Sdvice needed ftom bf experts

[claireinmodena]

Hello all

I have 2 wk old twins that I'm trying to breastfeed on one breast (the other wont produce a drop because of past surgery and radiotherapy).

At the moment I'm starting each feed at the breast then offer formula if needed. Most if the time they have quite a lot (2or3oz) but I manage at least one feed a day on breast alone.

If one wakes I wake the other one too, so their feeds are clise together, so it gies like: nappy change, breast, bottle, winding and then agsin with other twin. As you can imagine this is massivelybtime consuming!! Aldo I think the second twin slways gets less milk as its hard to hudge when to switch so they get "equal" amounts...
I also have 2 older children aged 7 and 10 that need attention.

I was wondering if there is a better way of diing this, somrone suggested slternsting twinx snc methids of feeding, so one gets a full breastfeed alternate times, while rhe other gets a ff. My problem with this is it I dont think it will increase mh milk supply? Sldo I guess rhe breastfed twin woild need feeding agsin earlier so they'd be all out if sync?
I would love to eventually get rid of fotmula or ag leadt reduce to just ond ir reo feeds a day, but I dont know if I'm being realistic about it!

Thanks for anyone who has sny advice to offer!

I am just eondering if there is s better way of doing this? I

Sorty about sprlling mistakes, on my phone with sleeping baby in my arms!

I have no advice, but i think you are amazing at being determined to BF 2 children on just 1 breast.

well done you, and i hope someone who can help you comes along soon

Thanks nanny, I have to admit I do it as much for my own benefit that for theirs, I loved bfing my first two dds and I was looking forward to doing the same this time round. I wasnt going to let anything stop me from trying!

Stubborn? Me?

Your offering quit a lot of milk as a top up. I think you would really benafit from some reall life help with this one.

Why have you been offering the topups? In theary you could feed both baby's from one breast but my experance with twins has always being with mum's who've fed one twin per side.

I'm thinking hear about supply and demand and amount of milk produced that it could work if you offer twin 1 a feed first, then twin 2. Then at the next feed you feed twin 2 first then twin 1.

But I do think you need more support then we can give you hear. Has the midwifes been helpfull? Do you have a local feeding coordiator at your hospital or a local BF drop in group.

Or you can ring any of the helplines

National Breastfeeding Helpline
0300 100 0212

The Breastfeeding Network Supporterline
0300 100 0210

NCT Breastfeeding Helpline
0300 330 0771

La Leche League Helpline
0845 120 2918

Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
08444 122 949

Thank you MigGril

for the info and the helplines

I should have said before I am not actually in the uk, and getting help here is not too easy. Sorry for not mentioning it in my first post, I am not totally lucid as you can imagine!

Reasons for top ups are several: t2 was born at only 2.3kg and whisked to neonatal unit for most of first day. Only saw him 7 hrs after the birth. I did latch t1 immediately though. HOwever in the evening I was strongly advised to leave them in the neonatal unit for the night to give me time to recover from c/s, I reluctantly agreed as I would have struggled to feed them on my own anyway. I could barely walk (I also had very bad pelvic pain, so rolling out of bed was extremely painful!). They were brought back to me the next day at 11am! By the they'd both been fed formula. T2 then refused to latch on, and I had pressure from the midwives to make sure they fed every 3 hours, put them on the breast, but not too much or they'd be too tired to feed....and they needed fattening up. I tried expressing but all I got was blood, so I didn't even try to latch them on again until that had healed, all in all I left the hospiotal thinking I would exclusively ff as all my attempts had been sabotaged. I was low due to c/S, tired and very sore .

On my second day at home I woke up to a rock hard breast so tried to put t2 to the breast and he cooperated so I started feeding him as well as ff. T1 didn't want to know about the breast for another 2 days, but eventually did, and that's how we got so far.

I have to add we had to go abck to hospital twice to make sure they were growing, so I wasnt pushing the breastfeeding too much during those days as I was afraid they'd never sign me off if they hadn't put on enough wait.

