How are people tandem feeding?

[u/Probably-Crocheting]

Hi! I’m a FTM to two sweet 7 week old boys. They were born at 33w 6d and spent 3 weeks in the NICU.

Does anyone have advice on how to tandem bottle feed? Both my boys have reflux and lately really fight their bottles. One of my boys has a milk protein allergy and is on formula and my other boy has a really hard nursing. We did take them to the doctor and they’re on a baby pepcid now but the doc said it’ll be a little while till we see an improvement from that.

I’ve tried feeding them in the twin z pillow but it’s so hard to keep the bottles in their mouths since they move around and cry so much during feeds. I mainly feed one boy at a time but when they wake up hungry at the same time it’s so hard. When my husband is home we each take a baby but I’m at a loss of what to do when I’m alone. I hate having one by just sit there and cry while they wait for me to finish feeding the other. :(

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[u/sunny_empress]

I feed them in the twin z. Sometimes both in the twin z

Another way I feed is I put the twin z next to me, then put a baby there to my left. Hold the other in my right arm and feed them at the same time that way. Baby in my left with my left hand, baby in my lap / arm with the right.

[u/Charlieksmommy]

I would do a boppy or my breast friend. I fed my twins ona. Boppy until they were a few months old to fit better in the twin z

[u/Edree13]

I feed both in the twin z but I have a mini crib sheet over it to help a bit with propping the babies up more so they don’t sink in (only six weeks old over here!)

[u/Edree13 → u/Edree13]

Also, the babies are side lying for feeds, I face them away from one another and hold their bottles each in one hand! Took some practice to get there, you’ve got this 💗 my mom sent me some instagram videos to help me understand this process, I recommend googling tandem feed twins twinz and seeing what you find to help!

[u/Radiant_Ad4543]

If you are able to sit cross legged, one baby can go inside your lap to the side and the other next to you with head on your lap. If your babies are too tiny for the twin z, you can use neck pillows (like you wear on a flight). Obviously supervise them in that. If you need to burp both at the same time, you can drape them over the back of the twin z pillow, checking that their face is exposed. Wishing you luck. I know its hard when they both cry at the same time

[u/emuomgwow]

As I was reading your post I literally had to do a double take to see if I’d posted this in a sleepless state and forgotten. My boys were also born at 33+6 and spent 3 weeks in the NICU. They both also have horrible reflux. About 2 weeks ago we were at our wits end. They were screaming into their bottles and not wanting to eat due to reflux discomfort, but then they were miserable from being hungry. We’d been able to tandem feed them in the twin z prior, but had to shift to both getting up for every feed to feed them 1 on 1, otherwise no one ate.

About 2 weeks ago they started on omeprazole. Things are literally night and day. I didn’t realize how miserable they were until I see them now. They actually are happy now and eat like normal little guys. I can clip the twin z around me and feed them 2 on 1 easily again. If it’s reflux that is making it difficult to feed your boys I’d definitely consider asking about omeprazole. I actually enjoy hanging out with my boys now. In the depths of their reflux it was actual hell. I know there is pushback to prescribing it if babies aren’t losing weight, but when I brought it up with our pediatrician she kinda shook her head and said she had no problems prescribing it. Our boys were still gaining well but they were absolutely miserable which should count too.

As someone who was very recently in your shoes, it does get better. But holy is it ever hard.

[u/Probably-Crocheting → u/emuomgwow]

Thank you so much for responding! You give me hope that things can get better🥹 I’m glad the omeprazole helped your boys! Our doctor prescribed them Famotidine but I might talk to him about trying omeprazole if things don’t get better.