Thursday
Jan272011
Breastfeeding Twins: Lara's Story
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I’m away at the Blissdom Conference this week and decided to use the opportunity to feature some fabulous guest posts from bloggers I love. This one, by Lara from Gliding Through Motherhood shares her story about nursing twins and her tips for prospective twin moms who want to nurse.
~~~~~
Breastfeeding was never something I wondered if I would do. I was breastfed until I was two (something definitely less common in the 70s) and always just assumed that I would nurse my children as well. Lucky for me nursing came quite easily with my first son; we had other issues (what new parent doesn’t??!) but he latched with no problem and my milk was in before we left the hospital. Very lucky.
Despite that, when I found out we were having twins I worried about the feasibility of nursing them both. I spent half of my life on the couch nursing just one baby - how would I manage with TWO? And with a 2.5 year old running around to boot?!
Fortunately with some determination and a lot of help (not to mention some more luck) I successfully nursed twins (and still do at 20 months). I am fortunate enough to have several friends who also breastfed their twins and poled them about their experiences. Here is a combination of tips, tricks, advice and information from us all:
See a lactation consultant before the babies are born to discuss realistic expectations. If one or both of your babies is in the NICU nursing may not be an option right way. They can help you have a plan and they can keep you informed on what all your options are, including pumping and ways to increase milk supply.
Talk to your doctor about having a plan (preferably written) in place to decrease the issues you may have with nurses who are adamant that you supplement. I knew that I may have to give my babies formula in the hospital. I also knew that if I did give them formula I would be giving them a special formula for babies who can’t tolerate milk or soy protein (this was based on my experiences with my first son). What I didn’t expect was to be bullied by nurses to give formula (ultimately I feel I gave in to formula sooner than I needed to. I did continue to supplement when they became quite jaundiced) and to be treated with contempt for wanting to use a different formula. The nurse wouldn’t let me give them the non hospital provided formula without contacting the doctor - had it all been arranged ahead of time there may have been slightly less stress involved.
Bring your breast pump with you to the hospital so you can get used to it right away and use it if you need to express milk for the babies. Something interesting to note is that some insurance companies will cover a percentage of the breast pump if you have your twins prematurely. You just need your doctor to write you a prescription for it. One friend got 80% of the cost of her pump back. Some insurance companies will also cover the cost of a lactation consultant as long as they are also an RN. It’s good idea to do your homework and check your insurance policies.
Arrange for a lactation consultant to come and see you while in the hospital. I was lucky that we were there on a day that the hospital consultant was available to come in and see us - after our visit I was a lot more confident that my milk had come in and she showed me positions for tandem nursing I never would have considered.
Tandem nursing is a pretty incredible. Although it is mostly recommended to start nursing one twin at a time until you are comfortable, being able to nurse both twins together is a wonderful thing.
Nursing babies together not only saves time, but there is often one twin who is a stronger nurser than the other. That twin will activate letdown allowing the weaker nurser to get milk without having to do as much work. In these cases, latching the stronger nurser first and then the weaker nurser means the letdown will be starting as the second latches on.
Many twins also find comfort in having their twin nearby. When I first got home from the hospital and tried to nurse my son wouldn’t latch on (but had been nursing fine at the hospital). I decided to try to tandem nurse and it seemed the combination of having his sister start the process and being nestled in together with her calmed him enough to get him latched on and successfully nursing. It was a beautiful moment!
Nursing newborn twins tandem, especially when you don’t have someone there to help you get them into position, can be quite tricky (you will definitely need help at the beginning). I had one friend who would only nurse in bed. She lay both babies on the bed, got herself in place and then was able to position the babies on her lap. I didn’t find I could ever get enough support in bed so usually tandem nursed on the couch by placing one baby on the couch and one baby on the floor and then picking them up one at a time once I was settled.
I never realized there were so many possible positions to tandem nurse - this is another area a lactation consultant can be of great help. I never would have thought to overlap the babies, but that was the most comfortable position for the three of us.
I often tandem nursed with two regular pillows placed around me, especially on irregular type chairs/seating. I also loved my EZ 2 Nurse breastfeeding pillow because it’s big enough to hold both babies and cradles them in the correct position. I would even recommend it for just one baby - I still use it now with my 27 lb son a lot of the time.
That being said, for me personally I never really felt comfortable tandem nursing and only did it when I was alone and both babies were really upset with nobody else there to hold them. Many twin mothers I know only tandem nursed - it’s all a matter of preference.
Breastfeeding twins is an enormous time commitment. Especially because I rarely tandem nursed I would spend hours upon hours nursing. There were several occasions where, other than a bathroom break, I nursed for 4-5 hours straight, simply switching back and forth between babies.
