Surprisingly, there is not all that much information out there with advice straight from formula feeding moms. And that is especially true for formula fed twins. So, in this post as a twin mom who did her fair share formula feeding twins, I am sharing my guide to efficiently preparing formula and feeding bottles to two babies.
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How To Efficiently Prepare Formula for Twins
When it comes to formula there are a few options for the type you use: ready-to-eat and powder. Almost all twin parents will probably opt for powder when formula feeding twins.
I say this because ready-to-eat formula is extremely expensive AND once opened has a pretty short shelf life. For this reason, I am sharing two methods for preparing powder formula and the pros and cons of each as it relates to twins.
Related: Grab this Formula Storage Charge for easy reference
Prepare On Demand
This is the option my husband and I ended up using. The main reason for preparing bottles on demand was being able to bypass heating up already made bottles that need to be refrigerated.
You will most likely get really good at making bottles quickly, which was the case for us. And that is why we liked this method better. We could prepare bottles on demand faster then we could warm a bottle from the fridge.
We set aside some counter space in our kitchen and had the formula container, bottles, and a Brita water filter there. That way when it was time to feed our twins, we could easily grab a bottle, measure the filtered water needed right in the bottle, then put the scoops of formula powder needed and swirl to mix it up. Repeat for a second bottle if you are feeding both babies at the same time.
Finally, another option for quick on demand bottles is to get a Baby Brezza formula maker. I think the best part about this formula dispenser is that it can efficiently and effectively mix formula bottles better than we can manually.
Prepare Ahead
Some people like to prep ahead of time. If this is you, then you might prefer to wake up each morning and make all the formula bottles you need for the day. Once prepared, formula lasts for 24 hours in the fridge, so this would be a daily morning task.
Keep in mind though, if your babies have an off day and don’t eat as much as normal, you might end up with wasted formula. Additionally, this method might require you to warm the bottles before feeding.
I know for me personally, I tried with all three of my kids to feed bottles straight from the fridge, but they would not drink them. I guess they were just too cold for their liking. If this is also the case for your twins, then you will need to warm the bottles.
You can fill a container with hot water from your faucet (a pint glass usually works perfectly) and let the bottle sit in there for 1-2 minutes, then swirl it around to distribute the warmed formula. Or you can use a double bottle warmer. In my experience bottle warmers take longer to warm milk than the hot water method.
How To Bottle Feed Twins At The Same Time
Once your bottles are ready, it’s time to feed your twins. I do want to point out that when feeding newborn twins, there will be times you feed them at the same time and times you do not. But eventually (6 weeks-3 months), your twins will be on the same schedule and you will basically always feed them bottles at the same time.
There are two options I would recommend to successfully tandem bottle feed twins. The first option would be to invest in a double feeding pillow that can be used for bottle feeding or two bouncy seats. You can set your twins in these devices at the same time in order to make bottle feeding two babies much easier, while also keeping their heads elevated.
The second option is what I did. I would sit on our couch and set one newborn twin on my lap and one to my side, next to my thigh. Technically this might not be the most ideal because their heads were not all that elevated, but it worked and my babies were happy, so that’s what I did!
Remember, whatever option you choose, you will need to stop a few times to let your babies burp. You will also want to consider how easy it will be to clean up if your twins spit up.
Finally, I also want to point out that bottle feeding a newborn is hard! It takes a lot of patience because they take a long time to drink a small amount of formula and they cannot support their heads yet.
You will also be learning how to make sure your babies are sucking on the bottle properly. I just want to make sure you understand it will be difficult getting through feeds initially. Hang in there, it does get easier slowly, but surely!
Related: Track feeds on the same page with this printable Twin Feeding Tracker
How To Feed Formula To Twins At Night
This is the method we used when our twins were newborns and sleeping in our room at night. I thought it worked well. Once your babies transition to their own room, I recommend feeding the bottle in the nursery if needed. Ours had started sleeping through the night by the time we moved them, so this was a rare occurrence.
