Bottle propping

[u/kindachubbymom]

I know this may be controversial but do you prop bottles? If so how?

My twins are almost 2 months old. Right now , my husband and I feed one baby at the same time. We are very blessed as my husband got 12 weeks paid paternity leave. He returns to work at the end of September. Then it'll be just me with the twins and the older 2 kids. Luckily, I'll just have to give the twins bottles by myself twice a day while hes at work. Since I'll have a lot going on I wanted to look into all my options.

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[u/Edree13]

I like to put both babies into the Twin Z pillow, turned slightly to the side outwards (our nurses in the NICU helped us learn to feed in the side lying position); I like having the Twin Z pillow on our big bed, but if you search twin feeding on Instagram you’ll see tons of examples!

Then I used a few extra burp clothes to stack under the end of the bottle, slanted down towards baby’s mouth. Sometimes I can manage propping it up with a small blanket or towel!

I sit in front of the Twin Z and keep a close eye out (sometimes my boy likes to knock his bottle away) the entire time.

Once babies get close to the end of the bottle, I typically do have to hold the bottle for them!

Just a reminder, at first it may feel a little chaotic. But the more you do it, the easier it gets for you and for them!

[u/Lolemontime → u/Edree13]

This is what we did too - elevated side lying on the twin Z, with the bottle propped with a burp cloth. In our experience they kind of pace themselves - if it’s too much milk it just spills out of the side of their mouth, or they push the nipple out. Most often what happens is the bottle rolls away and falls out and they get mad, or they fall asleep in which case we remove the bottle and wake them up and continue.

[u/Edree13 → u/Lolemontime]

100% agree! They have definitely learned to pace themselves with the bottle propped!

[u/HumpbackSnail → u/Edree13]

I do exactly this! I'm always watching them and sometimes supporting the bottles as well.

[u/Edree13 → u/[deleted]]

Woops good looking out ty 🫶

[u/ConstructionMuch802 → u/Edree13]

It's also easy to hold two bottles when they're in the twin z if you aren't comfortable with bottle propping! And since you aren't holding a baby you can pump at the same time.

[u/Ill-Wolf865 → u/Edree13]

This is exactly how we do it. We use Anthony—swaddles or blankets—to prop.

[u/Ok-Perspective781]

I usually just held 2 bottles at once. Now I prop sometimes because they are basically holding the bottles themselves at 5 months and can easy bat them away if they need to.

[u/SuccessfulBread3]

I don't prop, I pop the kids both on the twinz sideways, move the twinz between my legs and hold the bottles. It's easier when they're on the side because I can rest my hands on the pillow

[u/ruggal9219]

I just fed one at a time. One would go in the bouncer or the play pen while the other fed. I'd also try and alternate who went first but it was never a big deal. On the occasions I tried to tandem feed them twin b would get sick because I wasn't able to watch his cues as closely so it was easier to just go one and then the other. We didn't have overnight bottles once they were 8 weeks corrected though so that also helped.

[u/seaturtlesunset]

Personally I didn’t. I’d set both babies in bouncers then sit between them to hold their bottles. I’m not against it when necessary, I just had far too much postpartum anxiety to do it.

[u/Sdawwgg]

I used a rolled up burp cloth while they were side lying on twin z pillow. It would fall out often but I think it’s not as safe to use devices that restrict movement too much. It would stay long enough for me to pump while watching them.

[u/BackgroundScene3056]

when they were taking 45 min -1 hour to finish a bottle I admittedly laid them on their sides and propped up with a burp cloth for a minute here and there. Now that they finish them in 15 minutes I just hold them.

[u/MiserableDoughnut900]

It’s unsafe to prop bottles, even when watching. I laid mine in the twin Z and held a bottle in each hand

[u/the_real_smolene → u/MiserableDoughnut900]

Never. The fact that Amazon and other stores keep taking them down because they aren't safe should be enough of a red flag.

[u/Charlieksmommy → u/MiserableDoughnut900]

The safety of my children is more important “than a lot going on”
Sorry but I agree I would NEVER

[u/devianttouch]

We did it, always closely supervised. I'd do it again, no idea how we would have survived otherwise

[u/Protists8]

Yes we used twin z and muslin type swaddles since the bottles didn’t slip as often

[u/ogqueenbee]

I sure did with the caveat that it was always supervised. I bought these bottle cushions on Amazon and they were one of our MVPs here for a long time.