I could not have breastfed without the support that I had. On top of my extremely supportive husband who was up with me many many nights only to then head to work all day, I had someone with me every singly day until the twins were over 2 months old. After that I hired a 15 year old mother’s helper to come and help me most days. Often the job of the other person was simply to hold the baby I wasn’t nursing. Everyone wanted to come over with the intention of helping me clean and cook but would often end up just holding a baby - and that’s ok. Just holding a baby is a really important job in those early months. Having someone there to do that really eased my mind.
That being said, arranging for cooking and cleaning support is also key. Everyone will be beyond tired - you need to be ok with accepting and asking for help. Food donations make a huge difference, and when you’re nursing twins you are hungry. VERY VERY hungry.
Nursing twins isn’t easy. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I was lucky. My twins were born full term, had no health issues and latched without difficulty. My milk was in again before I left the hospital. With all things in my favour, nursing twins was still hard. I topped up (a small bottle a day and during outings) for about two and a half months and I was OK with that. If you breastfeed (or are planning to) twins then I think you are awesome. It’s a big commitment, but well worth it.
Did you breastfeed twins? Know anyone that did? I would love to hear what worked and didn’t work for you. I’d also love some advice on weaning twin toddlers :)
You can normally find Lara at Gliding Through Motherhood, where she blogs about raising three young kids, her love of social media and a bit about nothing at all. Lara also co-founded Kids in the Capital and Losing it in Ottawa and you can find her on twitter as @larawellman.
~~~~~
Breastfeeding was never something I wondered if I would do. I was breastfed until I was two (something definitely less common in the 70s) and always just assumed that I would nurse my children as well. Lucky for me nursing came quite easily with my first son; we had other issues (what new parent doesn’t??!) but he latched with no problem and my milk was in before we left the hospital. Very lucky.
Despite that, when I found out we were having twins I worried about the feasibility of nursing them both. I spent half of my life on the couch nursing just one baby - how would I manage with TWO? And with a 2.5 year old running around to boot?!Fortunately with some determination and a lot of help (not to mention some more luck) I successfully nursed twins (and still do at 20 months). I am fortunate enough to have several friends who also breastfed their twins and poled them about their experiences. Here is a combination of tips, tricks, advice and information from us all:
Have a plan
See a lactation consultant before the babies are born to discuss realistic expectations. If one or both of your babies is in the NICU nursing may not be an option right way. They can help you have a plan and they can keep you informed on what all your options are, including pumping and ways to increase milk supply.
Talk to your doctor about having a plan (preferably written) in place to decrease the issues you may have with nurses who are adamant that you supplement. I knew that I may have to give my babies formula in the hospital. I also knew that if I did give them formula I would be giving them a special formula for babies who can’t tolerate milk or soy protein (this was based on my experiences with my first son). What I didn’t expect was to be bullied by nurses to give formula (ultimately I feel I gave in to formula sooner than I needed to. I did continue to supplement when they became quite jaundiced) and to be treated with contempt for wanting to use a different formula. The nurse wouldn’t let me give them the non hospital provided formula without contacting the doctor - had it all been arranged ahead of time there may have been slightly less stress involved.
Bring your breast pump with you to the hospital so you can get used to it right away and use it if you need to express milk for the babies. Something interesting to note is that some insurance companies will cover a percentage of the breast pump if you have your twins prematurely. You just need your doctor to write you a prescription for it. One friend got 80% of the cost of her pump back. Some insurance companies will also cover the cost of a lactation consultant as long as they are also an RN. It’s good idea to do your homework and check your insurance policies.
Arrange for a lactation consultant to come and see you while in the hospital. I was lucky that we were there on a day that the hospital consultant was available to come in and see us - after our visit I was a lot more confident that my milk had come in and she showed me positions for tandem nursing I never would have considered.
Tandem nursing
Tandem nursing is a pretty incredible. Although it is mostly recommended to start nursing one twin at a time until you are comfortable, being able to nurse both twins together is a wonderful thing.
Nursing babies together not only saves time, but there is often one twin who is a stronger nurser than the other. That twin will activate letdown allowing the weaker nurser to get milk without having to do as much work. In these cases, latching the stronger nurser first and then the weaker nurser means the letdown will be starting as the second latches on.
Many twins also find comfort in having their twin nearby. When I first got home from the hospital and tried to nurse my son wouldn’t latch on (but had been nursing fine at the hospital). I decided to try to tandem nurse and it seemed the combination of having his sister start the process and being nestled in together with her calmed him enough to get him latched on and successfully nursing. It was a beautiful moment!
Nursing newborn twins tandem, especially when you don’t have someone there to help you get them into position, can be quite tricky (you will definitely need help at the beginning). I had one friend who would only nurse in bed. She lay both babies on the bed, got herself in place and then was able to position the babies on her lap. I didn’t find I could ever get enough support in bed so usually tandem nursed on the couch by placing one baby on the couch and one baby on the floor and then picking them up one at a time once I was settled.
