Advice with bf twins in scbu?

[Unbuffy]

Help from clever folks required... My friend has just had twins (8 days or so ago, cs at 35 weeks). They are still in scbu and being tubed expressed milk and breastfed when they cry. However when they latch they don't latch for long and go to sleep. Being the radical forward-thinking person I am I suggested that if they are tubed less they will suck more, and they need the contact/comfort that they get from being with their mum not alone in cribs... but natch the mws will not countenance that. They are suggesting dummies (which the parents don't want). The girls can't go home until they are exclusively bf. Any suggestions welcome...

Hope others will post, unbuffy.
Main thing is that crying is a late sign of hunger.

Little twins at 35 weeks should absolutely not have to cry to be fed :( :( They will become exhausted and fall asleep at the breast (by the time they are lifted out of the crib, tubes put to one side, mother settled and comfortable....the moment has passed).

Skin to skin - both at once is perfectly possible, see pics at eg www.kangaroomothercare.com - as much as possible with dad giving this too sometimes - means early feeding cues are not missed.

Hi, no experience of twins but my DD was born at 34 weeks and was initially tube fed/breast fed. My advice to your friend would be to do as much skin to skin as possible (I kept DD tucked inside my PJ's most of the time unless she was under the lights (she had jaundice) and let her nuzzle/latch as and when she wanted. I then expressed and put this into her tube every 3 hours and my DD thrived and we came home 9 days later (she still had the tube fitted for another week but we rarely used it). I would also echo the fact that crying usually means baby is super hungry and by keeping baby very close it is much easier to see their little cues.

I had twins but only one was in SCBU. Whether or not I was 'allowed' or 'encouraged' to breastfeed off the feeding schedule depended a lot on the nurse on shift. Because I couldn't be sure how much DT2 had had to eat (was first time mum so had no idea if I was doing it right) he was always given the full tube feed. Its not nice to watch so I'm glad your friend has support.

If you can get it quickly the book 'Mothering Multiples' by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada has some fantastic advice - there is a whole chapter on caring for multiples in NICU.

I kept asking when DT2 could be taken off tubed feed and it is worth asking to speak to the registrar/consultant as the nurses tend to focus on what is happening during their shift and are understandably reluctant to give you a longer term view. If your friend can have a partner or you there when she has the conversation that may help. One of my conversations got very emotional due to lack of sleep, raging hormones, maternal distress and a tactless nurse.

I found skin to skin helpful and don't be afraid to just cuddle them. Hopefully she can be on the unit a lot. Is she expressing? They should be helping her with that.

I was lucky as they tended to call me down from Maternity when DT2 was crying and I could feed him. I can understand why she is reluctant to use dummies and can only say from my experience that nursing is the best solution. I would be happy to look up the research to back that up if you think it would be helpful?

Good luck - and thank you for being there for her - it will make a difference.