Milk not in after 6 days - time to give up?

[quesadillas6]

Hi,

Twins born 6 days ago. Been offering the breast regularly ever since. Latching very hit and miss, mostly miss. Theyre just not interested. They've also had small amounts of formula every three hours due to medical problems at birth and so they can maintain their quite low birth weights. They're more interested in this than breastfeeding, but only just. I'm also trying a pump and getting very little out. Time to give up?

It's so frustrating. They're the most reluctant feeders most of the time, impossible to wake properly, falling asleep quickly. And my milk still isn't in properly. What a mess!

I did. I felt guilty for days, then embraced FF and never looked back. It was fantastic and I loved it. Good luck, whatever you decide.

How do you feel about formula? With dd1 my milk didn't come til day 8. I wasn't able to breastfeed her at all til the end of week three and she wasn't fully breastfed til week nine. I kept at it because I really wanted to breastfeed. I needed to do it. I also hated all the sterilisation and making up bottles faff. If bf isn't something you want to do then give them formula. Don't waste time feeling guilty or making excuses. Formula is fine. Breastfeeding is fine. Do the one that appeals the most. Bf is hard at first but gets much easier. Ff is expensive and faffy in the long term but is a totally fine way to feed if that's what you prefer. Don't apologise for your decision.

I feel fine about formula - my eldest mix fed from 5-7 months and then switched. I was hoping to give the twins the same start, but it's not working so far. But my current system of attempt to feed both, pump the side that the more difficult one has ignored, give him what's been pumped, give both formula, it's going to kill me. Another few days and I'll really have to decide.

I did. I felt guilty for days, then embraced FF and never looked back. It was fantastic and I loved it. Good luck, whatever you decide.

Me too.

I would try another few days, try to encourage them to feed as much as possible - minimise the bottles, as they will get a lazy suck and not work to breastfeed. Easier said than done, especially with two and wanting to maintain weight.

It's common not to be able to express much for some people, just not the same suck and letdown action.

There are some natural therapies (fungareek?) and drugs to increase supply, might encourage supply to come in and make things easier? Is your midwife still visiting (are you at home yet?).... might be worth getting a medical opinion on that option before giving up.

Have you got a breastfeeding clinic in the area, I had latching issues due to tongue tie saw the midwives at the clinic and they helped sort things out.

If you want to still try with BFing it's worth visiting the clinic (which is run in the sure start centre in my area) they are a great source of support.

Keep trying :) keep pumping, your milk will come :)

Well, the milk came, one twin took to it really well, the other didn't and has been a nightmare. Midwife came today and both babies are losing a lot of weight. I'm now right on the verge of moving to bottles, but I feel guilty about it. Which is stupid, because I wouldn't feel badly if it was a friend in this situation, and I've never been against formula. I think it's just because I expected breastfeeding to be as easy as it was first time round, or at least manageable, despite there being two babies. My head's in a mess with it all.

What about breastfeeding the one who's taken to it and formula for the other one?
It's only like them having different favourite colours, surely?
And yhen you're doing the best for each according to his needs.
You could probably still try with the reluctant one layer, but this way you'll be a lot less stressed and the two will start gaining again.

Ps- the losing weight thing is most likely because of the faff and once you settle into the routine and decide what you're doing they'll be back on track

But I do agree that you need to talk to a bf counsellor or peer supporter or lactation specialist rather than a general midwife

My ds is 3 months and has been mix fed from day 3 or so. Milk came in eventually on day 8, but we were never able to move to fully bf due to low supply and doctors told us to keep up the formula supplement to get his weight up. He's now about 50% each and it's working for us. There is only one of him though!