I never realized there were so many possible positions to tandem nurse - this is another area a lactation consultant can be of great help. I never would have thought to overlap the babies, but that was the most comfortable position for the three of us.
I often tandem nursed with two regular pillows placed around me, especially on irregular type chairs/seating. I also loved my EZ 2 Nurse breastfeeding pillow because it’s big enough to hold both babies and cradles them in the correct position. I would even recommend it for just one baby - I still use it now with my 27 lb son a lot of the time.
That being said, for me personally I never really felt comfortable tandem nursing and only did it when I was alone and both babies were really upset with nobody else there to hold them. Many twin mothers I know only tandem nursed - it’s all a matter of preference.
Support
Breastfeeding twins is an enormous time commitment. Especially because I rarely tandem nursed I would spend hours upon hours nursing. There were several occasions where, other than a bathroom break, I nursed for 4-5 hours straight, simply switching back and forth between babies.
I could not have breastfed without the support that I had. On top of my extremely supportive husband who was up with me many many nights only to then head to work all day, I had someone with me every singly day until the twins were over 2 months old. After that I hired a 15 year old mother’s helper to come and help me most days. Often the job of the other person was simply to hold the baby I wasn’t nursing. Everyone wanted to come over with the intention of helping me clean and cook but would often end up just holding a baby - and that’s ok. Just holding a baby is a really important job in those early months. Having someone there to do that really eased my mind.
That being said, arranging for cooking and cleaning support is also key. Everyone will be beyond tired - you need to be ok with accepting and asking for help. Food donations make a huge difference, and when you’re nursing twins you are hungry. VERY VERY hungry.
Give yourself a break
Nursing twins isn’t easy. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I was lucky. My twins were born full term, had no health issues and latched without difficulty. My milk was in again before I left the hospital. With all things in my favour, nursing twins was still hard. I topped up (a small bottle a day and during outings) for about two and a half months and I was OK with that. If you breastfeed (or are planning to) twins then I think you are awesome. It’s a big commitment, but well worth it.
Did you breastfeed twins? Know anyone that did? I would love to hear what worked and didn’t work for you. I’d also love some advice on weaning twin toddlers :)
You can normally find Lara at Gliding Through Motherhood, where she blogs about raising three young kids, her love of social media and a bit about nothing at all. Lara also co-founded Kids in the Capital and Losing it in Ottawa and you can find her on twitter as @larawellman.
I’m away at the Blissdom Conference this week and decided to use the opportunity to feature some fabulous guest posts from bloggers I love. This first one, by Dionna from Code Name Mama, will be especially helpful for all of us mamas at Blissdom this week as we prepare to return home and reconnect.
Reader Comments (38)
I am currently nursing 6 month old twins. I nursed my older daughter until she was 17 months. I weaned her, she was at the point if ripping at my shirt any time I would hold her and asking anyone and everyone to breastfeed her.
With the twins I supplemented formula for 3 days and then supplemented with breastmilk in a bottle as a top up. This gave my hubby a chance to help and bond with the girls. The first 2 months was rough. Night time was brutal. I would breastfeed one for 15 to 20 mins, then hubby would finish with bottle. Feeding lasted 45 to 60 mins. One of the twins had been tongue tied so it was difficult feeding her. Just as I going to give up and just feed her by bottle. She latched! She fed for 20 min straight without falling off. It took a month for her to finally get it and I was overjoyed!
I still pump on occassion but mainly breastfeed at home and have milk for when we go out.
I did however had to use some formula in the bottle for when we went out. I don't plan on stopping anytime soon even when I return to work in 2 months!
"The nurse wouldn’t let me give them the non hospital provided formula without contacting the doctor – had it all been arranged ahead of time there may have been slightly less stress involved."
Stuff like this drives me CRAZY.
I don't have twins but I do have a thyroid disorder. So I brought my pills to the hospital with me and a nurse told me she wasn't go to "let me" take them, I had to take the pills the hospital would get me from the pharmacy. (At an incredible hugely inflated cost, I'm sure.) I was seriously like, "You're not going to LET me?" Give me a break.
Anyway, sorry, off topic, but that sentence really stood out to me.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by phdinparenting, EricaW and Lara Wellman, Jennifer Jackson. Jennifer Jackson said: #Breastfeeding Twins: Lara’s Story http://bit.ly/gDXWuC #bfing [...]
I can't help you much with weaning toddlers - it's seriously the hardest part of parenting, I think!
I nursed my twins for 3 years. They were 34w preemies who had survived Twin to Twin and one of them came home after 3 days and one after 3 weeks. The saddest thing was having to wean my 2yo son quicker than expected because of it - that was HARD on both of us. I honestly thought that the smaller twin would end up completely formula fed; they had us on some sort of super special Hulk Calorie stuff in the NICU and the manufacturers were "kind" enough to send me a whole case of that formula for each twin for free - not to mention what I'd brought home from the hospital. Nursing my wee girl was way harder than I ever thought it would be, and there were lots of late night tears from her and from me.
