frustration breastfeeding month old twins

[merryns.mom]

hi moms, i have 4 week old twins (born at 35 weeks) and am so frustrated with our feeding so far. they are super gassy/colicky and will nurse forever at a time and then again about 2-2.5 hrs later. with lots of grunts, poots, tummy gurgles, and lots of crying. they seem to have a hard time getting a good latch and are gulpers. they seem to sleep better/longer when given a bottle of my ebm.

add to that i am exhausted and only getting about 2 hrs of sleep a day which i know doesn't help anyone.

any advice? i really hate pumping and the lure of nasty formula is growing...i breastfed my daughter until she was three and it was an amazing relationship, but these boys are trying my determination and wearing me out.

thanks

kelly

[Mama~Love]

Lots of {{{HUGS}}}!! I am so sorry you are struggling with your twins. I am too, and I don't know what to do about it either, except to vent.

[foreverinbluejeans]

It sounds like you are overwhelmed. The first month or two is hard for mothers of premie twins. What would make things much easier is to get to the point where you are just breastfeeding, no bottles and no pumping. Babies often don't nurse well when they are given bottles. That can explain the problems with latch and during feedings.

It's normal to nurse every 2 - 2.5 hours. Breastfed infants need to nurse 8-12 times a day. Right now it would be ideal if you were staying in bed with them most of the time so you can get breastfeeding established and recover from the birth.

Formula doesn't make life easier. You have stinky babies and stolls. Your clothes and the babies clothes along with sheets, blankets, ect. get stained. Statistically the babies get sicker more often. Premies are more of a risk for RSV. Breastfeeding is protective and if babies do get RSV they are less often hospitalized. It would be awful if one or both of your twins had to be in the ICU with RSV because you stopped nursing.

Breastfeeding has lifelong health consequences for you and your children. When your children are adults what would you say if they asked why you didn't breastfeed them. I hope I am motivating you. It's hard now but it will get easier. Try meditating for even 5-10 minutes a day, it can help when you are around crying babies. You could call La Leche League and they should have a list of Leaders that have breastfed twins. I hope things get better for you soon.

[justKate]

Congrats on your twins!  I wish it wasn't hard for you right now.  Unfortunately, I agree, bottles are not going to help at this point.  My guess is that the bottles have a faster flow, so switching between the plastic nipple and your nipples is not going to help.  The only other thing I can think to suggest is calling LLL or your MW/OB's office and seeing if they have someone who could come to you to make sure they are latching properly and that there isn't anything else going on (with the tongue or palate).

So sorry for the stress.  Big hugs for you. 

[JanineRivera]

I have 8 week old twins and they eat sometimes every hour so u r not alone in that regard.  It can be so exhausting to be nursing all day but it is so worth it!!  i wish my babes would go a little longer between feedings too ... maybe someone else will have a suggestion?