Exclusively pumping for twins - tips from anyone who has managed this please?

[muddiecuddles]

(And yes I know it would be easier to feed them directly and may try this soon - I EBF my two older children.)

Twins 5 days old, born at 36+3 at 4lbs 4oz and 5lbs 11oz, still in special care as needing alternate feeds via ng, they just get tired at the bottle. The bigger one latched on fine day 1 but I have never tried to latch the smallie. They got formula as well as expressed colostrum for the first few days but sunce yesterday are on just EBM.

At the moment my milk has just come in and I'm pumping every 3 hours-ish on both sides using a hospital grade pump, now getting around 40mls each side. The problem is they both need more than this as their weight increases... I'm meeting a lactation consultant tomorrow but any tips or success stories from people who have done similar?? Thanks in advance...

Hello!

Congratulations on your lovely new babies ❤️️

I am not a mum of multiples, but have some experience of breastfeeding support and pumping. The amounts you are getting sound fab, well done 👍🏻

Things like something that smells of your babies, or a photo whilst you pump can help. Anything that makes you relax or triggers a let down -cup of tea, shoulder rub from partner, deep breathing etc. With a hospital pump light fast sucks until let down starts can help to trigger it, then stronger longer sucks if it is adjustable. When the milk stops flowing revert to short fast and repeat.

I remembered this video about maximising pumping output and thought you might find it helpful

video link

Stick with it, the first minute or two of the video is a bit dull, but the hands on techniques can be great. You might also want to talk to the lactation expert about how frequently to pump? Different people suggest different things, but sometimes more frequent can help, if you can cope with it. Some mums do two hourly by day and then aim to pump once during night (rather than waking to an alarm rigidly every three hours round clock). It must be so hard being separated from them though, so you have to do what you can manage.

You are doing so well. Sending you giant hugs and best wishes.

Also, have you seen the small wonders stuff from best beginnings?

One final thought, now you are getting more milk, it might be worth talking to your team about what size 'portions' to store it in depending on how much they plan to give each baby at each feed. Smaller bits can usually be amalgamated if they need more.

Ah thanks for the advice! Things are going well and production seems to be keeping up with demand at the moment so fingers crossed!!

I got told to eat porridge and ice cream to help with production. Not sure it helped but worth a try. Also looking at pictures of your babies when expressing can help with the let down. I also massaged my boobs while pumping. This seemed to help squeeze more milk out. Although I did feel like a cow being milked . But please please don't stress about having to top up with formula. My girl had jaundice and just fell asleep on the boob constantly because it's hard work for them to breastfeed. I had to pump and bottle feed. It was exhausting and I started to go down hill myself. I topped her up with formula to take the pressure of myself......and I only have one!!

Congrats on you're twins! I'm always in awe of mothers who have twins

I pumped for DS1 - it’s really hard so well done. I found the pumping community on baby centre to be an absolute god send. Lots of info, lots of support, and lots of women in the same boat.

There's an Exclusively Pumping Mums UK group on Facebook. If you do latch them you might have to leave it but in the meantime it should help. Congratulations on your babies - keep going you are doing so well.

It can be done! I expressed for my twins mainly because I couldn’t master the tandem feeding and wanted to be able to get outside and not be held hostage with constant feeding one at a time .

I managed to pump exclusively until they got too big and greedy then I had to supplement with formula too.

I exclusively pumped for my next baby too for a year without the need for formula. In that case I managed to donate a lot of milk too.

Happy to answer any questions for share tips that you might have.

Well done you, you’re really putting your all into this and I admire that! I bf my Twins for a year and it was totally worth it, any idea when little one gets to have a go and latch on? Mine were tube fed for the first few days but latched fine and off we went, I hope the same happens to you once you’re all ready. Congrats on having twins, it’s a crazy journey but an amazing one.