???s for those that have nursed twins - Page 2

[laralou]

Originally posted by Theo's Mama
Parenting multiples seems to me to be a lot about deciding what is really important and what you can let go a little bit of without beating yourself up.

Paige

Amen to that! Now if I could just stay off threads that yank my chain, like the pacies are bad thread. I say way too many negative things to myself to listen to anyone say I am lazy/bad/selfish for using a _________ (insert device).

[momofmany]

I didn't take it as criticism. I felt dumbfounded when I did it all "righht" and still couldn't nurse. I'm just glad I persisted...even if it is time for me to go back to work now. LOL

Robin

[Theo's Mama]

hah hah hah. I was so anti pacifier when I had my son, and so proud of myself, but my girls have them. They just can't both suck me as much as they would like. (I was so relieved to see one in one of your pics, Lara). I know a lot of AP lit puts down swings, seats, etc., but I just think that it is unavoidable when you have more than one. AP is the attitude and the intent.

What I don't have is experience in taking the pacis away so that they are not three and still using them. Any advice?

[mamacate]

Just wanted to add my $0.02 that we did not supplement. Mine were healthy at 37w2d and came home with me. I agree that that makes a huge difference.

I wanted to mention that I went back to work half-time at 4.5 months and that I have pumped for them the whole time and have never had to supplement, even with pumping. I know some have less luck with the pump but it can be done, even with working. There were some times I was worried I'd need to supplement (particularly when my entire stash went bad because I had active lipase and didn't realize it), but we made it through. If we can do it, with some of the same luck we had, you can too!

GL!

Cate

[Theo's Mama]

Natural Joy, are you nursing those babies yet? I hope you are loving it and that things are going well for you and your new ones.

I just wanted to say that I am a 110% advocate of breastfeeding, but that anyone who has to supplement shouldn't feel bad, just as those who do have an awesome supply should be proud and grateful.

It is a dicey thing to make sure that bottle feeding doesn't interfere with breastfeeding, but it didn't cause a problem for me--my girls definitely prefer the breast unless they are really hungry, and I feel bad to have them be hungry. We did offer a bottle early, too, but always did breast before and after, and if anyone seemed to start preferring the bottle (Xanthe did some days), I just kept breastfeeding her all day whenever I could, and hid the bottle for that day.

Mothering twins is hard work, and lots of moms wouldn't even try to breastfeed, so I think if someone is able to mostly do it, they should feel quite proud of themselves. My milk supply is good, but I just can't make quite enough to make them full at the end of the day, and it makes us all a lot happier to have a little supplement some days and get a little more sleep. Sure, if I could get more sleep, my supply would pick up a bit, but that is not my reality. If I got up in the middle of the night to pump, my supply might pick up, but I'd sure be a grouchier mama if I had to get up any more at night. I could pump during work, but as I work for myself, any pumping time I take is just added onto my time away from home.

My point is just that it works for me to breastfeed 99%/90% depending on the baby, and any new mamas who read the encouragment that others are offering should not take that to mean that if they can't do 100% that they have failed or anything.

[breathingmom]

My daughters were born at 37 1/2 weeks weighing 7lbs 10 oz, and 7 lbs. 5 oz. I never had to supplement. My midwife made sure that I was eating and drinking enough to keep up my milk supply. I set up a couple of nursing areas in the house and one next to the bed. I kept a basket of fruit, healthy crackers, etc. next to each area and had my family & friends keep them filled for me. I also had my big water bottle close by.

Can't wait to hear about the arrival of your two new babes!

~Jill

[Mommy of twins]

I also never supplemented with my girls. My only advice is to eat and drink enough to feed three and have a positive mental attitude. When I told people I was having a homebirth with my twins most of them said I wouldn't be able to do it. Also, they said I wouldn't produce enough milk to feed them. Well I had a natural homebirth and strictly breastfed them for 20 months! I think everyone just made me stronger in knowing what I wanted.
Best of wishes with your new babes!

