If you’re pregnant with twins, you are far from alone. The number of multiple births has increased these days compared to the past and we’re hearing about twin births more often.
There are several ways of conceiving twin babies. Occasionally two eggs are released from the ovary and fertilized by two sperms resulting in twin babies who are nourished in two separate placentas in the uterus. Babies who are conceived in this way are unidentical in appearance. Another way is when a fertilized egg splits into two and results in twin babies that are mostly identical.
A mother who has given birth to twins must pay attention to her own nourishment as well as that of her babies. Since a mother of twins is handed a bigger responsibility than of a mother of one, the maximum support of family members is also required.
Don’t worry - you CAN produce enough milk for both babies
A mother who gives birth is capable of producing enough milk not only for one child, but for more. Mothers may wrongly conclude that their milk supply is insufficient for the development of the baby due to factors such as age, the size of their body or breasts, multiple births, and delivery through caesarean surgery. However, these factors have no impact whatsoever on the mother’s milk production. In fact, the main reason for low milk intake of a baby is their inability to nurse properly.
Although a mother will be overjoyed to hear that she is expecting twin babies, it is only natural for concerns to arise regarding the work involved as well as the nourishment required for the babies. This is because unlike having just one child, the work load is seemingly doubled when having twins. As mentioned before, the family needs to offer maximum support to a mother who has given birth to twins.
Under the weight of responsibility, mothers tend to intensely worry about the nourishment of twins, thinking that perhaps their milk production is insufficient for their babies. However, it is important to reiterate that even a mother who has given birth to twins is able to produce enough milk.
Feeding twins simultaneously
Once a mother with twins practices latching one baby onto a breast, it is good to start latching both babies at the same time, one on each breast. This will help you maintain a good milk supply. Before checking out from the hospital, all mothers are provided training on this, and also, once you are home, you can seek support from the midwife on any problems that you may have with breastfeeding. For this, you need to ensure that you inform the officer as soon as the babies are brought home.
A signal is transmitted to the mother’s brain when she breastfeeds the baby, releasing the hormone Prolactin, resulting in the production of milk. As a mother of twins tends to nurse from both breasts, this empties them both leading to increased milk production than when nursing from just one breast. By breastfeeding both babies together, you save time as well as avoid difficulties such as one child crying in hunger while the other feeds.
Usually, most newborn babies slightly lose weight within the first two weeks before gradually gaining weight again. Usually, a child who breastfeeds well can be observed to gain 500g to 1kg weight per month.
As mentioned before, a major concern of a mother of twins is whether both her babies are receiving sufficient amounts of breast milk. As long as the mother is eating nutrient-rich meals and drinking plenty of water, she will have good milk production. Normally, the best determinant of a child getting enough milk is their development report. According to this, mothers will be given necessary advice at the clinic.
Train the twins separately in life
Although the twins shared their mother’s womb together, once they are born, they will have to live their lives separately. You should never forget that they are two different people. Good support is essential for them to practice living independently. Therefore as parents, you are required to have some understanding of these points.
- Have one-on-one chats at separate times with each child.
- Make others aware of the fact that twin children are capable of living independently.
- Allow them to pursue different hobbies and activities.
- Ensure they join different teams to become independent.
- Appreciate their skills and good behaviour separately.
- Give them each separate times to spend with the mother and the father
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