How to Single-Handedly Bottle Feed Infant Twins

If you’ve decided to bottle feed your infant twins (with either formula or breast milk), you’ll need to figure out how to conquer the logistics of feeding two babies by yourself.

As a parent, you won’t always have a pair of helping hands around to assist with feeding time.

Help Holding

You can try a large crescent shaped nursing pillow that can wrap around your abdomen, to help support the weight of both babies while you feed them simultaneously.

This should allow one person to position both twins in the “football hold” (a nursing term) and bottle feed them simultaneously. The challenge here is actually getting both twins situated around you without anyone to hand them to you. You may want to try this on a bed or another area with lots of pillows, both for support for you and the babies, but also for ease in getting situated.

If using a nursing pillow around your abdomen isn’t your cup of tea, another alternative is to procure two and place each twin in their own nursing pillow with the pillow supporting their head, neck, and upper back and their bodies resting in the U-space of the pillow. Sit down on the floor, put a twin on either side of you, and hold the bottles for your hungry babies.

Supporting the Infants

Another variation is similar to the nursing pillow but uses bouncy seats. We most often used two bouncy seats that we’d lay each girl in at an incline. We’d have them a few feet apart, both facing the same direction. My wife or I could then sit between them on the ground, with our back against the sofa, facing the twins.

We’d then hold one bottle with each hand and feed the girls at the same time. Make sure you have some arm support, like a pillow or find a way to rest on the bouncy seat, otherwise, you’ll get really tired, really fast.

One at a Time

You don’t have to feed your twins at the same exact time. If you must, take turns. Remember that one secret to your sanity is to handle each twin one at a time.

Get Helpers

Don’t assume that you have to do everything by yourself.

My wife and I found it easiest to each hold and feed a baby whenever I was home. Of course, this means you need two adults to feed two babies. This will only work for you if you have another set of helping hands at home.

I highly recommend that you recruit some helpers (family, friends, etc.) to stay with you and take turns feeding during the night, especially during the first month of newborns.

As They Grow

Once your twins are sitting up and starting to crawl, they may not be interested in their bouncy seats anymore, for any reason. By this point, it is also easier to lift and position them, so try sitting them on each of your legs, their back to your front. As they cuddle into you, pop the bottles in their mouths. Not only do you get cuddle time, but now your arms don’t lose feeling by the end of a feed.

All That Matters

How you feed your twins, where they eat, who feeds them, and the timing of everything doesn’t really matter. The most important thing is that your twins do eat and get the nourishment your pediatrician has outlined.

Try different methods and styles to see what works best for you and your family.

You won’t be holding bottles out at arms’ length forever. The twins will eventually be able to hold their own bottles, which my wife tells me was one of the happiest days of her life.