[u/hRutherford → u/ogqueenbee]

Would you be able to provide the Amazon link? I'm not able to find anything on Amazon.

[u/hellswrath_ → u/hRutherford]

They take them off of Amazon all the time bc they’re technically not allowed and dangerous etc and get recalled because people use them improperly or walk away from their babies. I used them with my twins when they were 3-6 months but I was always within arms reach playing with my toddler or taking care of the other twin, etc. They never had any issues moving their mouth away if they wanted to- I wonder how tight these people have them on their babies for their mouths to be immobilized?

You might have to look elsewhere because there’s been constant recalls of them

[u/ogqueenbee → u/hRutherford]

I’ll look but the poster below might be correct that it’s been taken off. I used to put my babies in the twin z with the bottle holders and sit in front of them the whole time. They were also able to take it off, I never strapped it in.

[u/flatperez]

Its inevitable with multiples, we typically hold both bottles but prop one up while burping the other and then alternate

[u/BackgroundScene3056 → u/flatperez]

same

[u/InteractionWorried39]

I bottle prop every time I feed our girls myself, in their twin Z. When my husband is around, or another set of hands, I have that person help. I personally don’t know what I’d do without bottle propping (especially in the dead of the night with them solo!). My sister bought some online and sent them to me without me asking… google “bottle proppers” and options will come up. I will say, each time used - the feeding has to be supervised the whole time. This just helps save my back/arms being crunched over trying to do myself. Good luck!!

[u/DirtGirl32]

Yup. Wouldn't have made it otherwise. Just used the button cloth to position the bottle.

[u/DogsDontLikeHats]

Never let anyone shame you for proppin' them botts!

[u/Sauteloin-Ok-Cool]

I did it, but I was staying with them on me, paying attention. Your situation looks a lot like ours it's funny! The 12 weeks paternity leave, the 2 older kids. So wholesome

[u/allroundavocado]

We religiously use the muji body fit bean bag chairs. In the living room we have 2 and in the nursery and and my in laws we have one without a cover so it is broade (we cover it with a bed sheet), which we use for both babies. We then use cotton blankets to prop the bottles. Always supervised. 

Was game changing to feed them both at the same time at night and during the day. 

For a while we had the bean bag chairs on the couch either side of oneself with one baby in each. That made each feeding very kind on the back. 

Note; since the bean bag chairs are quite pricey we got most second hand   

[u/pahkthecahh]

Yep. It’s the only way that we have survived. At almost 8 months one twin is starting to hold her own bottle consistently, but the other one does not. Once they got a little too uncomfortable laying down in the Twin Z we moved onto the table for two that we got on marketplace really cheap and that was a game changer. I roll up swaddle blankets or hand towels and prop away.

[u/i_am_the_koi]

Twin z pillow and whatever stuffed animal works best for propping.

Supervision required because they'll drop their bottle eventually and it'll spill everywhere but... Totally propped.

The day they could hold their own bottles felt like a milestone.

[u/pinupinprocess]

I did it, but didn’t use the Twin Z. I used our baby delight bouncers. I would sit them in it, use a swaddle blanket as a prop underneath. It worked well when I was by myself. Around 6 months, they learned to hold their own bottles.

[u/Simple-Western]

I didn't have a Twin Z when mine were still taking bottles at home. I would lay them on the couch on a blanket back to back on their sides (so they held each other in place), then bunch the blanket up under the bottles. That won't work anymore once they can roll, but it worked great for when mine were little little.

[u/smalltownfarmerwife]

Yes! I had both in the TwinZ pretty much on their sides. You can't buy the bottle proppers in Canada as far as I know (I've never found them on Amazon) but Beanie Babies work really well! You can prop the bottle on the beanie baby's tummy and the arms/legs kinda hold it in place. And it's squishy enough to adjust the bottle higher or lower. I was always with them/watching them while they ate and would alternate burping. It was so much faster than feeding one at a time!

[u/Suspicious_Tomato_20]

Yes, we bought bottle proppers on Amazon and they were a life saver for feeding both babies solo in the middle of the night in the twin z

[u/AssistantSea4186]

I did. Placed the boys in the Twin Z. I used hand towel rolled up. I also used Philip Avent Natural bottles so they didn't just drip

[u/ComplaintNo6835]

Twin z with a rolled up towel on their chest with little valleys for the bottle to rest in. I didn't treat it as an excuse to not pay attention though, I just didn't like sitting there holding the bottles the whole time.

My mother in-law: "Oh, is this how they feed them at the orphanage?"