URGENT HELP PLEASE

[starshaker]

i have just had twins and was unable to bf as they wouldnt latch. i started expressing and they were getting mixed feeds. Harry didnt seem to be getting on great so i put him on only breast milk. emilie was doing well so i took her of bm as i wasnt making enough for them both. So now harry is getting only expressed milk but my supply is running down. The way its going i wont have enough milk for his feeds tonight. So what can i do? I feel the formula doesnt suit his tummy (it swells up) so im stuck

Can you try latching him on again? It is really really hard to maintain a supply with just pumping.

I did skin to skin and tried to get him to latch earlier and he just cried. I didnt even leak and so far only have 2oz

How old are they starshaker?

I'm sure you know that how much you express isn't an indication of how good your milk supply is.

Relax and keep trying to latch him on.

Bumping for you...but whilst you wait for a more knowledgeable person, can you call one of the breastfeeding helplines? I think the NCT one is open til 10 - 0300 330 0771.

To me it sounds like you need to get real life help to understand how you can improve their latch because newborns needs to feed - lots and lots. Lots of skin to skin in the meantime is definitely going to help.

And leaking isn't much of a sign, I never leaked and was always rubbish at expressing but still going at 12months!

Hope things improve and you get the help you need.

They will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. My nipples are a bit inverted which is also causing problems. Have done all the stuff the midwife advisedto help and its not helped. Really dont want to give him formula tonight but i dont think i have any other choice

OK, why not give him and DD a little half feed of formula to take the edge off them and the pressure off you and then try to latch them on?

Don't worry about not leaking and pumping is no indicator of how much milk you have.

Tried a bunch of different holds? Lying down, rugby, the biological nurturing thing where you lie on your back with them on your tum (skin to skin) and let them bob about a bit and latch on themselves? A weird hold that I sometimes use is to lie down and be upside down to the baby, so baby's head pointing towards your feet.

Just to reiterate, pumping is no indication of how much they might get if they are feeding...I could barely express more than 1oz at a time, but he seemed to get enough at the breast.

Sorry I have no other advice, but just wanted to add another voice about expressing!

Good advice from Morloth.

Can you get your mw to visit you tomorrow?

here is the link to the biological nurturing approach that Morloth mentioned.

also wanted to add a note about expressing and leaking....i never leaked and my breasts never seemed to be overly or uncomfortabley full - but i bf my ds1 for 17 months and now feeding my ds2 and he is 8 months. i never got on very well with expressing, and never got into the routine of expressing as i felt i couldnt do it. But the more you feed, the more you will produce. Keep going....you can do it, your breasts will just do what nature intended them to do. Have you seen the book, "what to expect when you're breastfeeding, what to do if you cant?" it was invaluable to me. Keep going and dont feel bad if you dont xxxx