One of the greatest concerns that new mothers of twins have relating to breastfeeding twins is their milk supply. They are constantly asking themselves, “Will I have enough milk?”.
I know this was definitely my biggest concern, and I was like a woman possessed, scouring the internet on a regular basis trying to find ways to increase breast milk supply for breastfeeding twins.
Perceived or actual milk supply issues is one of the most common reasons for discontinuing breastfeeding. And the number of mothers with multiples that are still breastfeeding their babies at 3 months of age is sadly quite low (around 22-29% compared to 35-40% of singletons – Millennium Cohort Study).
My breastfeeding journey was a long and challenging one – a story I will share with you all in another post. In a nutshell, it took me nearly four months to get to a point where I was feeding both girls fully from the breast with no formula top-ups.
I went from almost 70% formula-fed to 100% breastfed, and during this time, I was frantically researching milk-boosting tips and tricks to help the process.
So, to save you the time and hassle of doing your own research, I have shared with you all the tips I came across and which worked best for me.
Of course, everyone is so different and may see different results with each technique/product, so it may take some trial and error, but at least you will have a go-to list of things to try.
I hope it helps your breastfeeding journey.
Anna xx
Preparing to breastfeed your twins
Breastfeeding is meant to be the most natural thing in the world—isn’t it? Well, not in my world. Looking back, I wish someone had told me to spend more time reading and learning about breastfeeding before my babies arrived.
Breastfeeding is a skill that both mama and babies need to learn. Learning ‘on the job’ is always a challenge. But learning on the job while you are seriously sleep-deprived and hormone-crazed is next to impossible.
Talk with your midwife/obstetrician about it and if they are not supportive of you breastfeeding multiples (surprisingly many will advise you it’s not possible!!) then find someone who is.
Better yet, seek out a lactation consultant and meet with them BEFORE you have your babies.
READ MORE : Getting established with breastfeeding twins
How important is latch?
The number one reason for low milk supply when breastfeeding twins is poor latch and failure to sufficiently drain the breasts. It’s the same as for singleton babies. So the first thing to do is make sure your babies are latching correctly.
I STRONGLY recommend seeking the help of a lactation consultant as soon as possible. Before your babies are born would be ideal.
You will have the most success at breastfeeding if you seek help within the first few days following their arrival to establish that crucial latch.
If your babies aren’t latching correctly, they won’t be draining the milk sufficiently to trigger your body to make what your babies need. You will then find yourself constantly trying to find ways to increase your breast milk supply which is exhausting.
Also, while there is a great push to learn to tandem-feed twins, I found it easier to focus on one baby at a time in the early days while you are learning.
Each baby will have its own feeding needs and style. So it is much easier to get one sorted and latching well and then focus on the other one—it is less overwhelming.
Feed your twins on-demand, not by the clock
It’s very easy to get drawn into feeding ‘by the clock’. However this can be an absolute killer for building up your milk supply.
Your babies know when they are hungry, and some days, they might need to be fed every hour or two. This is especially true if they are fueling a growth spurt, which occurs every few weeks in the early days.
While this feeding frenzy can be daunting to keep up with, it is your babies building the milk supply they need in order to match their growing needs. Often these feeding frenzies can be misinterpreted for low milk levels. But as long as you go with the flow and increase the feeding frequency to match your babies’ needs, then your milk volume will increase. Tiring, but essential.
And remember your babies may not go through their growth spurts at the same time…
How long should I feed twins for?
In the beginning, I was very confused about how long I was meant to feed my newborn twins at each session. Some advice said 20 minutes maximum, others said as long as your babies will feed for.
The key was ‘active feeding’.
I had one ‘slow and steady’ feeder and one I nicknamed my vacuum cleaner.
In the early days, Miss Slow and Steady would easily take around 40 minutes to feed, and Miss Vacuum would be done in around 25-30 minutes, so go with what your babies want/need.
Just watch for the active sucking and swallowing movements.
If they have gone to sleep or are just comfort-sucking (little butterfly-like sucks), then take them off and either wake them up and get them active sucking again, or if they have had a good sustained period of active sucking, then put them to bed and start again when they next wake up.
Breast Pumps/Expressing with Twins
My relationship with my breast pump was a serious love/hate one. I felt like I was permanently attached to it for the first few months. However, I knew that expressing was a great way to boost my milk supply when breastfeeding twins. So I had to persevere if I wanted to succeed.
It is also essential if your babies are premature and not feeding at all or not efficiently enough to establish/maintain an adequate supply.
Add a 10-15 minute pumping session after or between feeding your babies. Expressing while performing breast compressions is even more effective.
READ MORE: Why breast pumping is important with twins
It’s very easy to get caught up in the numbers. It’s clear to see exactly how much milk you express so it can give you a false impression of how much milk your babies are getting when they feed directly from you.
Babies are FAR more efficient at removing milk from a breast than a breast pump. So just because the bottle says you only pumped 3.5oz / 100mls, your baby may be getting more.
A great trick I learned from one of my midwives was to weigh your baby before and after a feed. This will give you a rough indication of how much milk they had taken.
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Top-ups
I’m going to be cautious with what I say here, as the number one priority is ensuring your baby is well-fed. So, if your medical team has advised you to add formula top-ups to your feeding schedule to ensure your babies are properly nourished, then absolutely follow this advice.
From a breast milk supply perspective, adding formula top-ups means the baby is not taking milk from you. So, it will affect the volume of milk your body will produce. Something to consider.
