Breastfeeding twins - help!

[Franykins]

I have 5 week old b/g twins and am loving it I've been breastfeeding and then giving one 3 oz formula feed during the night. However, my left nipple has always been sore since little girl latched on badly to begin with. Long story short its just started bleefing ! And the pain! I was wondering if anyone has had this happen and want to know how long it took to heal. I want to carry on breastfeeding but need to give it time to heal, will this totally muck up my milk supply from that breast? I was thinking till its healed I could alternate them on my right breast and a formula feed, if that makes sense? That way at least they are both still getting some breast milk till its better. I'll be really upset if I can't continue with mostly beast milk. I did try expressing but only got 1.5oz in 40 mins :-(

Thanks in advance.

I don't have any twin advice but I know TAMBA offer BF advice on their helpline. I can't find the number online because may need to be a member but worth a look: www.tamba.org.uk/home

I have called LLL a couple of times and they were helpful: www.llli.org

I only have on DD to BF but have a lot of problems on one side. I'm not sure about formula as haven't tried it but from what I've read it may deplete your supply. You could try nipple shields? I never got on with them myself though. Nipples apparently heal very quickly, and I found lansinoh with clingfilm on top helped with fast wet healing. It also meant I could bear to wear clothes as is a barrier.

For me with the lansinoh the worse scabs healed within 2 weeks. When the pain started to go I stopped using clingfilm and used lansinoh and let them dry out. By then it was a great deal easier and I got better at ensuring a good latch. At first I found it a horrible shock and dreaded feeds but this passed quite quickly and I'm glad I stick with it.

Good luck, sympathies and well done on BF twins!

For me what worked was using a breast pump on the bad side everytime i fed on the good side so it was still getting used. I put lansinohl on the nipple and then cling film - it stops the lansinohl from being rubbed away on my bra before it had the opportunity to work.

Whenever i could face the pain I fed the twin that was better at feeding from the bad side.

It did take a few weeks to stop hurting but i think it had got bruised quite badly.

Good luck! Mine are nearly 5 months old now and wonderful but exhausting, particularly with my toddler too. They have just started interacting with each other which is hilarious.

Ps I love your typo "beast milk" i feel like that sometimes!

Hi. Thanks for the advice. I have been using a breast shield on and off to try to help it - it started bleeding with one on. To look at it doesn't actually look that bad, just very painful. I am a member if TAMBA so will call them tomorrow. I've given one an extra bottle tonight and breast fed one. Can't beat myself up over it I suppose. I have lansinoh and have been using it since they were born but with breast pads, will try cling film. Thank you all x

Congratulations Franykins :)

What did you name them?

If your nipple is bleeding you need to check your poisitioning and latch. Remember that topping up with formula can affect your supply. Call LLL or Tamba like other posters have suggested.

Thank you neversleepagain. We called them Beatrix Pearl Christine, born weighing 5lb 13 and Austin Leonard, weighing 6lb 14.

I've been checking latch etc and have now been using a nipple shield with every feed. I've not had time to call anyone which is not good I know formula top up can affect but its only one bottle in the night and the VERY rare emergency one, not got the hang of discreet latching in public so if I can't finfld anywhere private.

However, today I'm feeling I just can't carry on :'-( They must be having a growth spurt as its been constant. I'm so tempted to just go to formula but reallyddon't want to if that makes sense. How multiple mummies manage this for months and months amazes me. I am so pro breast feeding just finding it hard today. They only latch for ten mins before falling asleep.

Oh well DP has just brought me a cup of tea and chocs, just what I need whilest feeding bless him :-)

Sorry for the Xmas day rant ladies x

And how rude of me!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE XXX

Oh do try to hang in there. It took me about 8 weeks to really really be comfortable with feeding but aftervthat we didn't look back - still feeding at 10.5 months.

Ps have you had them checked for tongue tie? By a proper lactation consultant or someone who knows what they are talking about? Both my twins had a tie and it made a huge difference to feeding once it was snipped.

Happy Christmas Franykins Lovely names and good weights.

It is very hard, you have my sympathy. Don't beat yourself up, especially not on Christmas day :)

BF does get easier but if you do decide to FF there is no shame in that. Just remember, no one will ask you in a years time how they were fed xx

Hi Franykins just wanted to say hi and hope you are ok.

