Tandem nursing

[DuchessSilver]

Hello

Has anyone got experience or advice on tandem nursing please? DC1 will be almost 2 when DC2 arrives and still loves to breastfeed a couple of times a day (doesn't feed to sleep). I'm trying to decide whether to wean DC1 before DC2 arrives or to try tandem nursing.

Thank you!

Hiya, there’s 22 months between my two. DD is going to be 2 next month and still has a night feed and sometimes will feed a bit in the day. I’m glad I did it but it has been difficult at time, make sure you keep up your calories as it can be quite physically demanding!. There’s lots of websites that offer good advice :)

I was going to but then DS self weaned while I was PG.

I know my friend did it with her 2 youngest and I remember the older one upping his feeds once the baby arrived.

La Leche League has some good info here and Adventures in Tandem Nursing is supposed to be a good book.

I tandem fed my two for a year, there's two and a half years between them. Worked out really well, there was plenty of milk from DS from birth as I already a supply (whereas we had a rough 5 first days with DD, waiting for my milk to come in after an EMCS), and DD helped with the oversupply issue.

I think it genuinely helped with their bond - DD didn't get jealous of my feeding the baby because she always climb up and have some too, and she used to hold his hand while they fed. DD was already "used" by then to only feeding at home - out and about she'd have water and snacks instead, so I didn't have to deal with horrid reactions trying to feed them both in public; it was just lovely snuggly times in bed or on the sofa at home.

After a year I was starting to feel distinctly "touched out" though - felt like I could never sit down without one or both of them climbing on for a feed - so I encouraged DD to stop. She took quite a lot of encouragement/bribery, I think she would have happily continued for quite some time! DS, on the other hand, went on to naturally self-wean at around 3 and a half.

Was there anything specific you wanted to know?

No advice I'm afraid but I think we are headed this way too :) DS2 is 2.7 and I'm due in August. He's not slowing down so I don't think he's going to wean at this point.

Only thing to report is my nipples are so sensitive it's agony if he doesn't latch nice and deeply or if he wants to hold one in the other hand so sometimes I have to cut him off early.

He has started sleeping through the night thank god!

I was thinking of starting a breastfeeding while pregnant support thread, just wasn't sure whether to put it here or in pregnancy?

Thanks for the replies!
I've read the la leche league and kellymom sites which sound very positive, but I wanted to know from real life mums if that really was the case!
I'm a bit concerned about how to make sure the new baby gets enough colostrum in the first few days, without my toddler drinking it all. Does anyone have any tips?

Yes to the sensitive nipples @BertieBotts!

From what I've read it doesn't work like that, but you can have a rule to feed the younger one first if that helps.

There was an old thread on here for tandem feeding support if you use the search and restrict only to this section it should come up, that was a useful read - both positive and negative experiences there.

@DuchessSilver

Thanks for the replies! I've read the la leche league and kellymom sites which sound very positive, but I wanted to know from real life mums if that really was the case! I'm a bit concerned about how to make sure the new baby gets enough colostrum in the first few days, without my toddler drinking it all. Does anyone have any tips?

Yes to the sensitive nipples @BertieBotts!

I don't recall worrying about that, tbh - although it possibly helped that we were kept in hospital for five days after birth as DS was a bit poorly, so DD only fed once a day when she visited. Somehow I doubt that even the most milk-hungry toddler (which DD definitely was!) could keep up with a cluster-feeding newborn.

DS certainly seemed to thrive, at least. I remember that the GP expressed astonishment that he'd packed in enough weight to take him from the 25th percentile at birth to the 75th by his six week check.

@DuchessSilver

Thanks for the replies! I've read the la leche league and kellymom sites which sound very positive, but I wanted to know from real life mums if that really was the case! I'm a bit concerned about how to make sure the new baby gets enough colostrum in the first few days, without my toddler drinking it all. Does anyone have any tips?

Yes to the sensitive nipples @BertieBotts!

I just let DS feed first so he got the colostrum and then DD would nurse after