Feeding twins and multiples

Feeding will take up a lot of your time in the first few months of your babies' lives.

Whether you breastfeed or formula feed, you'll need to create a routine that suits you and your babies.

Some mothers can feed 2 babies at the same time, while some prefer to feed 1 after the other.

Others feed whenever their babies seem hungry (on demand).

If one baby seems to be feeding more or less than the other, or you have any other concerns about your babies, talk to your health visitor.

Your health visitor can tell you where to find your nearest baby clinic.

Some health visitors will visit you regularly at home to keep an eye on your babies' progress.

Breastfeeding twins or more

It's important not to be put off breastfeeding because you're having more than 1 baby.

Breastfeeding is a great way to soothe your babies and helps you build a strong bond with them.

It's perfectly possible to breastfeed twins, triplets or more. Lots of twins are breastfed until they start eating solid foods.

You may like to try a few breastfeeding positions to see which suits you best.

You'll get support with breastfeeding at the hospital and also when you take your babies home.

The benefits of breast milk for your babies are the same as for single babies.

But as multiple babies are more likely to be born prematurely, there are extra benefits.

Breastfeeding premature twins

Breast milk is better for premature babies as their gut is immature and it's easier for them to tolerate and digest.

Breast milk also contains proteins and antibodies to protect your babies against infections.

If your babies are very tiny or sick when they're born, you may need to express your breast milk to begin with.

Your expressed milk may be fed to your babies through a thin tube that passes through the nose and into the stomach. 

Visit the Twins Trust charity's website for more information on breastfeeding twins or more.

Formula feeding multiples

You may need to combine formula feeding with breastfeeding if, for example, you have triplets or more, or you may choose to only formula feed your babies.

Formula feeding is more expensive than breastfeeding when you have twins or more.

But it does mean that other people can help with feeding your babies.

As with breastfeeding, you'll need to decide whether you're going to feed your babies together or separately.

Bottles need to be freshly prepared for each feed. This can be quite time consuming with twins or more, so you may want to ask your partner or someone else to help with this.

As with breastfeeding, formula feeding your babies can help you build a close and loving bond.

Hold your babies close during feeds, look into their eyes and talk to them.

Learn to notice their cues when they want to be fed and when they have had enough.

Visit the Twins Trust website for more information on formula feeding twins or more.

Weaning twins on to solids

When your babies are around 6 months old, you can give them their first solid foods.

It's not unusual for 1 baby to be ready to begin solids before the other.

If your babies were born prematurely, your health visitor can give you advice on the best time to start solids.

Find out more about your baby's first solid foods

Visit the Multiple Births Foundation website for a publication about feeding twins, triplets or more.