get the hang of it and find what works best for you and your babies. Some parents like to nurse two babies together while others prefer to nurse each baby individually. If you decide to feed both babies together having another adult to hand you each baby one at a time can make a big difference in helping you position them together at the breasts. The image below gives an idea of some breastfeeding positions for multiples, but your CLC or doula can give you personalized support with positioning your babies.

Most importantly, remember to give yourself grace during the first few months postpartum; focus on healing your body, establishing breastfeeding, and getting to know your new little ones. Accept (and ask for!) help from others with household tasks. If people reach out asking how they can help, ask them to drop off a meal or do a load of laundry. Keep a short list of things that need to be done around the house so when someone offers to help you can tell them a specific thing you need done. Take time to care for yourself and to learn how to care for your babies. The world can wait! And most importantly, know that your babies will love you more than anything else in the world, no matter what feeding choices you make for your family.

And just in case you needed a smile today, I love this art by Olivia Mew ...

Art by Olivia Mew. https://www.oliviamew.com