Breastfeeding twins after a reduction. I need ideas, advice and support.

[ilovemygirl]

I am currently pregnant with twins. I had a breast reduction years ago. I had my first baby almost six years ago now. I was very misinformed then and didn't give it a good try to breastfeed last time. Everyone I talked to -even a lactation consultant- made me feel like it was an all or nothing type of thing. That I could only use formula or breastfeed. No one ever mentioned that I could do both if necessary and sadly it never occurred to me to try. So after just a couple of weeks, when I had so little milk even after BF and pumping what seemed like all day long, I gave up. 

Long story short, I did have a full breast reduction (connections and nipples severed and moved, sorry if tmi) and I do believe I had supply issues but I'm sure there were lots of things I could have done to at least be able to partially breastfeed. 

So here I am now, pregnant with twins, years later and a lot more interested in all things natural and holistic and wondering what if anything I can do about breastfeeding.

Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

[MountainMamaGC]

http://bfar.org/index.shtml

This site is a great resource. I would invest in a lact-aid or SNS. You can do all your supplementing at the breast while stimulating the breast at the same time. The key is to define your own success, because your potential is going to be different than someone who hasnt had breast surgery. 

I havent had a reduction, but I will be giving adoptive nursing ago when we get a baby, and supply issues are really common. Most mothers have to supplement when adoptive nursing, and I have learned to be ok with it. Its going to be totally different from when I had my bio daughter. 

Have you considered donor milk? I have one friend due in May who will donate milk, and my other friend is planning to get pregnant soon and she will also be a donor. 

Breastfeeding is so much more than the milk, even if I can only give my baby 10% of her supply, that is ok, because the closeness is precious. 

[cieloazul]

Ditto BFAR. Also this site: http://www.mobimotherhood.org/MM/default.aspx

As somone who has had breast surgery, whenever you work with any "expert" be they a lactation consultant or a midwife or what have you, I encourage you to share not just your surgical history but WHY you had surgery and what your breasts were like before surgery. I found with my first child that a lot of people focused on my post-surgery breasts when the real issue was that my pre-surgery breasts were not typical and that was the real source of our troubles.

[KnittingTigers]

No advice, just chiming in to say that I'm another BFAR mom due with twins this spring. After the breastfeeding disasters I had with my first, I finally felt ready to try again. Honestly, the idea of trying to BF twins (even without my supply and BFAR issues) is daunting! With them, it feels terrible. Thanks to the previous posters for these resources.