I love your suggestion of having a plan - and just like a birth plan, I don't necessarily think it needs to be something that is SET IN STONE, but rather something that identifies key things that you think are important so that when you hit stumbling blocks, you can figure out solutions without compromising your ideals as much as possible.
I think that tandem nursing also helped us. I was having a terrible time with the smaller one, but I was always trying to nurse *just* her when it happened, I think. If tandem nursing isn't possible, I definitely recommend having baby #2 nearby, if not held simultaneously. Similarly, I recommend using newborn or infant massage as a way of deepening your connection (well, to any baby) with your twins because it's simply not as easy to keep them skin to skin or carried as it is a singleton...especially if there's older kids running around.
When it came time to weaning both my oldest and then the twins, I had the excuse of a new pregnancy or birth of sibling(s.) This time around, #4 is pushing 3.5 years old and she's just not having it when I talk about not drinking milk...
I blogged about it last year here:
http://milkstained.wordpress.com/2010/08/14/im-driving-your-milk-helmet/
Thanks for the post! I just followed you on twitter.
I am still nursing my 17 mo boy girl twins and yes it has been a huge commitment but it has also been an amazing experience. I had a lot of difficulty nursing my first daughter and the twins seemed easy compared to that situation. The thing that worked best for us was co-sleeping the first 8 months. Instead if cribs I set up a queen bed in the twins room and slept there until they were 8 months old and started moving too much and it became unsafe. I have no tips on weaning as I'm getting close to doing that here and have no ideas on how to transition. I am ready to wean but I know that, especially my son, will be heartbroken. It's a tough decision for sure.
I nursed my twins until they were 30 months old. I gently emcouraged them to wean because we were only nursing to fall asleep at nap and bedtime, so my supply was very low and I was getting uncomfortable.
My older daughter turned 2 one week after the twins were born (at 38 weeks 3 days), so the help I needed was with her. My husband, my mom and my aunt were all amazing in keeping the toddler amused and helping around the house so I could focus on the twins.
I didn't have the money for a twin nursing pillow...I just improvised with cushions and pillows until their heads were stable, then I always nursed them in a double-cradle (or V) hold.
Nursing my twins exclusively and for as long as I will always remain one of my proudest achivements. :)
Great post Lara. Thanks for sharing!
I am still nursing my one year old twins, and I love it! They were 34 week preemies, and I had to pump for them in the NICU and at home until they were seven weeks old. Then, they 'got it' and started nursing from the breast. That was the most incredible, empowering feeling I had had since my pre-term labor had started and my whole world spiraled out of control. Right now, I'm enjoying the independence and agility with which they nurse. Sometimes it's a quick sip, sometimes it's a chance for an extended snuggle while nursing. Often there are acrobatics involved, and they're able to manipulate both breast and nipple to accommodate whichever position they are in :-)
Nursing twins is a huge time commitment, but as you said, well worth it. Thank you for the list of suggestions. I will pass them on to a new group of nursing moms of multiples I've started!
I am currently breastfeeding my 10 month old identical girls. I, too, had the same reaction when we found out about having twins...how was I going to nurse two babies at the same time!?!? It was very hard learning to breastfeed one baby. It is hard work, but I love every minute of it! I nursed my son, who is now 4, for 25 months and had no trouble weaning him. I just told him he drank all of mommy's milk and it was gone. He accepted this answer and that was the end of that. He was a great nurser and had no problems after a bout with mastitis when he was three weeks old. The girls were almost full term, at 36 weeks and 3 days, and were able to latch on when they were awake. They were healthy at birth and came right home with us. We were very lucky! I had to "supplement" for the first few days, offering formula after each feeding. I cringed at the thought of this, but the LC told me to think of it as a desert and if they didn't want it, not to force it. By one week of age they refused the offered formula and we've been nursing great ever since. I have had mastitis twice with them, but recognized the symptoms right away and got treated.
I would use my wonderful nursing pillow (My Breast Friend Twin Nursing Pillow) to feed them at the same time. This was the easiest way to feed them since they were so tiny. Now I am able to feed them in various positions, sometimes together and sometimes one at a time. I would place them in the football hold and try to switch them to the other side during the next feeding. I would try to leave one of the clips on my nursing bra unsnapped and that would be the side baby "A" would always go to. That way I knew she was on the unsnapped side last, so to make sure she went on the snapped side next. Sounds kind of confusing now that I am writing it out but it worked for me! The first weeks were tough, actually the first months were hard! A lot of times they would wake up separately during the night so I would feel like I'd be up all night long. Plus the fact that my husband deployed when they were only 7 weeks and we moved back to Pennsylvania from Hawaii so I could get help from my parents. Having their support was a great help to me. Both of them seemed to accept and be supportive of my nursing the girls. I wasn't sure they would since my mom did not breastfeed my brother or I. Her mother, my grandmother, told her NOT to do that! Crazy!!! Anyway, now that we are in the 10th month I know I won't be able to continue nursing them for as long as I did my son so this chapter in my life will be coming to a close soon. It makes me sad but also grateful that I can do this for them and have such a strong bond with my daughters. Ok now I am crying thinking about weaning...I'm such a sap!
