How do you bottle feed twins at the same time?

[neonrainbow]

I'm struggling with the guilt of the babies having to cry if im feeding the other one. Every day i try to get them on two different feeding schedules however they always manage to reset themselves so that during the day at least once they will want feeding at the same time. In the evenings and overnight my husband and i have one baby each so it's not a problem. How do you cope with feeding them both at the same time?

I've got a twin feeding pillow which ive tried, and also propped them both up on pillows side by side. The problem is i struggle to give each one the attention he needs to be able to have a full feed and struggle to wind them (theyre 9 weeks old, but were born 9 weeks early so essentially they're newborn) breastfeeding didn't work despite my best efforts. I feel so guilty that either one or both will end up falling asleep only having half his usual feed because i couldnt manage them at the same time! Also i can't stand the crying as they end up sounding so distressed.i must add i don't purposely leave them to cry. If im feeding one and the other wakes up ill usually interrupt the first one so i can give the second one something and then the first one falls asleep before i can get back to him. What worked for other people with feeding and winding two babies that are both crying at the same time?

I used to sit in the middle of the sofa with one head on each of my legs so they were a bit raised up and their feet poking towards the arms of the sofa. Don't really remember what I did for winding! Or I put them in bouncy chairs and sat on the floor in between them.

That's a great idea thank you.

I don't have advice on the feeding I'm afraid but my dts are a year old and I still feel guilty about them crying. I often have to leave one crying whilst I'm seeing to the other but I've heard it can make them more patient when they're older

I never did feed mine at the same time. I just didn't feel confident that I would wind them properly. Also, although the crying from the one who is waiting is awful, it is lovely to be able to have a bit of one to one time while feeding. I think the guilt is something you have to del with as a multiple Mum. It does get easier - but you can never give them the undivided attention a singleton gets. As they get a bit older though you'll see them smiling at each other and interacting in a way that makes you realise how lucky they are and the guilt fades. Good luck with however you chose to do it.

Mine learned to hold their own bottles then before they could sit up haha!

I do mine (5 months) in bouncy chairs while I sit in the middle, although in the early days they were in a twin feeding pillow. I found that the wind has got MASSIVELY better as they got older, to the extent that they barely even need to wind now. When they were little they constantly needed winding, it was a real pain. I used to have dummies at the ready and if one needed winding I'd quickly swap the other one's bottle for a dummy. Usually it would take a minute or so to twig.

Don't feel guilty about not being able to sort them out at the same time, you're not an octopus! It sounds like you're doing a great job :-)

When really little I had the pillow across my knees and them their heads up on it with them either side of my thighs, if that makes sense. Once they could sit in their bouncy chairs I would sit on the floor between them and feed them in that. Like PP, my girls learnt to hold their bottles quickly. I did use the MAM bottles that I believe helped with winding and they also had handles you could put on them which they soon learned to hold on to.

Thank you so much for responding i felt quite low earlier so it's good to hear its not just me! I hadn't thought of sticking a dummy in, it should keep the first twin awake long enough anyway to go back to him. Ill try all of these tomorrow, thank you again. Im trying to ignore the guilt as much as possible, after a traumatic birth and the 5 weeks NICU stay im penalty a prime candidate for PND so im trying to be as pragmatic as possible about the practicalities of twins.

I do the same as heate, and to wind, turn one over with one hand and rest their arms on my thigh and rub their back. Works really well as it's a bit like tummy time.

Second heate. On sofa one head on each thigh - see photo.

As they get a bit older, bouncy chairs and holding their own bottle works well.

That's great thank you looks like it will be easier on my arms and wrists as well.

I used to feed them on my bed. I would sit with each babies head resting on my inner knees and feed them together. I would gather a muslin under their chins so i could prop a bottle if i needed two hands to wind one of them. The more you do it the easier it gets. You are doing around 112 feeds a week so you quickly become a pro.

Just thought I'd add to this: I also have twin two year olds and a four year old and I know this might sound sloppy, I've started feeding them by propping the bottle up with blankets, etc. so I can concentrate on sorting the other children or anything else that needs doing. I obviously never leave them and stay nearby to sort them but they seem fine and really happy with it. It means I can wind one well while the other is still feeding too.

I can't quite remember how old they were when I first did it, but they've just turned four months now so youre might be old enough to try?

*should have added they are sat in their pushchair or bouncy chair...

Also use the others if they're in the mood to help!

With our twins we'd wake one half an hour early and do a pre-emptive feed, so that by the time the other one was ready, the first one was just finishing. But when/if that didn't quite work out, I sat on the floor with them in their bath support seats and alternated between them.
Remember the important thing with this is that they are being fed. It doesn't matter how. You're doing a great job. What did you have? Are they identical? We've got non-id boys who are now two. and complete monkeys!

Podee hands-free feeding bottles were a godsend for me. Iirc used them from about 3-4 months (when I heard about the) onwards. I never got on with feeding them together with regular bottles.

One of my friends put her twins in their car seats to feed them so only needed one hand per baby!

A good winding position is laid over your knees, on their tummy. If you raise one leg slightly higher than the other, so they're sloped, and rub/pat backs. You may be able to get them both side by side like that

I also sit on the couch, one on each leg and then if one finishes first they just wait for the other to finish and I'll wind them. I've also fed them both in their bouncy chairs and in their pram but at home I find sitting on the couch far easier.

I never mastered the art of feeding two at once; and he early weeks were REALLY hard. They took a long time to feed, it was stressful. But a few weeks in, they are now 12 weeks and I've found my godsend is.... dummies! I used to hate them, but cannot live without now. I find they will wait patiently for just long enough now they are feeding quicker if they have a dummy. Has changed my life! Oh, and STOP WITH THE GUILT. Up until very recently life here was a chaos of unfinished feeds,unfinished winding, sicking, crying and a general sense of failure from me. A lot of weeping! What you are doing is so hard. The first 2 months of my twins life is the hardest thing I have ever done; and I've been through some shit! Congratulations though, you're on the brink of the joyful phase xxx
( sidonie, we have the same bouncers x cute babies!)

I also felt low and like a massive failure the first two months of my twins life. I couldn't see it getting easier.... but it did! xxxx

Thank you so much ... im trying not to beat myself up any everything but occasionally everything gets on top of you! I had non id boys, they're gorgeous especially now theyre on the verge of interacting with each other. When they're laying on the mat together twin 2 will put his hand out and stroke twin 1s head which is lovely! I can't wait until they start smiling. Thank you for the ideas and recommendations, theyre now big enough to go in their bouncy chairs so I'll give that a go next time they need to be fed at the same time and ill look into the bottles recommended

aww.... I have non id girls and they now stare and smile at each other. The early weeks weren't helped by the fact that the only interration they indulged in was accidentally hitting each other and making each other cry! Honestly, i felt exactly as you did. I ended up at the docs getting put on anti anxiety meds as I worked myself up and began to think I wasn't cut out for it... seriously doubted my ability to ever manage a day without breaking down into tears. Felt like the worst mum in the world etc etc then suddenly it all began to feel a bit easier and now we are all happy. If I can do it, anyone can! If you feel REALLY low, do see the doctor. It helped me- and everyone- to get my anxiety under control. Not on any pills now, and managing fine. You'll be fine! xxxx

Thank you! Luckily ive had a lot of help from my family so i can sort of see the light at the end of the tunnel but it's extremely helpful to know im not alone and the guilt is normal.