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.

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.

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!

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