[...] I have a guest post up at PhD in Parenting today on breastfeeding twins – go on over and have a look. [...]
Great story! I also nursed my twins as well as my 3 girls before them. I gently weaned our twins at 27 months, largely due to a new pregnancy. Here is our story: http://moomama96.blogspot.com/2010/10/on-weaning-our-twins.html.
We also had a wonderful twin home birth. That story can be found here: http://moomama96.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-twin-home-birth.html
Great post Lara, thanks for sharing. Breastfeeding one baby can be challenging enough but two seems to more than double some of those challenges. I'm glad you had so many people in your life who were supportive of your desire to breastfeed your babies.
I'd like to add one piece to the planning before you have twins. I am an IBCLC grandmother of twin boys now 3.5 years old. My daughter's plan included awareness of and desire for human milk instead of formula should supplementation be needed. We have a milk bank in Denver and know the wonderful folks there. She even had her husband visit for a tour so he could be comfortable with the idea of using "another woman's milk". Germophobe that he is, he was very impressed.
When it became apparent some extra milk would be needed, I knew we needed a doctor's prescription for the milk. I asked the hospital LC and she came back saying, "the resident doesn't know how to write a prescription for human milk." We did some educating at that hospital that day!
While I know there is a terrible shortage of donor milk right now (mid-winter), more often moms-to-be don't know human milk is an option. The first choice is mom's milk from the source; the second is mom's milk from spoon or bottle; the third is another mom's milk; then fourth is formula.
Twins are more likely to need supplementation. Help other moms know they may have the option of donor human milk to include in their plan. The absolute ideal of a baby's "first and only" food being human milk is within reach more often than people think.
Thanks for sharing your stories.
I have not breastfed twins, but I had a good friend who did. I remember her saying that breastfeeding her twins was pretty much her full time job for the first 12 months or so.
I am so terribly impressed by ALL moms of multiples. And I'm especially impressed when you're able to make a go of breastfeeding!
I loved reading this. Good for you for being so prepared and congrats for sticking with your plan. I can imagine support is crucial to bringing home twins. I lacked support with 1 child, I couldn't imagine taking on 2!
My mother breastfed my sister and I for 14 months in the late 70's. We have a brother 6 years older, so he was at school when we were born (full term). We were his 'show and tell". Mum recalls that she read alot, as she would sit up, football holding us (with pillow props), in bed. She didn't go out much, but does look back on those months with joy. I am very grateful to her for giving us that time and nutrition. She even tells of how, once we were walking, that we would running up to her, lift her shirt and help ourselves! She said she was a drive through milk bar! We were weaned when my sister became a biter and mum got mastitis. Her 'support' to feed us for so long came about when mum was pregnant with us Dad her a radio show about a new book "Breast is Best" - which became their bible (my brother had only been breastfed for 6 weeks, as she had been told to comp feed him, and feed strictly to a schedule...the book explained demand feeding and how breastfeeding works).
Mum's Of Multiples are Marvellous!
I nursed my twin daughters until they were 9 months old. I nursed them separately in the hospital from necessity as one twin was admitted to the NICU for low glucose during the first night after they were born. We had to do some supplementing in the hospital, but I stopped as soon as we were all home. I switched to tandem nursing almost immediately after that and it was a rare occasion when I nursed them separately. I had an E-Z-2 nurse pillow and we most often used the football position. I was also able to find some creative positions if we were out and about and I didn't have my pillows. Dressing rooms worked well for me then so that I didn't have to worry about modesty. I went back to work when my girls were four months and stopped nursing them at nine months after a drop in supply. My biggest issue was keeping up my milk supply after I returned to work. Even though I was only gone a couple of days a week, it hurt my supply. I was able to keep going with the help of domperidone. My biggest piece of advice is for moms to not be intimidated by the thought of nursing two. Of all the difficulties that come with twins, I found nursing them to be the easiest. It is much easier (in my opinion) to nurse babies and put them back into their bassinet during the night without ever getting up than to having to get up to make bottles.
My twins were born at 35 weeks and I breastfed them for 14 months. I've never really shared this in real life but I'm quietly proud of the fact that they never received formula. I realize that much of this was pure good fortune (I had a great milk supply) but a good deal was also hard work. I almost exclusively tandem nursed them because I found it so much more time efficient. The EZ-2-nurse pillow was my constant companion.
