Barb? Do I need a breastfeeding pillow and other twin feeding questions???
I'm 23weeks preg with twins and just wondering if I need a breastfeeding pillow?
I think I'm planning on feeding them just across my bod yat the front but just one on top of the other..not sure what u actually call this so hope it makes sense and dont think I will football feed...I have tall children and if these babies are the same it make football feed uncomfortable cause the legs dangle out the behind me too much and I have to lean forward.
I want to be prepared though, I know I can go out and buy one if I feel I need it but if 95% of breastfeeding twin mums use one and its likely I will use it I'd rather just buy it now and be organised.
Also any tips for feeding in public? I've heard a lot of mums breastfeed their twins seperately in public and I've only experiences babies who feed 20mins but to make a baby wait 20mins for a feed if they'r hungry isnt something i want to do and I can only imagine what it would be like if I have 1 or 2 twins that take an hour to feed!...also I'll never be able to cover my boobs up that way lol A friend gave me a breastfeeding cover this week and I'm planning as using it as a template to make more. I've never worried about using on or muslins really but with 2 babies if one pulls off with no freee hand I wouldnt have much option but be exposed to the world..any other tiops?
And any other advice?? and what is everything I'm reading about expressing to get ur supply up?? Is that really neccessary in the beginning or do u just leave the babies to do that?? I'm a student midwife, at the hospital I'm birthing at so have good access to an lc and staff etc but info for multiples is quite a bit less than that for singletones
:July 23rd, 2011 08:37 PM
congrats on your upcoming twins pg
it sounds like you have got a good support network around you to start with which is awesome
i would suggest getting a feeding pillow
i used one when feeding my twins, but it was hard to balance them both sometimes when they were really small as they were different sizes- there is definately a knack to it, but the fact that you have breastfed before makes it so much easier!!
the best bit advice i have is to join your local mulitple birth group. not only are they a great support group, they often have a second hand classified, cheap breastpump hire and will be in touch with what are the latests and greatest pillows and other products available out there. once you join you are also entilited to some discounts when you show your card to many places!
if you go to AMBA's main website they have a local club finder as well as heaps of other good information and resources on line
as for feeding in public, there are several ways that worked for me- i either expressed beforehand and bottlefed them that feed, fed one at a time, or took a feeding pillow with me and fed them wherever i was. Unfortuantely with 2 babies at a time, the ability to just pop out, or just duck out somewhere goes out the window. Even just ducking to the shops means getting the pram out, getting the nappy bag out blah blah blah
so taking a feeding pillow with you is no biggie- sounds worse than it is lol
getting your supply up? your supply should hopefully just keep up with what your babies need i was expressing up to 2 1/2 litres a day with my twins. when i needed to get more, i upped my water, and i took blessed thistle tablets . Fenugreek tablets are also suppose to be good and there are always those lactation cookies to try as well!!
it is definately alot harder with twins- i didnt realise how much more work and how much harder it was until i had a singleton. but you do it and it is awesome! you are never given more than you can handle i say!!!
good luck and if there is anything else you need to know- just holla
:July 23rd, 2011 08:41 PM
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I used a twin breastfeeding pillow for the first 10 days, at which point I abandoned tandem feeding and switched to feeding them one at a time. I found tandem feeding was very difficult, my little girl couldn't attach properly, and I spent the whole time trying to juggle them and hold them in place. Having said that it would have been much harder without the pillow, but what I really needed was a third hand.
Feeding one at a time didn't take twice as long because I didn't have to spend so much time having to try and keep the attachment, and it meant I got one on one cuddles with each twin which was lovely. I fed like this for around 16 months, then switched back to tandem feeding until 22 months. In hindsight I wish I had not gone back to tandem feeding as I enjoyed feeding so much less from then onwards.
So to buy a pillow - yes if you like but don't be afraid to abandon it if it doesn't work for you