[angie6]

My b/g twins were born at 39 weeks and 4 days and weighed 7lbs 14oz and 7 lbs 15 oz and have never received any supplements. Breastfeeding multiples is not at all easy and I found it to be extremly challanging but also very rewarding. My daughter really scared me until she was around 3 -4 months old. She just hardly nursed and grew very slow but my doc was cool about it and said she was extremly healthy just petite. He also knew that with my background I would or shoul dbe able to pick up on any problems. Just trust your body, eat and drink plenty of water and try to get some rest and surround yourself with positive people and avoid the negative. Also the ebst investment you will make is in an EZ to nurse breastfeeding pillow by doubleblessings.com . Good luck!
Angie

[Twinsmama]

Got Milk?

My girls were born in January at 36 weeks and five days, each weighing around 5 pounds. I never had to supplement (though I was worried constantly that I would have to). The lactation consultants at the hospital got me nursing and pumping right away. Everything went pretty smoothly that way, and I'm glad the hospital was so pro-breastfeeding. However, like Ingwer and others, I have recently gone through a major oversupply problem which I guess was partly due to all that pumping and panic about not producing enough. Probably also the beer (was told the hops in it is good for lactation) and Mother's Milk tea. Anyway, nursing time is still kind of a miserable time with choking and spraying all that, but I noticed it has gotten somewhat better since I let my pump sit and have abstained completely from beer and the tea. I hope it will even out soon, because it makes the twins so mad and it's a frustrating time for everyone all around! They are almost 3 months old now though, and things do seem to be getting slightly better every day.

Oh yes, and I'd like to add that not all twin nursing pillows are the same! After blowing $45 on one that stinks, I got the DoubleBlessings one and found it to be much better. Don't get one that's completely flat--you'll have to lean over too much. I wish I had known that. But with such a strong letdown, I have recently tried nursing them seperately sometimes so I can position them at my side and even nursing them together sitting upright (I hold their heads). Looks silly but desperate times call for desperate measures

Hope all is well with your twins!

[tmrhopkins]

still going strong past one

I am still nursing my b/b twins who turned one almost a month ago.

I don't want to sugar coat things- it was hard at first. The first 6 weeks I lived, slept, ate, on the couch because I was nursing around the clock. I drank a lot of water and ate a lot.

It can be done! It is so worth it. I only supplented twice while in the hospital.

Get the pillow from www.doubleblessings.com. We are still using ours. I diddn't have it at first and just used pillows, then a fellow twin mom suggested this pillow and it is wonderful. I wish I had it from the start! But invest the $50 and get it! You will not be disappointed.

gotta run, restless boys are calling.....

Tawnya

[jodie43]

Congrats!!!I'm having twins too,real soon I think,Todays sonogram showed them in birthing position.I took nettles everyday with my son,the iron and chlophyll [sorry about spelling].help a lot.My friend of 3 said she had a hard time with her milk with the first 2 but the 3rd she did nettled and blue green algea.Good luck most of my sisters take nettles for their milk and do great with it.Be well,Jodie

[Novella]

I never supplemented.

This was in fierce opposition to the opinion of the local public health nurse and the lactation consultant I saw. They were freaking out and throwing around comments about "brain damage" because my boys had not returned to birth weight quickly enough for their standards. My boys actually didn't re-gain to birth weight until around 7 weeks, I think it was (you can look for my old posts if you need more detail).

Our newborns were bright, alert, healthy, peeing, pooping, etc, etc - just not gaining quickly.

The family doctor we finally we able to see at apx 9-10 weeks supported our decision.

Supplementing can so easily become a self-defeating measure. I am SO GLAD we stayed the course! Now thinking about weaning soon; boys are not very often interested anymore. /

[kjoy2]

How did this dinosaur of a thread get bumped up here?!!!!

[Novella]

Originally Posted by kjoy2

How did this dinosaur of a thread get bumped up here?!!!!

ha, ha! I never even looked at that! Oh well, I'm sure someone new will read it with interest.