Because they were born at 35 weeks they were quite sleepy and had very weak latches for some time after delivery. I used an SNS system in the hospital (small tube taped to my breast(s) to give them colostrum (and then milk) which I pumped. After a week or so of this, their latches became strong enough to get milk from the nipple alone and I discontinued using the SNS system.
I rented a hospital grade pump for the entire first year. To help establish my supply I pumped after each feeding for the first month. I went back to work full time at 4 months and pumped 3 times a day while I was at work and nursed them directly whenever I was home (mornings, nights, weekends). I nursed them very frequently on the weekends to help stimulate my supply. Thankfully my supply adapted very well to daytime pumping. During the early months, I would pump 20oz per session. Then at about 10-11 months my supply began to really dip and I had to begin pumping after each nursing session again. I also had to set my alarm for 3 am each night to get a pumping session in (because I wasn't getting enough milk during my daytime pumping sessions) I was determined that they would only have breast milk in their bottles when I was at work.
I ended up weaning them at 14/15 months. While I was determined to nurse my twins, I can't say I ever really enjoyed the experience. It was way too much nursing, way too often and I knew extended nursing wasn't for me. My twins weaned easily to whole milk and other forms of dairy.
I'm now nursing a singleton (currently 13 months) and have found the entire experience so much more enjoyable. It's been much easier, much less intense. However, I'm thankful that I was able to nurse the twins.
My mother nursed my twin sister and I for over a year. We never had a bottle even though we were born at 31 weeks. My mom said that she never tandem nursed, though, because it was too weird for her.I am so grateful to her for her determination to breastfeed us, I am sure that it greatly contributed to our good health as children and adults.
I am in awe of you and every mother who has twins, no matter how they choose to feed their babies. Awesome post Lara!
I'm 17 1/2 weeks pregnant with twins...I have a 2 1/2 year old and he was the easiest nurser I've ever heard of - latched right away and nursed for about 10 minutes per feeding - of course, pure luck, nothing I did...which makes me very nervous concerning the twins. I feel like I'm still a total amateur in some ways. I'm very interested in linking into any twin mom sights and especially twin nursing blogs, or whatever...I'm adamant about nursing these new babies and appreciate any and all thoughts, advice, tools, and suggestions!!!!! Thanks mamas!
I am currently nursing twin 18 month olds, my 3rd/4th children. I have the added challenge of having low milk supply due to breast surgery. I knew going in I would not have a double-full supply, but I was determined to give my babies 100% of what I had even if it wasn't 100% of what they needed. It turned out I had the best supply of my nursing career--I would have had a full supply and then some for a singleton, about 55% of my twins' needs. I supplemented with an at-breast supplementor, so all of their feedings were at the breast. We are down to nursing just twice a day now. I don't know how long we'll all want to continue, but I'm so proud of what we accomplished together.
I am currently nursing my 14 mos old twins. They were born at 35 weeks and were quite healthy. I was lucky they were basically full term and didn't require NICU time despite the fact I had been very sick the final term of my pregnancy. I was lucky to know other MOM's who exclusively breastfed. I never considered formula but had to use it to supplement for a time. I got food poisoning and a severe tooth/sinus infection about 2 weeks post partum. It was a delicate balance and a fair amount of effort to get my supply back to being able to solely nurse. I can't imagine how much harder it would all be if the babies had been in the NICU or if I had returned to work. I also can't imagine using bottles full time..now that is hard work. I miss the earlier days when I could nurse both and type without them banging on the keyboard. The hardest part of nursing twins for me was feeling trapped on the couch and the difficulty this posed meeting the needs of my 2 year old. At this stage the hardest part is the desire to night wean but the lack of support to be able to make it happen. The happiest parts of nursing twins is being able to immediately meet their needs, having one less thing to worry about when we go out. Most important is the chance to have this special connection and time with each of them. It will be bittersweet when we finally wean.
Great post! I have twin girls (now 11 years old—they do actually grow up!), and I breastfed them for 11 months. They were full term, and both latched on very well, but my milk took a few days to come in (I had a C-section, not sure if it's related), and the babies were very hungry. I gave one of the twins a bottle on one occasion while I was still in the hospital, because the nurses were worried about her post-birth weight loss. I remember being very, very upset at the prospect of giving that baby a bottle because I was paranoid about nipple confusion. My sister is a midwife, and I thought she was going to be mad at me! (Actually, she said it was fine, and didn't seem overly concerned about nipple confusion.) I point this out because I think even the support we (thankfully) receive for breastfeeding can sometimes be a little overwhelming—it can sometimes feel less like support and more like pressure.
