Breastfeeding strategies??

A good tandem pillow helps. Keep snacks and water close by and eat every time you nurse. Have them assessed for tongue ties. I started supplementing my twins at 7.5 weeks and I really beat myself up over it which wasn’t healthy. Please go easy on yourself, you’re doing a good job mama! Twins are hard, and they are usually born smaller so they don’t nurse as well which impacts your supply. Everyone told me they would be good nursers by 6 weeks adjusted, but my boys didn’t get “efficient” until about 5 months and now at 6.5 months, I am weaning them onto full formula. Hang in there, you will get into a groove that works soon enough ?

@Soleil

Yes we do have the crib in our room. First we had a playpen and my 2yr old son slept in the crib but he now sleeps with his sister on her bunk beds so now the babies have the crib. I put the playpen downstairs so they have somewhere to lay. But like pp said fed is best if u can’t breastfeed its ok as long as baby eats and you tried. I was only able to breastfeed my son and now the twins but not my first 2 and with my second daughter I got a little depressed about it but she’s just as healthy as my son who was breastfeed.

@andy, thanks for sharing your story. Pumping is so stressful, I dread every session. It hurts, I don’t get much out and also missing out on time with babies. They grow so fast! I tried having beer last night and what would you know... I started shooting milk about two hours later! Since I only had one beer I didn’t dump it ... so I am going to have another one today. I also drank lots of water yesterday but still like you, only making enough for one baby. I have been having some ppd here and there, but it’s controllable... lots of crying in the beginning, now not so much, maybe once every other day instead of a few times a day. And it’s crying over stupid stuff, last night I cried because I felt guilty putting them in the crib to sleep rather than cuddled on my chest, but if I don’t put them in crib, I don’t sleep and then it’s just a bad cycle . They will be 8 weeks this week

@jojo are your babies sleeping in your room ? We had them in our room in bassinets and they hated the bassinets . Would cry and not fall asleep, so we tried their cribs in nursery at about 3 weeks and they fell right asleep, so they are in nursery now which means I still need to waddle over there . The cribs are too big and don’t fit down the hallway to put in our room without taking them apart... I have a comfy recliner in there and often just sleep in their room. I am going to try the laying down with both regardless but I think I would be too paranoid to fall asleep thinking I might squish them

Try not to stress too much mommy just remember that fed is best! Formula or breast milk multiples are difficult. Here a little of my story.

We had a problem with bf from the start one twin wouldn’t stay latched if he didn’t get milk immediately. There was no waiting for let down. My other twin was in the nicu for low blood sugar so he HAD to have formula. More than that he had a continuous feeding tube, and a glucose IV. Still I wanted my babies to get breast milk so I pumped.

As far a strategy I split whatever milk I got between the twins and mixed it up to their preferred amount with formula so they ate BM and formula at once. No matter what I did I only ever made enough milk for one kid, not two.

That said, nutrition in formula is sound and perfectly acceptable for babies. I had to quit breast feeding around 12 weeks and have never regretted it. I was killing myself pumping for them, and although my husband stepped up and helped with the babies, he was mostly the one feeding them and I was losing that bonding. It got so bad that pumping was triggering ppd episodes in me and I was miserable.

The twins are happy healthy and fed and 6 month old now! All of us are happier. Do what you’ve got to momma, and what’s best for your babies but formula is perfectly okay for the little ones too. If you have questions feel free to ask me, I try to be very open about my experience feeding my twins because we had quite the battle.

Yes forsure now I think one baby is a breeze lol compared to 2 demanding babies. Lol do your babies feed at the same time. At night it’s actually easier for me. I’ll get one feed her laying down and I’ll go back to sleep while she eats then when the next one wake up I’ll just put the other baby back in there crib and grab the other baby and do the same. Feed her laying down so I can go back to sleep. But I would try assigning them a boob. Only from my experience one baby eats more than the other and her boob makes enough for her and I don’t have to give her the other one.

Thanks everyone for all the advice, I’ve been trying to let them stay on my boobs longer but they cry if nothing comes out :( the pediatrician told me to switch boobs between them rather then assign each a boob. They make about equal amount of milk so I might try assigning them

A boob, but that means I have to tandem feed or feed one right after the other and they take forever to eat, like 30-45 mins which means no sleep for me . ? it’s so difficult with two, sometimes I feel like having just one would be such a breeze ... maybe they will get a younger sibling one day

Breastfeeding is very hard in the beginning with twins. Sometimes my girls have separate feeding times and sometimes they wake up together. At first I would have one wait while I fed the other (I hated see her cry?) but I couldn’t do both at the same time. Now I’ve learned how to latch both at the same time so one isn’t crying like crazy waiting to eat which lowers my stress level. They have there own boob so it can make what they each need. Just latch babies on demand and your body will naturally make more milk. Even if I just fed them and they seem to want more, latch them again. Your boobs are never empty and start making milk as soon as the other is released. One of my twins is a good eater. She can cause 2 let downs in one feeding ?lol

I am in a similar situation. My twins are 6 weeks now and aside from some formula in the hospital they are exclusively breastfed. I am going back to work a week from tomorrow and literally have such a hard time trying to find a pumping schedule right now. They are so opposite in their feedings most of the time that I don’t seem to have enough time between feedings. I am scared that once I am working I won’t be able to produce enough in my pumping sessions to give them all breastmilk bottles ?

Do you have access to a lactation consultant? I highly recommend getting a professional to help. I just had this discussion with my midwife who said that a lot of times we’re harder on our selves than we need to be, which can have a direct impact to the very problem we want to solve, only making it worse. With the right support you can overcome the difficulties and get your supply right where your babies need it to be.

There are also online La Leche League groups where you can get advice and guidance too.

A girlfriend also suggested resources by Dr Jack Newman out of Canada. When she was having difficulties it was his literature that helped her figure it out and BFing became much easier.

Remember, the world tells us that this is all supposed to be natural and so easy, when in fact it requires learning by both mom and baby to get it down pat. The natural part is that your body knows how to respond when you do.

You got this hon!

I’m not where you are yet, and everything I’ve said to you I’ll be keeping in mind and putting into action for me too when the time comes. ?

Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s extremely difficult breastfeeding multiples. My milk supply improves when I drink an insane amount of water, especially immediately after I pump or breastfeed. Also, eating immediately after a breastfeeding or pumping session seems to help.

I’ve only done tandem feeding a couple of times because my twins have different eating habits ( one always seems to eat faster and the other slower also while crying between gulps). So I have to spend my time soothing the fussy eater.

There are so many posts with great tips about improving milk supply in the breastfeeding group. Check it out.

Hope your supply improves.

(sorry not a multiple mummy I just look at all groups) your doing a great job!!! The fact you have twins and are still using the boob is brilliant! In my opinion as long as baby isn't going hungry your doing a great job. You can up your milk supply with milk nuts and oats and keeping babies latched longer so they can bring in milk even if your empty let them suckle to bring your milk In :)

That if you want to obviously, breastfeeding is hard with 1 let alone 2. Don't beat your self up so much :)