Throughout your pregnancy you will have the opportunity to discuss how you plan to feed your babies with your midwife or consultant. Much of what you will discuss will depend on your birth plan and it may be appropriate for you to start expressing small amounts of your first milk; colostrum from 36 or 37 weeks as it more likely twins and triplets are born early. If you are thinking of expressing before birth, it is important you discuss your options with your healthcare professional.
You will be advised that expressing milk may encourage labour early and to consider putting a ‘feeding plan’ in place so it is clear to the health professionals caring for you if you have a store of expressed breast milk and intend to breastfeed.
Once your babies have arrived it will become a matter of learning your baby’s early feeding cues so your supply becomes established and you feel confident that your babies are getting what they need.
When it comes to feeding your babies directly from the breast, positioning and attachment are key to avoiding sore nipples and poor milk transfer. You may wish to consider if you want to feed your babies together or separately and it is advised that if you choose to feed each baby from a specific breast that you swap sides daily to support their development through visual stimulation.
We have highlighted 6 positions suitable for breastfeeding twins below:
Expressing breastmilk
- Expressing milk can stimulate your supply
- Breastmilk can be expressed by hand or with a breast pump (single or double, manual or battery/electric)
- Your hands should be washed thoroughly before expressing and you should be in a comfortable position with your shoulders relaxed
- You can stimulate your breasts by massaging them or by warming them by using a heat pad to encourage milk flow