Anyway, once my milk came in, I never supplemented either baby again with formula, until I weaned them (early I suppose, by today's standards). As you point out, support is crucial. I had my husband, a post-postpartum doula, and my mother-in-law helping for two months. The doula was very helpful with positions, etc., but she was a little overbearing. She really wanted me to tandem breast-feed, but I absolutely did not like it. I mostly did what she said at first, because I was too exhausted to resist, but slowly I was able to assert myself, and tell her that I felt strongly that the babies liked their one-on-one time with me, and I enjoyed it more too. The first two months were hell, I have to admit, because the babies were feeding every hour to two hours, and even when they seemed inclined to sleep, we'd been told to wake them up to feed them. I remember wanting to hug a certain pediatrician we saw when the babies were around four weeks old, who said, "Look, you have to survive too; if the babies are sleeping, let them sleep. They won't starve." That was truly liberating. Things got way better after that.
Sorry to go on so long. I haven't really thought about this stuff for quite some time.
I LOVE hearing stories like this - thank you for sharing!
I breastfed my twins until they were 28 months old, and while the nursing had already slowed, we finally weaned due to a 3-day business trip. Leading up to that point, I did a modified version of child led weaning (typically "don't offer, don't refuse") that was more like "don't offer, sometimes refuse or limit" - I began to place limits on where or for how long we could nurse to slowly cut back and gently replace the breastfeeding with other bonding, soothing, and feeding activities.
I'm a nursing twin Momma too!
My b/g twins are 14 months old now and still nursing strong 3-4 times a day.
Mine were born at 38w2d and had no issues either, and my milk was in well before I left the hospital. It was and sometimes still is a challenge. I experienced severe pain and latch issues with both babies in the beginning, but I was deeply committed to nursing and I made my life revolve around it for the first few months which I truly believe was the key to my success. Laundry and dishes waited, showering and brushing my teeth waited. I nurse what seemed like around the clock for those few months and it quite suddenly got "easier" when they were around 4 months old. I'm happy to say that I've never had to supplement with either formula or EBM, but I would have done so if I had needed to either for their health or for my sanity. We have to do what works to be successful nursing twins!
It does need to be said and known (by family, friends, and most of all health professionals!) that it CAN BE DONE, and it's not actually a rare thing! So many Moms of twins nurse successfully and exclusively for as long as they and their babies like. It also needs to be said and known that if your OB or pediatrician or hospital staff do not support your decisions, they you can and should find someone else! It's important to set yourself up for success by surrounding yourself (before they are born if possible) with a support team who is on board with your goals.
Just a note on the non-hospital formula: was it powdered formula (versus the pre-mixed)? It is my understanding that until they are a month old infants should not be given powdered formula because it isn't sterile. Which is not to say that it doesn't happen all the time, but could be a factor in whether formula brought from home would be acceptable. And if they are premature or low birth weight, the hospital might want special higher-calorie formula for supplements. Of course, the biggest problem sounds like a communication one on the RN's part, not a problem with anything you wanted to do!
And seconding the commenter above about human milk banks for these situations!
Yaaaaay! Thank you for sharing your story, Lara, and woo hoo to all the twin breastfeeding mamas sharing their stories in the comments!
I am currently nursing 2.5 year old ID twin girls and its going great. I JUST yesterday posted an update about nursing toddler twins, here, including the importance for me in setting limits (which could eventually be the path to weaning, when we are ready): http://intrepidmurmurings.com/roller/sunfrog/entry/setting_limits_on_toddler_nursing
I totally agree about having a plan ahead of time. In my case, we had one written up for the hospital, and another in my head made with a lactation doctor, about what we'd do if my milk supply was not enough (it wasn't for my singleton, so this was highly likely for me with twins!). It was so nice to have the support of medical/lactation specialists I knew and was confident in, ahead of time, because in the exhaustion and stress of the moment its hard to think clearly about it all! We had a lot of struggle early on, but just kept at it and it finally fell into place.
For me, tandem nursing was the only way, from day one -- though I understand it's not the case for everyone. I did nurse separately sometimes, but my girls had to nurse a TON due to my low supply, and I agree, having one helping get the letdown started was really helpful early on. We STILL use the EZ2Nurse pillow at 2.5 years old for naptime, when they fall asleep nursing. Toddler and tandem nursing has worked really well for me as a parenting tool.
Hooray for nursing twin moms! Its so nice to hear successful stories -- I know so many folks who have struggled and not been successful, and sometimes the success stories seem to slip through the cracks...
Hi Michelle. It was pre-mixed stuff, they just wouldn't let me give them anything that wasn't hospital provided. It was frustrating!
I know! I didn't have bottles so I needed their help so I could give it to them. Fortunately I stood strong and she called my doctor and we went ahead with it, but the disdain she treated me with was ridiculous. :P
Thank you so much who responded to this post! It's so great to hear other success stories and to hear about people who are expecting twins! Everyone has such good advice and tips! :)
Nursing my 8 week old twin girls as we speak. Agree about the hunger - I have never eaten so much in my life, and I crave meat for the first time ever. My nursing pillows are my constant companions (I have both the EZ2 nurse and the Brest friend twins plus, which is my current fave). Allows me to tandem nurse hands free (so I can eat... and comment on blogs :-) Hardest for me is not being able to meet both of their needs all the time, as I could with my singleton. Although I try to minimize as much as possible, they both cry more as they wait for one to get changed, bathed, etc no matter how well I think I'm timing things. I talk and sing to the other and try to make sure she can see me - which will work better as they get older.
