Intro and advice re: tandem feeding

Kaly16

Hello! I have been a lurker for a long time and this board has been super helpful since we found out we were having twins- so thanks! My little ones were born on June 8 at 35.2 weeks and spent. 9 days in the NICU. They are doing very well at home and we are successfully BF during the day and I pump and bottle feed at night ( in order to make sure they get full feeds at night). I am looking forward to BF at night and cutting out the pumping step! My goal is to tandem feed. I have attempted twice, but they each require assistance with achieving a good latch and DS gets frantic and pulls of multiple times if he doesn't get milk immediately! Any advice on how to successfully tandem feed? Thanks!

basil2

Congratulations!
I'd just keep trying. Choose a time when they're both hungry but not frantic - get help positioning them (4 hands really helps at first) - if one is more likely to stay latched on his/her own, latch that one first then put you attention toward the other.
Good luck!

karah4816

All I can say is just keep trying and you'll get the hang of it. like the PP said try to feed them before they're starving and latch the easier one first. It will get easier, I still tandem feed at 7 1/2 months. It was hard at first but its a piece of cake now

MrsP419

I have been tandem feeding since the first day (not always successfully) and I am so thankful that I tried.  So far, it is going pretty well (aside from some cracked and raw nipples that are having a hard time healing).  My tips are to get a good nursing pillow (we use my breast friend twin), have more pillows behind your back for support, set yourself up near lots of water, and latch the "better" latcher first.  Also, sometimes one is ready to stop before the other; that is fine.  You can have one unlatched and chilling on your lap while the other finishes eating.  Keep trying!  If you need a break or really don't feel like doing the two at once thing, have a session every day where you nurse them separately (I think it helps me bond with them individually).  Enjoy the experience; it is a pretty unique one!

dmurrie

Our babies were born on Friday and we came home Sunday. Nursing has been somewhat of an issue for us, too. The one thing I will say is get your twin nursing pillow. After speaking to the LC at the hospital, we chose the my Brest friend twin pillow. It arrived in our doorstep today, and I must say it is absolute heaven compared to the pillow fort I had previously erected on the couch! I still have to put one pillow under the front part of the pillow, but that brings the babies up to the perfect height. DH has been wonderful with helping them latch (and open their mouths better when needed).