Doubling milk supply QUICKLY to welcome dt2 back to the boob?

[ScampiMummy]

I have twin boys who are 10 weeks old. I had been ebf them, but dt2 has had blood in his nappy since very early on, and after lots of trips to the docs and tests he started lactose free formula for 2 weeks. The trial went well, but now I've been advised to switch him back to breast milk and see whether the blood recurs.
I've been ebf dt1 through the whole experiment, so still have milk, however my supply has adjusted to just one baby. Yesterday was day 1 of going back to ebf, and I started with resolve to go cold-turkey and only offer the breast. There's been no problems with latching etc, but both boys are starving. I ended up giving 2 bottles to dt2, but didn't offer a bottle at all to dt1 as he's never had one before.
How long will it be before my milk supply is back up to enough to supply both boys? Should I go cold-turkey or wean from the bottle gradually? Do I need to give dt1 (who's not had a bottle) any formula to compensate for his reduced supply now his brother is back on the boob?
Any advise would be really appreciated as my poor boys are REALLY hungry and I feel like it might be easiest to not go back to the breast for dt2, which deep down I know is the wrong answer.....

[MultipleMama]

Are you expressing? If you are; how often? And did you alternate which boob dts1 fed from? If not; try expressing often through the day - giving the effect of a baby's "normal" feeding routine.

Or you could stimulate the boob (by pumping) before feeding dts2 so that it's not so much hard work and would get milk more quickly.

You're breast milk should start to build back up.

Dts2 recently went on a nursing strike due to teething so I expressed to keep the flow up.

[ScampiMummy]

I'm not expressing now, as my crappy tommee tippee gave up the goat after about 2 days. Now that I'm trying to feed both dts though I wouldn't have any time/milk left for expressing.
Dts2 isn't having problems coming back to the breast, as he's very eager to suck away. I'm really wanting to know whether I should supplement either baby's intake with formula whilst I wait for my supply to adjust from 1 to 2 babies? Also, how long should I expect this adjustment to take?

[Nancy54]

Hi Scampi, i bf my twins but am by no means an expert.

Why dont you post in the breast feeding section, there are loads of great posters there who gave me advice when i was struggling establishing bf with my two. can you get some real life help from a breast feeding consellor?

Personally, i wouldn't bother with the expressing, i would just put the twins on the boob AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE as they will stimulate your supply much more than a pump. If you do this, i dont think it will take too long to boost your supply. you should reduce how much formula you give to dt2 every day. Also, in the early days i often felt like they were starving as they would just suck and suck and suck and i just felt like there was nothing left to give! i now know that that was them upping my supply and even when you feel empty, you're not really, you're just producing the milk as they suck so it's coming a lot slower.

good luck!

[MultipleMama]

Ahh, sorry. I express as well breastfeed twins during the day, and thought you did too. My mistake there.

Personally, I'd up his supplement until he's back to doing full feeds on the breast, at least then you know he's getting enough.

I think as long as he still breast feeds and takes the bottle, it shouldn't take long for your flow to go back up and adjust.

I've always seemed to have a lot of milk so no I don't have an answer to how long it had take, sorry.

[Nancy54]

and really i would just spend the enitre day for a few days just sat on the sofa bfing them - if that's possible for you? have you got other dcs?

have you got a twin bf pillow so that you can tandem feed? i've got my brest friend twins and it really was a life saver.

[MultipleMama]

I agree with Nancy, you may have more luck and suggestions on the breastfeeding fed. They helped me out.

[ScampiMummy]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I'll try the breast feeding thread and see what people advise.
I don't have a tandem pillow but they seem too big to be able to fit on one?! They're both coming up to 6kg, do they still help when the babes are bigger but still not strong enough to support themselves much?
My older dd is out at nursery during the day but am scared of letting them suck me all day in case they make my nipples sore/cracked. I've been letting them suckle every 2 hours or so, do you think that is good enough?

[Nancy54]

I still use my pillow sometimes and dtb is 10kg and dtg 9.5!! They just hang off the end. They are too old for it now though really cos they tend to annoy each other by hitting each other etc. but they're eight months now. It was really great up until they were about 6 months I'd say. I don't really know how I would have breast fed them without it really, so practical feeding them both at the same time

If they want to feed more than every two hours, I would say do it but then I didn't have big probs with cracked nipples so I don't really know how bad that is. I had a really good cream though - the lanisoh one - which I slathered on constantly at first, have you got that?

[ClairesTravellingCircus]

Hello scampi

I'd liek to second everything that nancy said.

My twins were initially mixed fed, because I could only feed from one side and when they woke together I had no choice but give one a bottle, but managed to get to almost exclusive breastfeeding them by 4-5 months with dts getting one bottle in the evening when my supply was lowest.

What worked for me:

always putting them on breats first
letting them suck for as long as they were happy (ie not getting off crying of obvious hunger) and I was comfortable (I also get sore nipples in the early days, used lansinoh like nancy)

Only gave top ups when obviously hungry.

Regarding giving the bottle to the twin who's never had one, I would only do that if you eventually plan on switvhing to bottles anyway? Otherwise just keep giving top ups to the other one,

Timing, well for me it was a slow process, but I said I only ahd one 'working boob', so your experience will be different.

Best of luck, let us know how you get on!

[ScampiMummy]

Thanks everyone. My milk supply seems to be returning (I only gave dts2 1 bottle yesterday and there has been minimal crying!). They are feeding very frequently (every 2-3 hours round the clock) so its like having new borns again. Hopefully this will even out again over the next few days when hopefully they'll be getting more milk at each sitting?
I've just bought a 'my brest friend pillow' from amazon, so hopefully that will help. I'd imagined that it would be no good the bigger the babies were, but you're experiences put paid to that presumption! Fingers crossed it arrives quickly and we can make the whole feeding palava both easier and less frequent at the same time!
BTW, I got the pillow on amazon.com?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 for £53 inc shipping, they're advertised on amazon.co.uk?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 for £153!!!

[temporary]

Excellent news, well done.
I am coming a bit late to this, but I remember being told it would take around 48 hours to get supply up, but it sounds like you are about there. Good on you.

[poocatcherchampion]

wow this is inspiring well done. shows how wonderful milk is to react and get doubling up so quickly!

[Nancy54]

Great news Scampi! Well done!

How are things going now?

[ScampiMummy]

Thanks for your support! It turned out to be fruitless as dts2 is obviously very unhappy with my milk
This, alongside poor dts1 losing weight as a result of his lowered supply, made me decide to stick with the lactose free formula for dts2. A bit gutted to have given up but we have a happier house. Hope it was the right choice......

[Nancy54]

Sounds like defintely the right choice for you, scampi! Well done for trying but you have to do what's best for you and dts!