Last updated on April 17th, 2024 at 11:27 pm
Welcome to motherhood as a twin mom. You may be reading this as a pregnant mom wondering how on earth you are going to feed two tiny humans at the same time. I will not lie. It is hard. It is also magical, joyful, and overflowing with lovely oxytocin. I both nursed and bottle-fed my twins. You may just bottle feed, you may just nurse, or you may do both; either way you are going to survive and flourish in this motherhood thing regardless of how you feed your baby. I’m also sharing my list of breastfeeding twins supplies to get you ready for your twin delivery day.
I will never forget the first time I tandem nursed my twin boys at the same time just a few days after they were born. I was so excited and the NICU nurses were so excited that they called over several other nurses and NICU mothers to come to look at the glory of it all. “Look! I am feeding two babies at the same time!”, I thought. I didn’t care that I was topless in front of so many women, I just beamed with joy at that moment. You will too. It took work and determination, but we did it.
Breastfeeding Twins Supplies
Nursing one baby can be done on the go, in public, around others, and rather quickly. Nursing tandem (twins at the same time) requires quite a bit more maneuvering and handiwork when they are small. It also requires you to be totally topless with no free hands most of the time, depending on how well your babies stay latched. Of course, there are many positions and you could feed one baby at a time too.
The best thing I did was set up a nursing station at home. I had a certain comfy corner of the couch I always sat in. It had a small table to the side with a water bottle, the remote, my phone, nipple cream, a burp cloth, and a double nursing pillow. As time was nearing to nurse the twins, I would turn on a show I liked or some music, fill up the water bottle and prepare myself to be sitting there for a good 20 minutes.
Twin Breastfeeding Pillows
Twins Breastfeeding Pillow – A specific twin breastfeeding pillow allows for double nursing since the pillow is made extra wide on both sides to support a baby under each arm. Many also come with back support, which is lovely.
The top twins breastfeeding pillows are:
Twin-Z Breastfeeding Pillow which you can grab here on Amazon. Best for using the double football hold and also if you end up having a c-section with twins because of the clever closure in the front where your incision will be.
My Breast Friend Double Breastfeeding Pillow which you can grab here on Amazon.
TwinGo Twin Breastfeeding Pillow (buy here): This is the newest twin breastfeeding pillow on the market. It is higher than the other two pillows so you slouch less, which is great for your back. It also separates into two single pillows.
Breast Pump for Twins
Double Electric Breast Pump (like this one). A double pump will help your breastmilk supply to get established, which is recommended in the early weeks of nursing twins. Your time is limited — make sure you’re pumping from both breasts at once to optimize your pumping. Don’t forget breastmilk storage bags, too.
Curious to know what breast pump is best for twins? Check out what our community had to say.
Worried about breastfeeding twins? What To Do When You’re Breastfeeding Two is an on-demand online breastfeeding twins class made just for YOU! This course was created by Twiniversity in partnership with Judy Teibloom-Mishkin, IBCLC. Click here to learn more…
Twin Feeding Daily Log
Notebook or Nursing App. You are a twin mom, your brain may be mushy at first. You may often not remember the last time you fed your babies. Writing down what time, who ate on what side, etc. helped me because I had one breast that didn’t supply as much milk as the other so I always wanted to switch who ate on what side with each feeding. It’s also important to alternate your babies on each breast to make sure your breasts don’t become lopsided over time.
Check out our Twiniversity Twins Baby Log
Nursing Clothing
- Nursing camisoles. Camisoles were my go-to shirt most days. I loved them and wore them until they died. I still wear them, to be honest!
- Supportive, No-Wire Nursing Bras. No one likes shopping for bras and nursing bras were always tricky to find, especially since the size of your breasts change throughout the day. If you find a good, supportive, soft and flexible one, buy them in every color.
Breastfeeding Twins Accessories
- Disposable nursing pads with adhesive on the back. Those suckers fall off or shift and you end up a milky mess if you don’t use ones with adhesive.
- Nursing cover. When visitors come over or if you feel uncomfortable nursing uncovered out and about.
- Nipple cream. Coconut oil. Something to soothe those tired, achy nips after a feed.
Other supplies you may not have thought of
- A large, reusable water bottle. One that is cute helps brighten the day. One that has markers for how much you drink does too so you can have a goal for how much to drink every day.
- Easy, Healthy Snacks. You are about to get hungrier than you thought you could ever be nursing twins. Find some healthy snacks that are quick and easy you can keep at your nursing station and in your diaper bag. Fruit, nuts, lactation cookies, and of course chocolate.
- Support. Ask for help from a friend, neighbor, sister, or mother. Ask your spouse to encourage you. Call a lactation consultant for a visit right after birth and keep calling her if you need to. Join a Mothers of Multiples club in your area. Surround yourself with encouraging, positive people who will walk alongside you and help you meet your breastfeeding goals.
The most important supply on this list, in my opinion, is support. Take care of yourself and your sweet baby’s momma. Ask for help. From one twin momma to another, you can do this!
Hi, I’m Rachel. I am a mom to identical twin toddlers and a surprise baby fourteen months later. I am all sorts of tired, silly, and caffeinated all at once. I am an infertility and IVF survivor, pastor’s wife, insurance agent, cupcake baker, chocolate lover and writer of words. Waitingforbedtime.com is my motherhood therapy where I share my tales of chaos, learn from my many mistakes and hopefully encourage you that you are not alone while you wait for bedtime. You can find me on Facebook at Facebook.com/waitingforbedtime.