Also I think the top ups have been for lack of confidence, I really did not think I'd be able to bf them and was worried for their weights, but am starting to believe I could now as my milk supply slowly increases...today I have not been offering any top ups so we'll see how that goes.

Thank thank you so much for taling the time to offer your advice though, it's ironic really that I have alreday bf two babies before, but then they were good weights, one at the time and I had both my breasts, it just feels like a completely different game this time round, and so many people had told me why do I even bother, I guess it did undermine my faith in me and my body.

thanks again

I can't offer any advice as am relatively new to breastfeeding but just wanted to say how much i admire you. As much as i love breastfeeding i think I'd struggle feeding 2 babies from 1 boob, especially with 2 other children. You are obviously a very determined woman and dedicated mum, what lucky children you have. Good luck and hope you get some assistance soon

Bump

If your not in the UK then try and see if there is a
La Leche League in your country they are international not just UK baised.

I think you've done fantasticly so far, hopefully one of the more experanced breastfeeding profesionals will be along to give you some more support.

hello - am not an expert but just wanted to say how fantastically you are doing. BFing twins is hard work but to do it after a c-section and with one breast is amazing.

i checked the LLL book Mothering Multiples as I hoped there might be some advice for triplets/quads that might be relevant for you but I couldn't find anything useful. However, I wondered if it was worth emailing the author? She may be able to get hold of some resources for you or know someone in Italy who could give you a phone/email consultation?

www.karengromada.com/contact/

This is her site and a contact page.

I hope you got your support issue sorted out (enough but not too many people in the house?) and you can carry on with the bfing.

Thank you MigGril and DW123, sorry if I haven't replied earlier, but I have my hands quite full as you can imagine.

Thank you for all your suggestions, I have found a lacation consultant in my area and am waiting for their reply.

DW123 I guess you are remembering my old thread about coping with twins on my own?? I have had help in the house now since end of november, but nxt week I'm going solo...the twins will be 3 and a half weeks old... lets see how it goes, but I desperately need my house back to myself! I do have a cleaner and my lovely babysitter who is worth her weight in gold! So I am feeling quite confident about it all.

My milk supply has increased and now we managed a few feeds a day without top up. The biggest problem is when they wake together, and then unless I leave one to cry til his brothr/sister has finished feeding, the only option is to give the other a bottle... as I dont like to leave them to cry for that long, it would also make me rush the feed I am doing at the time. I'd like to try and express for those occasions but it is really hard to find the time!

I am very happy though to be able to at least give them some of my milk, I left the hospital thinking I'd screwed my chances so anything else is a big bonus!

Thank you all for the suggestions and the compliments , I'm just doing what I feel is right for me and my babies, but thanks!!

Wow !

I clicked on this thread thinking I might be of help having BF my 3 children over about a 5 year period but to be honest I am now in awe of you

I hope that lady can give you some good advice soon.

But in the mean time I think you are doing great, and I am sure when you are by yourself next week things will be just fine. You sound like a very capable and determined mum and are giving your twins a fantastic start. Ignore the not very helpful comments I am sure they are meant well...

Like you know already ... each feed is a big bonus , and you have done so much already.

I wish you well x

Hello all, I thought I'd post an update after you ahve been so kind and helpful.

I haven't actually received an answer from the LLL consultant , but things are much better now.
The twins are 5 weeks today, and they are going longer between feeds which is less tiring for me. I ahve now settled into a routine where I give tA breast than tB breast + top up, and alternate at every feed. If the twin supposed to have bottle wakes up first I give bottle straight away as that breast feed is reserved for the other, this way I am sure they both get a full breast feed at every other feed.

If the feeds are staggered enough I even manage to breastfeed both without top ups sometimes

they are also growing very well, so I am very happy at how it is working!

lots of

Congratulations, well done and big cheers all round. You've given your twins a fantastic start and I hope you can continue as long as you want. Great system - thanks for sharing. So pleased you have made it work out.