Advice re: breastfeeding twins?

[lexbeach]

Hello everyone. . .

I can't wait to be a breastfeeding mom! I am looking for any advice about breastfeeding twins. Everything I've read about it is not as positive as I would like. . . Says that it's possible, but hard, and make sure to have a back-up plan. Well, I really don't want to ever put a rubber nipple in my babies' mouths, and want to know what I can do to best achieve this. I hope I don't have unreal expectations. Everything else in my pregnancy has not gone as planned, and I REALLY want to be able to exclusively breastfeed.

Thanks for any help!

Lex

[jakobsmom]

I wish I could help, but I don't have twins myself. I have become friends with a mom of 11 month old twin girls. She nurses her girls and says it has been really rewarding. She has had challenges, but according to her they have been no more than some women face nursing single children (thrush, mastitis...)

She has gotten a lot of support from La Leche and is even training to be a lactation consultant now specializing in multiples.

All I can say is that she is an amazing woman with wonderful daughters!

I wish you all the best!

[Momtwice]

I would go to a La Leche League meeting yesterday.

Or are you on bed rest?

I would call a La Leche League leader. I would line up a good lactation consultant NOW and if they have IBCLC after their name, that's the best.

Have you read Mothering Multiples or Having Twins? These two books may help. The first is put out by LLL.

I saw that you may have a c-sec on the other thread, and the same advice goes: LLL and an LC will help.

If the babies arrive early that is another set of issues...again, LLL and an IBCLC can help.

If the first LLL leader or LC you call doesn't sound helpful, try another. Be persistent. Ask if they know any currently nursing moms of twins, or leaders in a nearby town with twins. Ask the LC if she has any experience with twins (etc.) Here I am assuming you live in an area with different choices...sorry for assuming. I guess what I'm saying is be persistent. And that may be a lot easier BEFORE the babies are born.

Have you read a good breastfeeding book so you know the basics? (The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding,
So That's What They're For! Breastfeeding Basics are a couple good ones. IGNORE What to Expect The First Year for breastfeeding advice.)

Some good breastfeeding websites
http://www.kellymom.com
http://www.breastfeeding.com
http://www.lalecheleague.org

Expect to need a LOT of rest especially after a CS, especially if nursing two. Demand to be waited on. I'm serious. Fill your freezer with food or get a loved one to do it. Breastfeeding is wonderful and rewarding, but can be very hard work in the early weeks especially with ONE baby...never mind two.

[Elphaba]

my husband's aunt had twins 16 years ago. her OB FIL told her "i think it's wonderful you want to nurse the twins, but i want you to know that you aren't going to be able to do it."
she nursed them for 2 years! she told me she called her ILs up when they were 6 months old and told them the twins just had their first solids, and her FIL was like well, i'm eating my words now! she was determined to prove him wrong.
she told me she would eat an entire box of waffles for breakfast while she was nursing them! and she told me how the girl twin liked the slower-flowing breast and the boy twin preferred the forceful one. i thought that was pretty cool that they each had a favorite side.

to you for wanting to nurse your twins!

[Quirky]

I know there are moms of twins and tandem nursers who have posted here - have you run a search for twin in the search engine?

Here's one thread

http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sho...highlight=twin

I know laralou has twins, I don't remember who else right off the top of my head.

Good luck!

[latinmom]

Get the book Mothering Multiples from LLL,(or amazon), get a really good nursing pillow made for twins (the EZ2 nurse one is good), and get help for the first few weeks. You can do it-mine never had any supplements, and nursed for 27 and 28 months respectively! Two great pieces of advice I got were to make sure one latched on well before I tried to tandem nurse, and as sson as you can get them to tandem nurse, do it as often as possible-it really saves time, and keeps you sane.
Most Twins clubs are full of folks who will tell you not to nurse-ignore them! Good luck.

[DaryLLL]

Want to 3rd the advice for Mothering Multiples. If you live in eastern Mass, come to our LLL mtgs, we have one just for MOMs (mothers of multiples).

Check out the yahoo group--apmultiples, for a real good reality check and lots of helpful friendly advice. Karen Gromada, the author of Mothering Mults, posts on it almost every day! how cool is that? (she has 25 yr old twins, is a Leader of a mult LLL group for the last 20 yrs or more). A couple MDCers post there too.

Know that even if you get off to a rocky start with bfing mults, you can overcome just about anything, even if they won't suck at first and need their milk thru a tube, cup, SNS, dropper or even a bottle. (common for babies born early to not have a sucking reflex) Many MOMs resort to bottles b/c of the time issue. The other techniques are messy and very time consuming for 2. Give yourself a good 3 months to get everything going well. Expect to do nothing but sit on the couch with your pillow, or in bed, and nurse, and/or pump.

Set up a support system for housework and food prep , now! It really takes a village with twins.

[phoebekate]

I have no personal experience but I have a friend breastfeeding twins, her prefferred hold is to have one cradle and one football with his head in the lap of the brother in cradle hold. She has an un-even supply so she has to keep track of who started on the fuller breast last time to make sure they get even rotations on the best supply. She had to fight to breastfeed her bubs who were about 34 weeks gestation I think, or rather her husband all but physically insisted she WAS going to do it, to everyone's surprise they latched on like champions from the start. She insists that although it is hard it is easier than using a bottle because she feed them both at once... i hope some of this helps

[mom3]

I have 9 mos old twin boys that I have bfed from the beginning. They were about 12 hours old before the hospital would let them nurse (they were in the NICU for 10 days). The hospital insisted on supplementing until my milk came in and then I pumped so that the twins would have nothing but the good stuff if they needed meds that had to be mixed with milk, etc. and so that I could sleep through the 2am feeding. Make sure that EVERYONE knows you WILL be exclusively bfeding. I had prolbems with a few negative nurses but didn't listen to them. If you do have a c-section there are plenty of ways to manage your pain and still bfeed. These are your children and nobody knows them better than you, not even drs. It isn't always easy but the rewards are far greater than the problems. You might want to check out a twins club if there is one in your area. There are a few moms at the one I belong to who exclusively bfeed. All the ones I've talked to who quit regret it, so try not to give up if the going gets tough. Feel free to pm me. I love to talk to moms of twins who are as committed to bfeeding as you sound like you will be.

[MamaOui]

Lexbeach, just in case you don't notice your PM box:

I PMed you earlier today and I hope you check in. I am hosting a LLL meeting at my house tomorrow in the next town over from you.