Loving all the stories. I think I have been comparing this experience to my singleton (who nursed for 4+ years) and that's not fair. This is different, and harder in so many ways - but worth every minute for those milky smiles ( which are finally coming!).
Hi, I just saw this post today, but better late than never!
I nursed my mz girls until they were 3 1/2, they are now almost 4 1/2.
Like you I was very prepared. I read Mothering Multiples which is an important resource and Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding. The first few months were a real struggle and I was glad I was armed with information from those two books. As the girls were my first children I did not have previous experience to rely on and I was often anxious about them getting enough in the first few months. The info from those books kept me going. I went on Kellymom a lot also. I also had a lactation consultant come and see me at home. Unfortunately the hospital staff was not very helpful and I had one baby in the NICU and one in my room. They were born at 37 weeks 2 days.
I almost always tandem nursed on my EZ 2Nurse pillow, that pillow was also a lifesaver. You have to use the back strap though to make it really effective. I also sat for hours with the girls on my breasts. You need someone to feed you and bring you water if possible, especially at first.
I'm discovering more twin mamas with blogs, yay!
Here is my story and links to the resources I mention above.
http://www.urbanmoms.ca/multiple_musings/2010/07/breastfeeding-twins-overcoming-challenges.html
http://www.drjacknewman.com/
http://www.karengromada.com/karengromada/index.htm
You can check out my twin blog www.attachedatthenip.blogspot.com or email me at attachedatthenip@gmail.com for info or support! Nursing twins CAN be done! Good luck to you, mama!
I love hearing stories about how others did it! My boys were near-term, but didn't latch well. I struggled with breastfeeding and nipple shields for about a month, then switched to pumping full time. My babies were breast milk fed exclusively for the first 6 months, and then supplemented with some formula until their first birthday. It was hard, but so worth it to give them that good nutrition. And others are right, nursing twins is a full time job for that first year!
[...] wrote a guest post a few months ago about nursing twins and I ended it asking for advice on how to wean them. Unlike [...]
Twins were 34 weeks and I had pumped and Bf from the beginning until about 5 months old since I couldn't keep up. After with my singleton I was able to make it until 5 months and my supply couldn't keep up.
I had one twin who just had a hard time with Bf (she was so uncomfortable too) she had about 2.5 weeks where she was off the breast I figured it just wasn't going to work for her. While she was crying and we were waiting for a bottle I thought I'd latch her on just for fun, and she did it ! I hear the LC stories that somehow seem set in stone, but I think Mom knows best and I love that I was encouraged at every attempt by all my LC.
I would bf them -- my husband would then top them up with any "bottle" (either left-over breastmilk / formula) and during this time I would pump to try to continue to keep my supply up. The nights were LONG.
Soon your twins will be the age where you can have them sit upright on your lap and feed. I've heard it worked out great on a plane for one twin mom. Now feeding in public/ or around family& friends tandem I just couldn't do it. I respect those who can. Take a picture for your own memories.
I am currently trying to wean my 13 month old identical twin girls Sarah and Ruth. They are #'s 5&6. I nursed my oldest girls each up till 12months then quit cold turkey(ouch). Then learned with my two boys to wean them gradually and my milk slowly diminished. The twins were born at 35 weeks I has the first one natural and the second went breach so they had to do an emergency c-section because my epidural wore off so they had to knock me out. I wasn't able to see my babies for around 8 hours meanwhile the nurses gave them formula. I was so set on exclusively breast feeding but then I started having anxiety attacks. I was in the hospital for 6 days. I had to supplement with formula for the first 5 months it was upsetting to know my body was not producing enough milk for my babies. We slept in our living room for the first 6 months cause it was the easiest for me to sit on my love seat and I had the babies next to me sleeping in their bouncing seats inside a pack n play with the insert so they were up high enough for me to reach them from my seat so I could grab one then the other and latch them both on at the same time. I think nursing twins was so easy I did it without help. Don't get me wrong I have enough help with four older kids and a wonderful husband. My mother in law lives right next door and my sister in law also lives next door. My mom lives about 6 miles away. But I didn't want to bother anyone. And I wanted to let my husband get his rest. Now I am having problems weaning them neither like formula or milk they will only drink water in between nursing. I was nursing on demand and two days ago I started to nurse in the morning, then nap time, then bed time. And also throughout the night cause yes they both still wake up 2-3 times per night. I haven't had a full nights sleep since before they were born. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I thank God for 6 healthy gifts from God and a wonderful hard working husband. Well God bless.