Mother Nature is pretty smart. She equips our bodies with more than what we need them to do. Most of the time, humans have one baby at a time, and we come equipped with two straight-from-the-factory milk delivery sites. As it turns out, either of those "sites" is capable of providing enough milk to fully nourish a baby – and that means that Mother Nature has already covered the possibility that more than one baby might be breastfeeding at a time.

The Principle of Supply and Demand
Milk supply is based on a wonderful supply and demand principle: The more milk that is removed from the breast, the more the breast will make. It stands to reason that if there are two babies removing that milk, then the breast will just respond by making twice as much milk. So, in theory at least, there's no reason that the mother of twins shouldn't be able to fully nourish two babies at the breast.

That's the theory. The big question is, though, is it practical? Can you breastfeed twins and still have a life? Can you do anything but nurse those babies – round the clock? Does sleep become a non-priority? How in the world can you manage all this, day in and day out?

The good news is that it is possible to breastfeed those two babies and still have a life. The keys to making it work are education, planning and prioritizing, support and flexibility.

Education
Preparing for the arrival of twins is much like preparing for the arrival of just one baby, only more so. The more you learn ahead of time, the better prepared you'll be when the time comes. Chances are good that you'll learn ahead of time that you are carrying twins, so you'll have at least a little time to adjust to the idea before your babies arrive. In order to prepare for breastfeeding twins, take time to learn as much as you can about:

• Normal breastfeeding – Read all you can about how breastfeeding is supposed to work. Learn how to tell when things are going well – and when they are not. An excellent source of information is La Leche League International's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (Plume Books, 1997). Remember that all the benefits of breastfeeding apply to twins – doubly so. They'll be healthier, you'll decrease your risk of breast cancer and you'll save time and money by not having to deal with formula!
• Breastfeeding preterm infants – Chances are greater that your babies will arrive early, and it helps to learn ahead of time what that might mean – and not just for breastfeeding, either. For example, there is evidence that you can decrease the chance of a preterm delivery by increasing your calorie and protein intake during your pregnancy.
• Expressing and storing milk – Depending on whether your babies come early, how early and whether they require special hospital care, you may need to pump your milk and store it so it can be used as the babies are ready for it. Check out pumps in your area. The best ones – especially if your babies won't be ready to go to the breast from birth – are the larger rental hospital-grade pumps, such as the ones made by Medela, Ameda/Egnell (Hollister) and White River.
• Managing twins – Let's face it. Having twins automatically implies a big investment of time, energy and money. But you get double the return on that investment! Regardless of how you choose to feed your babies, much of your time for the first months of their lives will revolve around baby care. Your goal is to make this time as easy as possible. Read as much as you can about twins. Two excellent resources are LLLI's Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding & Caring for Twins or More (La Leche League International, 1999) by Karen Gromada (now being revised) and Having Twins: A Parent's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Early Childhood (Mariner Books, 1991) by Elizabeth Noble.
• Selecting health care professionals – Now is the time to talk to your doctor or other health care professional about your desire to breastfeed your babies. Find out how your doctor feels about breastfeeding twins and preemies and what you can do to ensure that your wishes are known and followed by hospital personnel.