Your experience of BF twins?

[benjalamummy]

I have a friend who is pregnant with twins, and she has been asking me about breastfeeding them. All I can tell her is my experience, which ended up with me not actually breastfeeding.
I assumed I would BF but it didn't work out that way. Both dts and dtd needed to be tube fed for 12 and 4 days respectively. So they had expressed breast milk during that time, and then I carried on giving them mostly EBM supplemented with formula now and again for another 6 weeks. They were quite tiny and didn't really demand to be fed, I had to wake them to feed them every 3-4 hours. Dtd dropped from 2kg to 1.7 kg after she was born and was slow to regain. Dts was only allowed out of the scbu (or equivalent here, I am not in uk) when he could finish 70ml of milk himself, without having to have some of it tube fed (plus other issues). All of this led me to be fairly paranoid about knowing how much milk they were getting, which obviously you do with a bottle.
So what was you experience of breastfeeding twins? Was it hard to establish? How long did you carry on for? Did you feed each on demand or feed one when the other was hungry?
Thanks a million. Will be pointing my friend in the direction of mn, obviously :)))

I BF's one of mine, my girl just refused point blank to latch on. I expressed for her. Then I got ill and it all dried up. My boy latched on and was more than happy to be fed from the breast or from a bottle and would happily switch from one to the other.

The only advice I would give is get a good pillow and give it a go. Also don't beat yourself up if you don't manage it as plenty of others will do that for you. Ignore them!

We made the decision to feed ours at the same time or within a short period as we had an older child and couldn't be spending all hours awake with the DT's.

Hi - I am bfing 13mo twins. They were born at 40 weeks and weighed 6lb and 5,4lb which helped. But DT2 was in SCBU for 4 days and tube fed. I bfed before his scheduled feeds and when called by the unit if he was v hungry. That helped establish bfing but I was nervous when he came out and counted wet nappies for days.

The advantage of being in hospital for 5 days was lots of help from midwifery staff. When it conflicted I used what worked and ignored the rest.

I tried mix feeding at one point and it didn't work (DT2 vomited it, DT1 had it but the bottles were more hassle than help). I also tried pumping but again that was more hassle than it was worth for me but I know its useful for others and essential for some.

The book Mothering Multiples was useful for me as well as Kellymom and the BF section of MN.

I wasn't prepared for them to need feeding every 2 hours and in the early days when I fed both together it made scheduling trips out of the house erm challenging. But they got quicker at feeding, I got more organised and they got less stressed at waiting a few minutes.

My only other top tip is to learn asap to feed lying down so when you are mind shatteringly exhausted from cluster feeding you can go to bed and DH/DP can bring them to you for their next feed.

Other things that worked for me but don't work for others: special twin feeding cushion; small sofa for feeding with table on wheels for drinks etc; decent bras and a couple of special bf tops for going out.

And she shouldnt beat herself up if she tries but it doesn't work. There are enough challenges with multiples without loading that guilt on. (But I guess you have told her that already from your experience - hope you are all ok now).

Thanks so much both of you!

I'm EBF my 10 week old twins. I second the Mothering Multiples book suggestion - I packed in my hospital bag. My two were born at 38 weeks and were good weights which probably helped, but I think the most important things for success are the same as with singletons - lots of positive support, patience and trusting your instincts. There are some where you will just feel like a cow and will nurse and nurse and nurse, but it's only for the first few months and it's so worth it (I have a DD I bf until she was 21 months).

Oh, and a good cushion. I've tandem fed since they were born by using the My Brestfriend twins pillow. Awful name, fantastic product!

My twin girls were born by ELCS at 36 weeks. They weighed 5lbs each and thankfully didn't need special care. In hospital they had formula top ups after each breast feed, and were being woken to feed every 3 hours.

After three days we came home and dropped the top ups within a week. Since coming home I've fed them in tandem on a Double Blessing feeding cushion. During the day I feed them on a schedule - 7am, 10.30am, 2.30pm, 5.30pm plus after their bath, dream feed at 10.30pm. In the night I feed on demand but wake the sleeping one and feed them together.

They're now 19 weeks and suddenly getting much quicker at feeding. I have a DS aged 3.5 so it has been much easier to feed the girls together.

Good luck to your friend. I hope she's as we'll looked after as we were - the hospital staff were very helpful and keen to get tandem feeding sorted before we left.

I fed my DTs until they were 10 months. They were 6lb13 and 5lb6 at birth.They went into NICU for the first 3 days and had to have tube feeds of formula as I couldn't express more than a couple of mls. From 3 days the boys were both ebf but it was a bit hard to get established, and we battled through thrush (in my nipples and both boys' mouths) and mastitis.DT1 was always hungry and DT2 was mostly sleepy - I fed them both every time DT1 asked to be fed so that DT2 would gain weight - he wasn't that interested otherwise.
I LOVED bf my DTs. I miss it now (they are nearly 3)

I am happy to be PM'd/

EZ to nurse twins foam pillow - my lifesaver!

From what I could work out, the EZ to nurse cushion is now sold as the Double Blessings cushion. But definitely get foam not inflatable.

Hi there.

I had my twins at 27+6 so they were obviously tube fed from the start but with my EBM as they were both only 2lb 6oz and too small / weak to feed. I pumped every 3 hours including during the night (so 8 times a day) to make sure I stimulated my supply. I became known as Daisy The Cow .