And on each nightstand we had empty bottles, bottled water, formula, and burp cloths. This set up allowed us to never leave the bed. We could mix formula on demand and feed our babies from bed.
I will also mention we had a waterproof pad, diapers, and wipes on our nightstands too, in order to also do diaper changes right in our bed. Then, when the feed and diaper change were completed we could easily put our babies back to bed and lay down and go back to sleep. I found I was less awake and it was easier to go back to sleep by not getting out of bed and keeping the lighting at a minimum.
Just as during the day, we found it was much faster to mix formula on demand rather than using a bottle warmer for pre-mixed formula. But if you prefer you could instead have bottles of pre-made formula. In that case you will need a bottle cooler with the bottles next to the bed, along with a bottle warmer.
Formula Feeding Schedule for Twins
Newborn babies eat about 8-12 times per day, which equates to every 1.5-3 hours. The good news is that formula keeps babies full for longer than breast milk, so you twins will probably be on the lower side of that range for number of feeds.
It’s important to understand that the time between feeds starts when the feeding begins. For newborns, bottle feeds take around 30-45 minutes. So yes, that does unfortunately mean feeding bottles will take up a huge chunk of your time in the newborn phase.
Moving on to 3-6 months old, you can expect to feed your twins approximately 6-8 times per day. And by this time, they should be on the same schedule!
The time between feeds during the day is 2-3 hours, but they will drink their bottles faster now. Your twins might also be able to sleep for a long time at night or even the whole night without needing to eat.
By 6 months old, you will be thinking about starting solids with your twins. At this age your formula feeding schedule will change again to about 5 bottles per day.
Related: For more sample schedules and to learn how to put twins on the SAME schedule, check out these Sample Printable Twin Schedules
How Much Formula Do Twins Go Through Per Day?
The amount of formula babies eat in a day increases as they gain weight. Let’s start with the newborn phase. You can expect each of your babies to initially drink about 15 ounces of formula per day. This means 30 ounces total for both babies.
Pretty quickly (by about 1 month old) your babies will work their way up to 24-30 ounces of formula per day. My kids were all at the lower end of this range at 24-26 ounces. This means your twins will drink 48-60 ounces of formula per day.
Best Formula for Twins
Every baby is different and has different needs. Some babies will be able to drink regular formula, while others will have allergies or upset stomachs and need a specialty formula.
Do keep in mind that once your twins get used to a certain brand and type of formula, switching to something new will be a process. Any diet change requires a slow and steady transition.
This is the reason that once we had started using Similac formula, we just kept going with it. We did briefly explore using the Kirkland (Costco) formula brand, but I was an emotional postpartum mess and thought it “had way too many bubbles”.
If you are able to use a store brand formula, you will be able to save quite a bit of money. Additionally, if you are lucky, like we were and able to feed your twins the “normal” formula, then it will not cost as much. Some formula brands I think highly of include:
- Similac
- Kirkland
- Enfamil
- Earth’s Best (organic option)
How To Manage Going Out and About
One last thing to manage when formula feeding twins is how to go out and bring formula bottles with you. I am a fan of mixing bottles on demand when out and about. This way you don’t have to warm them up or worry about them going bad.
In your twins diaper bag pack enough empty bottles for both babies, enough bottled water, and enough formula in a Tupperware container (don’t forget the formula scoop too). I recommend saving a few formula scoops once you go through a formula container so you can use them when on the go. Or, get this formula dispenser and pre-measure what you need for each bottle.
The key to getting out is to be well prepared. Have everything you will need for feeds and diaper changes for the amount of time you will be gone. You can check out this twins diaper bag checklist, for more clarity on what you need.
Formula feeding twins is tricky, but with the right tools and strategies you can do it efficiently!
I hope you learned some great hacks to help you survive feeding bottles of formula to your twins. With planning and a good strategy in place, you will find yourself in a reliable routinely quickly. Good luck!
