Top tips for tandem breastfeeding

[NickettyNacketty]

Hi, I am posting for a friend who has 16 week old twins. She breastfeeds in tandem and tops up with small amounts of formula. However she has been having some problems- she needs help latching both on as they fuss. One will start fussing and she sets the other off.
One seems to get bad wind, fusses, unlatches herself and starts the other off. The windy one needs burping which often dislodges the other and then the whole relatching thing has to happen again.
Then with the formula top ups and changing the whole process can take an hour and a half.
Her partner will be away for work for days at a time soon and she is panicking slightly as she has been lucky enough to have him helping her up until now.
I have breastfed singletons but feel ill equipped to give her relevant advice.
Any advice and comments gratefully received.

[Snowfalls108]

Why is she doing the top ups?
She might find that the whole process is a lot easier if she just breastfeeds.
If she is having problems feeding them together, then feed them separately. The other twin will wait - I put mine in a bouncy chair which I can wobble with my foot while I feed one. I do this quite a lot as I find it helps my back!

[NickettyNacketty]

Gawd knows. They only seem to have a couple of ounces from what I have seen.
However Having offered her some advice again tonight I think she is feeling got at and not supported so I am going to back off ATM.
Thanks for replying.

[1stMrsF]

My top tip? Don't tandem feed. At that age I could feed both in 25 minutes including winding by concentrating on one and then the other.

A friend only every tandem fed and was horrified that did them separately, but then she had an au pair at home and always needed someone to help position the babies - I could feed them alone and out and about too. It takes confidence to go against what everyone else is saying though, I did stress about it for several weeks before I realised that whatever worked for me was the best plan.

Wind problem also likely to be caused/made worse by formula.

[WalterFlipschicks]

I tandem feed my 9 week old twins, the best thing i got was a ez nurse feeding pillow, i feed both in the rugby ball hold and have my ipad in the middle (this is joint best thing i got)
I bought my pillow second hand on a twin sales group on facebook... Twindipity, well worth a look as they are £80 new
agree the wind is probably made worse by the formula.
Sorry she is feeling got at, my hv suggested giving formula even though she had just weighed my boys and they had gained 8oz each in a week, i come up against that a lot, people cant believe its possible to ebf twins without going insane.
Its getting so much easier now, i hope your friend gets sorted. I would maybe suggest a bf consultant or la leche league, all other hcps are not really experienced enough to give supportive advice

[NickettyNacketty]

Oh thank you for more advice. I think I might visit her tomorrow and have a good old chat about it all plus drag her out of the house for a cuppa somewhere.

[kathryn2804]

I had an EZ-2-nurse pillow. It was fab!! I tandem fed up to 1 using it.

She definitely shouldn't need the top ups any more. She needs to have confidence that she will have enough milk. Does she know that the more she feeds the more milk she will make! She could just go cold turkey with the top ups and her milk supply would easily catch up in 3-4 days. They may feed a bit more frequently in those 3-4 days but after that they'll go back to what they were doing!

Is there a breastfeeding group near her who could give her the confidence to go for it. Sometimes you need to hear it from a 'professional'

I'm a breastfeeding peer supporter She can email me if she wants to [email protected]

[NickettyNacketty]

Oh thank you Kathryn. That is kind. I have been over to visit but couldn't talk much. Have passed on tips over the phone and will send her you addy but I am off on holiday soon so will not be around to support her for a bit.

[LargeGlassofRed]

Yes the EZ-nurse pillow fantastic. I've always fed my two together and they have always stuck to the same sides.

I always used to latch on better feeder first and the windy difficult feeder after. Also when out I would feed, the twin on my left in a rugby ball hold supported by change bag and the other one across me. Once thy got to about 5 months I fed them in a v with both their legs on my legs.
I also used ring slings when they were little and crossed them over to feed and support them both.
I found local Breast feeding groups invaluable, I would never have tried slings before this.
I loved the challenge of feeding twins and the more people told me I couldn't do it, the more it made me determined to do it!