Exclusively expressing for twins. Is it possible?

[Ewemoo]

I have got twin girls who are 11 days old. I have been expressing since their birth managing about 350ml a day. This is expressing every 2 hours in the day and tbh nothing after 11pm till 7am. I know I should be expressing in the night but I'm so tired and as the babies are still in scbu there isn't a physical baby crying out for food in the night. However, at the moment my babies need double that amount in a 24 hr period. If I start expressing in the night I still won't reach this amount but maybe it will increase my supply generally? However, when they come home I will either be expressing or feeding around the clock and I have another dd who needs taking to and from school, etc. Am I trying to achieve an unachievable dream or is it possible? I desperately need reassurance as they are being sick when fed formula. I feel pressured into supplying the breastmilk so they're not sick.

I don't have twins but I did exclusively express for 6.5 months with my DS3. Expressing during the night will definitely help your supply so if you can do it even just the once? I did it right before bed, then about 4am then again at about 7am. I had a 3 year old at the time but it was possible to pump around his schedule.

Do you have a good breast pump? I used a double electric one and that also helps with supply.

I know others will come along with loads of better advice but I just wanted to say that yes it is possible, it's hard but once you get going you just fit it into your life no problem (I have expressed in various places and in the car several times lol).

Ewemoo, yes, expressing at night would be better for supply, no question. And I have been down the SCBU route with my ds3 and I know what it's like, I used to set my alarm to get up and express but actually dragging myself out of bed to do it was very difficult, I reset the snooze button 5 times one night before I managed to get up. I feel so sorry for you and it must be horrible for you that the formula makes them sick as I'm sure you don't need that guilt when you're already trying so hard.
There are several MNers who have exclusively bfed twins and some who have exclusively pumped so it is possible but do as much as you can without running yourself into the ground.

Yes totally possible Ewemoo. I exclusively expressed for my dds when they were in SCBU. I didn't express in the night during this time - like you I was just so shattered and ill. you are probably also pretty dazed and confused at the moment. Who do you feel pressured by? That's not fair at all. You're no doubt going through a pretty traumatic time at the moment and the last thing you need is any additional stress! IMO you would do well to get as much rest as you can overnight at the moment in preparation for when the babies come home but obviously I am no expert. I managed to increase my supply with a really good double electric pump which they had in our SCBU. Have you been able to try breast feeding yet? Could you speak to a bf counsellor in the hospital? I think you'd find that really useful. I'm quite new to mumsnet and a total technophobe so have no idea how to put your post somewhere else but I think you would get lots of twin specific support on the multiples threads by plenty of people who know a lot more than I do. Best of luck and huge congratulations on your new additions.

Definitely possible!

I excl. expressed/fed my twins for 11 weeks, they were in SCBU for 4 of those weeks due to being prem at 32.5 weeks. However, I didn't have any other dc's at the time. I used a double pump and pumped every 4hrs round the clock for the first 3 weeks and then started bf as much as possible.

Your supply really will start increasing soon, as you are only 11 days into it. I personally really would recommend at least one night pump session, it is so tiring but so worth it. can you sleep in the day between pumps?? twinmam has excellent advice to speak to a bf counsellor, they can be very helpful and supportive.

Good luck and congratulations!!

I think you really need to express at night - I know you are shattered but that is when your supply will be best and you shouldn't really be going more than 6 hours without expressing overnight as this will not help your supply at all.

I exclusively expressed for my DS for 6 months plus 1 month where he was getting some formula. He was in the Neonatal ward for 5 weeks as he was prem. I do know of other mums of twins who have totally managed it but I think you will need support. I remember what it's like being tired and trying to express after feeding ds at 3am and it wasn't easy (DP was crap at getting up in the night and didn't manage it once ). I imagine with twins you'd be better off trying to bf them in the night yourself and maybe having some expressed milk for someone else to give the other twin? Of just bf if you can manage it?

I found this site (american forum) very very useful and supportive: messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppexcluspump.

Good luck!

Same here. I almost exclusively ebm'd for nearly 3m (they had ad rop of formula when the nurses had failed to defrost enough ).

I didn't express through the night either - Nobody told me too - although I believe that it is recommended now. What I did find helped was to start double pumping. That seemed to increase my supply massively - and also meant that I was pumping for half the time I otherwise would have been.

You absolutely MUST express at least once at night!!

Can you breastfeed them? Once they get big enough to latch on successfully it would be much easier to feed them directly. Expressing is 3 times the work, sterilising, expressing and then feeding it to your babies, breastfeeding, you just stick them on te breast when they are hungry.

Have ou got a local twins club where Mums breastfed? Breastfeeding counsellors, lactation consultants etc, can help you with the technique. It is well worth tandem feeding if you can get the hang of it.

You will produce enough milk if you stimulate the breasts enough, ie expressing or breastfeeding. It is a supply and demand thing, if you put your babies on to feed, or the pump, you will have a let-down of milk, even if it's only 10 mins after the last feed.

I breastfed my twins for 13 mths, and I know a Mum who breastfed triplets.

Have you checked out the multiple birth section of this forum, www.mumsnet.com/Talk/multiple_births there's lots of people who have done it on there.

Knew you would get help from those with more knowledge about this and sorry for saying not to express at night tho do understand totally you feeling exhausted etc. By the time I got my supply up to enough to exclusively feed my girls on my milk - mind you, they were quite teeny and not having a great deal - I think I was doing one last expression (is that the right phrase?!) at midnight then the next one at something like 6am so kind of a compromise. I was still in hosp tho - as you know, you dont get much sleep there. I really hope you get all the help and support you need and I hope you are vocal enough about asking for help when you need it. I also hope you get to bf your babies soon - is there someone there you could ask about that?

Oh, I forgot to mention the double pumping! If you do have to express long term at all you might want to get an expressing helterneck which was a lifesaver for me as it keeps the pump in place while you Mumsnet or read or whatever - wish I'd got it much much earlier! If you need to buy a heavy duty pump long term I recommend the Ameda Lactaline which is small and simple but one that a lot of people who pump a lot use because it works well. It's a double pump too.

There is good site for breastfeeding and expressing stuff here. I used them a lot and you can get things there that you can't in high street stores.

PS. I do agree though that if you can possibly BF then it would be preferable to all the washing and sterilising and expressing!