Assigning a breast to each twin?

In the past few weeks I stopped tandem feeding as my twins now feed in less than 10 minutes. I used to switch which breast they were fed from each session but now that I'm not always feeding at the same time I just decided to permanently assign a breast to each twin. Are there any issues with this? I think my DS eats more because when I pump at bedtime I always get more milk out of DDs side. Anyone else permanently assign breasts?

 

I wouldn't do it. I think it increases the likelihood of clogged ducts, and it can lead to issues when one baby nurses more or better than the other. I think rotating is better, and if you have trouble remembering who nursed on each side you can use a colored paper clip on your bra to denote which side each one nursed on last.

 

If one is eating more, you'll be lopsided. There's no particularly serious issue with assigning a boob to a twin. If you do notice any issues with plugged ducts just change nursing positions more frequently (ie switch between football & cradle hold).

I used to switch which breast to which twin every 24 hour period. It was easier to remember than switching every feed & prevented any issues w/ overtly asymmetrical boobs.

 

Thanks guys. I was thinking I could end up lopsided. I like the idea of changing boobs every 24 hours. I pump just before bedtime (so we can give one bottle of EBM each day) and I think starting after bedtime I'll switch who is assigned what side.

 

I did this for the first 6 months or so and I wouldn't do it again. Both my twins are very slightly cross eyed and I have a feeling that it's because they always nursed on the same side. I know I read an article about it somewhere, how switching sides prevents cross eyes, but I don't remember where.

 

I second the rotating every 24 hour thing! I do this with my babies and find it way easier than when I would switch with each feeding.

 

I agree with the others, switching helps even sides out. My son was a 'hoover' and my daughter was a wee bit lazy, so switching made sure my supply was up on both sides.

 

If you need help keeping track of which baby goes on which side for a particular feeding or day, you can wear different colored bracelets on each wrist. I made a pink bracelet with Livie's name and a purple bracelet with Sophie's name while I was pregnant and use that to keep track of who goes where at the next feeding. I don't always get it perfectly right (like when I'm rushing out the door in the morning and forget to switch the bracelets) but I figure I get close enough.

 

That's a great idea Jess, I totally need to do that!

 

Miriam - If you decide to try that, I also made a third bracelet with my oldest daughter's name on it and it's a good thing I did. Since she wants to play with the bracelets all the time, I can let her play with the one with her name on it and don't have to worry about it getting lost or me getting mixed up. Something you might consider as well.

 

Thanks for the tip! I can so see that happening.

 

My boys were "assigned" a breast, and I nursed them for over 2 years without any issues. If my breasts ever got lopsided, it wasn't noticeable.

The reason I ended up doing this was one boy had a really rough latch and would totally demolish one nipple to the point that I had a bloody, painful mess. After a few months, I realized I wasn't having the same problems on the other breast. So, I gave him the "tough" breast. Never had another problem with bloody nipples.

I did get mastitus several times, but I also got that when I nursed my DD. I think that was because I worked full time and ebf, but wasn't always able to nurse when I needed to.