It’s hard not to fall into the routine of offering formula top-ups – especially if you are worried about not having enough milk supply for breastfeeding your twins. But this is where adding extra breast pumping sessions can help so you can use breast milk for the top-ups.
It took me a while to abandon top-ups, but I had the close support and supervision of my lactation consultant. So, if you are considering this, please consult with your healthcare professional before making any changes to your babies’ feeding schedule.
READ MORE: What if your twins need formula
Your diet, fluid intake and rest
I’m not even going to talk about rest, as it’s ridiculous to ask a twin mama to find time to rest. It just doesn’t happen in the early days (unless you are one of the lucky ones with lots of support).
Diet, and especially fluid intake are super important for your milk supply when breastfeeding twins.
In the early days, I was drinking around 4-5 liters of water a day. It sounds like a lot but if you think about it, YOU need 2 liters and then your babies will take around 750-1000mls each per day once they reach 1 month old. And breastmilk consists of around 85-90% water.
Your body will also need extra nutritional requirements while breastfeeding twins to ensure that you maintain the energy to care for and feed your babies and that your little ones are getting all the nutrients they need to grow.
READ MORE: Breastfeeding Twins – Your Dietary Requirements
Milk Supply Boosting Tips for Breastfeeding Twins
If you are still feeling that you need to increase your milk supply to successfully breastfeed your twins or improve its quality a bit more, then you could try some of the following well-known supplements to increase milk supply and/or quality.
Oats
Add a bowl of porridge to your day for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
Brewer’s Yeast
One of the best ways to include Brewer’s Yeast into your day is to include it in a Breastfeeding Power Smoothie called Tigers Milk. Many different recipes are available; you can search for one you like the look of, or the one I found and liked is below.
Start with 2 per day and you should see an improvement in supply within 2-3 days.
Tigers Milk Recipe
Place the following into a blender:
- 1 Banana
- 2T Plain Yogurt with Acidophilus
- 2T Wheatgerm
- 1T Brewer’s Yeast
- A handful of your favorite fresh or frozen berries
Top up to 500ml with full cream milk. Blend until smooth. Makes your 2 drinks for the day.
Lactation Cookies
Lactation cookies are an easy (and yummy) way to add some extra nutrition, protein, and breastmilk-boosting nutrients to your day. If you are short on time (haha), you can purchase ready-to-eat cookies or pre-mixed cookie dough that is ready to bake.
There are also LOTS of recipes available, so you could make your own lactation cookies. Check out our Pinterest board “Tips & Tricks for Breastfeeding Twins’ for some of our favorite recipes.
Protein/Nutritional Drinks
Add a Complan, Boost, or Ensure nutritional or protein drink to your day as a snack (not a meal replacement). It’s a good idea to have it in the early afternoon to help give a boost before the evening feeds.
Protein
Have a Protein-rich snack one hour before breastfeeding your twins. This will help to increase your milk quality.
Water!!!
Lots and lots and lots of water! I can’t stress this enough. Remember breastmilk is around 85% water. So if you are dehydrated you won’t be producing the milk you need.
Blessed Thistle/Fenugreek
Fenugreek has been used for centuries by breastfeeding mothers to help boost milk supply. And Blessed Thistle is known to improve the quality or richness of milk.
Naturopaths recommend Fenugreek is taken in conjunction with Blessed Thistle as it is far more effective in combination. I saw noticeable results within around 24-36 hours, but it can take up to two weeks to see the full effect.
This combination of herbs was my favorite go-to remedy for boosting my milk supply. And the one that most midwives and naturopaths will recommend.
Prescription medications
There are prescription medications that can be prescribed to you by your Obstetrician or Doctor, which can be very useful for boosting supply. There are some side effects so talk with your medical professional to see if this could be an option for you.
Herbal Lactation Teas
Most lactation teas contain Fenugreek, a known milk supply enhancer. It’s also a lovely way to boost your fluid intake. Most teas recommend 3 – 4 cups per day.
Feeding Weekends/Holidays
Feeding weekends are one of the best ways to increase your milk supply naturally; however, it does take the buy-in of your partner and/or support network, as it involves you going to bed with your babies for 2-3 days and doing nothing but concentrating on feeding them. Your support team needs to feed you and look after everything else.
You are more relaxed, as you do not have to do anything except feed your babies. Your babies have easy access to you as and when they are feeling hungry, so the extra feeding will naturally help boost your milk supply. It’s also a great excuse to get some time out. If you can time this feeding weekend while your twins are already demanding extra feeds from you, that would be ideal.
Rest
I know! I know! I’m rolling my own eyes as I tell you this. But it’s true. A big part of effective breastmilk production is a rested and calm mama. So while it will feel impossible – look, I was a single mama with newborn twins and limited support, so I get it – if you can get just a bit of downtime or think of ways that you can relax while feeding your babies – calm music, candles, dimmer lights, not putting pressure on yourself to be somewhere, or to get out of the house, it really will make a difference.
It is hard not to worry about whether your breastfed twins are getting enough milk. And sometimes this added stress can play a part in lowering milk supply.
But just remember, there are many things you can try if you feel that your milk supply is not keeping up with your hungry babies. Even if it’s just adding a few cups of lactation tea to your day to ease your mind.
Our bodies are amazing things and can cope perfectly with breastfeeding twins. Sometimes, it just takes a little support to help you get there.
