Tandem Breastfeeding

I'd like to preface everything I'm about to say with this: I am not a lactation consultant or a doctor.  However, I am passionate about breastfeeding and will do everything I can to offer suggestions and encouragement if it's something you choose to do. 

I'd also like to clear up a big lie: Breastfeeding (if done correctly) doesn't hurt.  That's ridiculous.  It hurts.  I can't even begin to describe how uncomfortable it is in the very beginning.  I'm not sharing this to scare you, but I think it's important to understand that even when it's done correctly it can still hurt.  I know many who have given up because it was painful so they assumed they were doing it the wrong way.  I called my pediatrician one afternoon because I'd pumped an entire bottle before realizing the milk was pink due to blood. (FYI: It was fine to give the bottle to the twins.)  That?  Was painful.  However, I nursed my twins for 15 months.  I'm not sharing this to brag--I'm letting you know I breastfed correctly... and it still hurt.  The moral of the story: The pain subsides and the result is so worth it.

Now that I've hopefully cleared up an urban legend, let's talk about tandem breastfeeding (nursing two babies at the same time).  We will have a Top 10 Favorites post dedicated to nursing must-haves, but I will go ahead and throw out the big one right now:  The My Brest Friend Twins Plus Nursing Pillow is essential.  It is a game changer.  My only complaint is its ridiculous name (I still apologize when I tell someone what it is called--for some reason I feel partially responsible).  It will henceforth be referred to as "The Nursing Pillow" (TNP) because I just can't type its actual name without feeling like a fool.

I think the easiest way to explain tandem breastfeeding is step-by-step instructions.

At the Hospital
1.  Bring TNP to the hospital.  Otherwise, you will be strategically placing six pillows around your poor body every three hours.

2.  Ask your lactation consultant to show you how to tandem nurse.  I loved my lactation consultant but she wasn't going to show me until I repeatedly asked her.  Unless you hire a night nurse, you will never have the luxury of having a specialist right there beside you.  Take advantage of her (but always say thank you).

3.  Download an app on your phone that keeps track of nursing sessions.  I used "Total Baby."  During the first few months you are running on fumes so the last thing you want to do is remember when you last nursed and which twin was on each side.  This keeps track of everything for you.  Here's a screenshot of my nursing schedule for Jude when they were three weeks old:

At Home
1.  At first, tandem breastfeeding is a bit like a 7th grade dance.  It's awkward, no one knows where to put their hands, and you're just counting the minutes until it's over.  The best thing you can do is have everything in place before you begin.  That includes the following:
a. TNP
b. A boppy (used to support one baby while you're burping the other)
c. A huge glass of water
d. Your phone with the app pulled up
e. One or two additional pillows (While I rave about TNP, I still needed an additional pillow for balance.  It's hard to explain but you'll see what I mean once you're there.  Without an extra pillow you're bound to have at least one twin roll off.  I'm kidding.  Sort of.)
f. Two burp cloths
g. Your husband (if he's available)
h. Your twins (they're essential for this process to be successful)

2.  Change their diapers.  We always changed them before I nursed in case they fell asleep directly after.  We stuck to the eat/play/sleep schedule but in the very beginning, "play" can last as little as five minutes.

3.  Put two burp cloths on TNP--they will be used while you're burping the babies but are also nice to keep leaks and spills from getting on TNP.  Once you're "locked in,"  put each twin on TNP with their foreheads almost touching and their bodies following the curve of the pillow (it's called the "football hold").  I put them down on their backs and would "roll" them towards me when I latched each baby. Jude had an excellent latch from the very beginning while Sloane did not.  I would latch Jude first because he would get things going (ahem), and that would entice Sloane. 
NOTE: I remember watching a YouTube video on how to tandem nurse and was thoroughly annoyed because the lady put her twins next to her body and it was like a magnetic force--they latched effortlessly and immediately.  I'd just spent 15 minutes trying (unsuccessfully) to get Sloane to latch.  As I mentioned above, it gets easier.  I promise.

4.  When they are about halfway through a nursing session (the time is different for everyone, but in the beginning mine nursed for 25 minutes total), I would stop to burp.  Once they were both unlatched, I moved Jude to the boppy.  Then I picked up Sloane and burped her using the burp cloth that had been under her head.  Once Sloane was burped, I put her on TNP, picked up Jude from the boppy, put him on TNP, and then moved Sloane to the boppy.  Then I would burp Jude.  Once Jude was burped, I put him on TNP, picked up Sloane and put her back on TNP.  The boppy is not entirely necessary but I felt more comfortable burping a baby and not having to worry about balancing the other on TNP.  If your husband is available, by all means, take advantage of his help and let him burp one baby while you burp the other.

5.  Now that both babies are back on TNP, continue breastfeeding for the remainder of the time. 
NOTE:  If Jude started on my right side, he ended on the right.  However, I switched sides each feeding.  If Jude nursed on my right side at noon, he nursed on my left side at 3p.  Once again, this is why having a phone app is so important!  Who has time to remember that?!

6.  When they are finished nursing, repeat step #4.  In the beginning, the entire process lasted around 45 minutes.

A few tips:
1.  Michael woke up during the night and helped with every feeding.  The extra hands were invaluable.  While I was gathering everything listed in step 1, he was already working on step 2 (changing the babies).  We always split burping duties, which made it go by so quickly.

2.  Tandem nursing helps with scheduling.  If one baby wakes up and is ready to nurse, wake the other baby up.  I know they say "never wake a sleeping baby" but they must've never had twins.  Hurumph.  It didn't take long before the twins were both on the same schedule and I no longer had to wake one.  Trust me, they will go back to sleep just fine.  No permanent damage done.

3.  DON'T FORGET TO EAT.   Breastfeeding twins burns a ridiculous amount of calories.  Eat.  And then eat some more.  And then eat a little bit more. 

4. This is not a tip--this is just a sweet picture of my babies at one-week-old.  They'd just finished tandem nursing and were passed out on TNP.  To this day it is one of my favorite pictures of them!

Like everything else, tandem nursing takes some time to get used to but before long you'll be breastfeeding like the lady on YouTube.  My twins tandem nursed until they were a little over three months old.  I had BIG babies and they outgrew TNP quickly.  I could have done it another month but by that point I enjoyed nursing them one at a time.  Most moms of twins are able to tandem nurse far longer.

Here's a picture of Jude and Sloane after exclusively breastfeeding for six months.  I'd say they enjoyed it as much as I did.  Check out those rolls! :)

 

Jude and Sloane at 15 months--these pictures were taken the week before I stopped breastfeeding (they're now 16.5 months). 

 

 Did you tandem breastfeed?  If so, what tips/tricks can you offer the group?