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thread: feeding multiples

  1. #19
    Registered User

    Nov 2008
    in the ning nang nong
    12,163

    As others have said, I would aim to exclusively breastfeed.

    I would however also express, so that DH can help out if both twins were ravenous at the same time, or of if I had a dip in supply at any point (eg: if I was sick or run down, etc).

    Expressing can be hard work, but for some people it works really well - DS2 is 4 weeks old today, and I have about 9 litres stored in the freezer thus far, ready and waiting for use if and when DS2 needs it (and if he is fine just on the boob, then DS1 can have it on his weetbix!)

    As in any situation though, I would keep in mind what is and isn't doable ...

    I have one friend who breastfed her triplets, and I have another friend who was unable to breastfeed her one baby (and was unfortunately unsuccessful in expressing, too, despite lots of support and advice and hard work). Both are awesome mothers, they just had very different experiences when it came to the milky side of things.

  2. #20
    Registered User

    Jun 2010
    594

    Our experience has been that although we set out to exclusively BF that just wasnt what was best for both babies and us. Both babies started with EBM tube feeds. They came home on suck feeds at the same time. However having a nurse tell you to feed at the same time and helping you and then doing it at home just isnt the same so they quickly moved to one after the other. The little twin was still quite tired and would fall asleep on the boob quite easily even though she was the one that took to BF first. Eventually we switched her to EBM bottles. That then led to mummy having to feed one on the boob, feed one on the bottle and then express for half an hour. There was no time to do anything else. Everything centred around feeding and pumping. So eventually after months of perservance and frustration at the pump, the heartbreaking decision was made to make one twin boob (due to allergies she was the one chosen to stay on boob as well as being the booby baby naturally) and the other moved to formula. To this day 9 months on, this is still how they are fed. While the best intentions were there from the beginning I think you need to go into it with an open mind, two babies are no where the same as one baby.

  3. #21
    Registered User

    Jul 2005
    Sydney
    7,896

    My best gf had twins (nearly 10 years ago - eeep! I feel old). TBH as they were her first, it was more caring for two newborns that she found challenging, not just bfing them. She had little family support and was the first of our group of friends to have babies, so it was tough on her all around. They were not premmie though and were a great size born. She successfully bf them exclusively until about five months.

    She did end up mixing ff and bf, it was not out of problems bfing, but out of choice. She did the same with her DS when he was born four years later and again, she had no issues bfing.

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