I got tons of support from the staff on the Neonatal Unit in trying to help me establish feeding. From about 32 weeks, whenever they had a tube feed, I'd put them to the breast (so they started to associate getting a full tummy with being on the breast). They started licking, sucking and by about 35 weeks, were having a few sucks in a row. At that point, I started putting them to the breast before a tube feed, then if I thought they'd had a good suck, the midwives would aspirate them (I think thats the right terminology - effectively bring some liquid back up their NG tube to see if there was any milk in their tummies). If there was, they'd have half of their normal EBM via the tube, or a quarter etc, depending on how well I thought they'd fed from the breast. They had an EBM feed via NG tube at night when I wasn't at the hospital.

They had to be gaining weight (amongst other things) before we left hospital so for the weekend before they came home, I roomed in with them (stayed at the hospital) and fed day and night (without any EBM top ups). I think they'd each gained 10g in 3 days but it was enough to go home!! That was at the equivalent of 36+5 so they were just over 9 weeks old by that point and completely breastfed.

I carried on feeding them until they were 11 months - for the first 9 months they didn't have formula but we introduced it at 9 months and they were fine. It was hard going in the early stages - I fed on demand for the first few weeks at home but then gradually fed them together (one after the other so at least there was a bit of a break before the next round of feeding) as time went on - but I think its actually easier than having to sterilise 2 bottles / go downstairs in the night whatever / heat milk up etc. I also agree to feeding lying down, means you can doze. I never got the hang of feeding them both together although I did do it once or twice in an emergency (both screaming!). Would say you need to EAT, EAT, EAT to keep your supply up and be prepared for very sleep!!

Thanks everyone, its really nice to hear some great BF success stories with twins, before mine were born so many people just assumed that it couldn't be done .My pregnant friend was really encouraged (and a new mumsnetter!)

I BF for 12.5 months my ID twins and had a similar experience to MrsIcarus

I'd also recommend using an Ez2nurse BF cushion, I fed to a schedule in the day but would BF one at a time in the night, in the early days I'd feed the second twin straight away in the night, dream feed really but as they got bigger I would just feed 1 and hope that the other would sleep through further until they both stopped feeding at night.

Hi
I also bf for nearly 12 months. Its reallyhard going in the first few weeks but I would do it all again!!

My ID girls were born at 35 weeks, we stayed in hospital for the first two weeks, and as they were not much good at sucking/ a bit small (4 and 5 lbs) they had ebm in bottles for the first week and a bit. I think pumping helped me to get a really good supply going and as I was over producing meant I had a good supply of frozen milk to take home. It was a bit scary coming home - I couldn't quite believe that they were trusting me with these two tiny things, who had previously been looked after by a whole team of professionals in uniforms with machines that went beep.
They made the switch to bf very easily, no nipple confusion problems. We intended to keep going with a bottle in the evening to let me get some quality sleep, but in reality it was too much hassle streilising etc, plus dt1 vomited bottles up. I kept feeding them til 13 months. Lots of people have asked me how I managed to bf twins, I always say that it is easier that way, no fiddling about making up feeds, washing bottles, plus it allows you to be a tiny bit more spontaneous, not having to pack bottles for every trip out.
I never got along with tandem feeding; I had the inflatable EZ2nurse pillow and didn't like it, its interesting to know they have a foam one now. It was nice having a bit of quality time with each girl, and also being able to drink tea/read/mumsnet with the other hand. (not so good with a screaming baby in the background though. Fortunately dt1 was always hungry first, dt2 a bit sleepier so it worked well)
I second learning to feed lying down/sitting/standing up/while cooking tea for their big sister. You do very little else for months - sod Groundhog Day, this is Groundhog Three Hours. For the first six weeks or so they had to be woken to feed, then the pretty much settled into a 3 hour pattern, I would recommend waking the second to be fed immediately after the first or you never get any amount of time between them. And have them next to your bed at night - mine fitted in a moses basket together for four months, then a cot.

One more thing, it is really hard to keep going at times. Just aim to keep feeding for a month, 3 months, 6 months at each point. I had a pretty low time at about 3-4 months - I think my energy reserves were truly gone and the novelty had worn off, but it really does get easier and easier, once they start eating at six months it gets less constant, and if you keep going to a year, you never have to mess about with formula/bottles/sterilizing.
I was amazed at how thirsty I was - not surprising, I worked out I was producing about 3 pints of milk a day!

Hi Benjalamummy and huge congratulations to your friend!

My twins were delivered at 34 + 4 weighing 3lb 14oz and 5lb 1 oz and had a 2 week stay in SCBU.

I wanted to breastfeed, so expressed for the all the time that they were in hospital, (including setting an alarm for 2am so that could express during what is meant to be the best time for milk production (2 to 4am, can't remember why, though!)). The boys were topped up with formula. We put them to the breast from the start and once they started to latch on, they were tube fed while sucking, to get them to associate being fed with suckling.

They were demand fed once we left hospital and although there were times when I fed them both together, on an EZ2nurse type pillow, I mostly fed them one at a time - my reasoning being that they might be twins, but they are also two separate people and I didn't feel I should force waking and feeding on the one who was sleeping. Also I felt that this was a time for each boy to have a bit of one to one time with me, as everything else is and will be shared.

It was relentless at the beginning, I can't think of any other word to describe it! There were days when it felt like all I did was feed babies. Often I would just get one settled after a feed and just get myself lying down for a nap, and the other would wake up. There were also nights when it was constant feeding and they nearly broke me - I started a thread about it at the time!! And I had a major wobble when they were 5 weeks old and just felt that I couldn't go on with it. But I pushed on through and they were almost ebf for the first 6 months. (My DH would give each a bottle of formula in the evening because it gave me an hour off baby feeding, and that helped me to keep going).

They are now nearly 2 and I still feed them if they wake in the night as it's still the quickest way for us all to get back to sleep. I never intended to keep going this long, but there you are!