These are really tough weeks you're going through - well done for keeping going - it will definitely be getting easier in a couple of weeks in terms of feeding. Do try to keep feeding from your painful breast if you can at all just to keep the supply up.

Also just so you know our DTs were ebf for 8 weeks (with expressed top ups because of poor weight gain) then mixed feeding until now (nearly 7 months) with mostly breast milk so don't feel any formula is the end of breast feeding. I'm very happy I kept breast feeding as it's so convenient for night feeds and when out and about - ended up in A&E with DTD on Sunday (she's ok now) and was happy I could comfort and feed her so easily.

But also to echo posts above - if you end up ff that's more than understandable in your position, it may even be beneficial in terms of how you are able to parent, which is more important to them.

Good luck and happy first Christmases!

Another person who mixed fed and continued breastfeeding until twins were toddlers. A variety of reasons, but I was desperate to keep feeding so accepted some compromises.
Have you thought of a)hospital grade breastpump (some over counter breastpumps eg: Avent are not nearly so effective) try googling Medela. Expressing gets much easier -to start with you can feel that nothing is produced but that's because a horrible noisy machine doesn't have the same effect on your let down as a baby. I think you do need to express when you are feeding one baby, as it makes it much easier to let down. Then you could ask your husband to give your little girl a bottle of formula for the first feed you express for, and then the next feed you have the expressed milk for him to give her, etc..essentially you are expressing for the next feed for your baby girl on the right side, every time you feed your baby boy on the left side.
There is a danger of mastitis if you stop feeding suddenly on one side
Re:Posting in Breastfeeding section of mumsnet re: the pain
Changing your position - ie: rugby hold worked better sometimes to correct the latch
Definitely seeing a breastfeeding counsellor because it is amazing how they notice small problems with the latch...my son did not open his mouth wide enough so he did not have a proper "mouthful" of breast although he was still getting milk, it led to more and more painful feeds and decreased letdown.

What I personally did, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, is to use the baby that had a good latch to feed on demand from both breasts, and then express extra (to keep supply going) and in the meantime my other baby was formula fed for a while. He eventually latched on properly, but it was quite difficult to catch up, and I had to keep mixed feeding for a while (till they were six months) which was a trial. I had another pair of hands in the house, though, I don't think I would have managed it if I had been alone in the house with the two babies (the expressing, mixed feeding and demand feeding)

Breastfeeding turned out to be lovely, and very very rewarding (and protected them against a lot of ailments I believe - no ear infections for example) but the first few months were just DIFFICULT. Maybe it would have been much easier with just formula, but after that it was certainly easier to breastfeed and my babies had a very good routine too!

Thank t

Well don

I've kept up the breast feeding and my sore nipple is feeling better after a day and a half of using a shield with every feed. I'm now going to use it as and when its needed but Austin has a better latch so should be ok. Beatrix just doesn't take enough of a mouthful most of the time and when she does she lets some of it go. How do mums of multiples find the time to get breast feeding consultants round or call them. Will have to find the time I guess. It was a lot easier yesterday though and I didn't formula feed during the night as worried my supply is dropping and DP is going to have to give a bottle later today as I am off to the panto - seemed a goof idea when my mum booked it noe I really don't want to go

Thank you for the advice everyone. I just need to persevere with it. Feeling a lot more positive e in with lack of sleep.

Just wondering how long a feed should be. My two average about 20 mins a feed bit sometimes only do 5 or can be 45. Its all rather confusing

Hi, I just wanted to say you're doing a great job and just do what you can, although I echo what a previous posted has said in that it all gets easier in a couple of weeks - and adding preparation, sterilisation, getting it all in a bag etc if you FF is so much harder than breast feeding.

I also used nipple shields for quite a while (about 9 weeks) because my DTs were premature and had small mouths / not great latches. It worked for us and as they got bigger, I just stopped (they were fine). I think also with time, your nipples will toughen up (nice!) and you're less likely to get sores. In the early stages, I had to count to 10 when they first started feeding, gritting my teeth to get through the pain but it did settle down. Just make sure you are eating enough as that has an impact on your supply (as well as your liquid intake).

Good luck