Debate

[Twin Sister]

So my family was here for Christmas and my dad asked how a few of my friends were doing. This one friend of mine came up who is pregnant with twins and she has a two year old that she is still breastfeeding. The debate was "should she still be breastfeeding her 2 year old while her body is trying to sustain twins." (she's a pretty tiny girl)

I didn't get much invloved in the debate as I honestly had no idea, but it was very nteresting and I was curious if anyone knew the answer.

[Barb Glare]

HI,

I would say there is no debate at all. It's up to your friend, and she is doing what works for her, and it's not really anyone else's business. Breastfeeding is a highly efficient system. Despite popular belief, it doesn't take much out of you at all, and a two year old is probably having very few feeds anyway. Hormones produced by the placenta work to reduce the milk supply significantly at about 12 weeks, so there may not be much milk invoved anyway, but it may be an enormous comfort for both child and mother. Probably no one much knows about the exact status of her "anorexic tendancies" and it may all be well under control. It's nice people are thinking of her - I think they might be more helpful if they offered to go and vacuum her floors so she and the toddler could rest.....

Barb

[paradise lost]

If she still has milk and all three babies are ok, and she is happy then i think she should feed as long as she wants. It's important to look after oneself whether one is breastfeeding or not, but i doubt she'd gain weight if she weaned if she really IS anorexic. If she is just very thin then that doesn't mean anything really, you can be very thin or very fat and the milk is the same.

Most women lose their milk to some extent in the 2nd tri and then start making colostrum so her toddler might be getting alot more comfort than he is milk. I'd be inclined to think that closeness with the toddler now, especially with the busyness and demands of twins on the horizon, is precious and should be enjoyed.

One can LOOK anorexic without being anorexic. There was a girl in my school who i later lived with in halls and once calorie counhted with her. Her BMI was 16.5 but i kid you not, she ate 3000+ calories a day. SHe found it SO hard to gain weight, but it was just her metabolism. ANd there again there was another girl whose BMI was 18 and she quite obviously had an eating disorder. SHe was vegetarian, then vegan to cut out food groups she thought were fattening, she walked for 4 hours every day, she used to hollow out her bagels before she ate them (!?) and ate, she once proudly told me when she "caught" me on my 2nd slice of cheesecake (i wasn't hiding from anyone, but i was overweight and complained about it a lot), 600 calories a day.

It's hard to tell just from looking what someone's eating habits might be.

Bx

[Phteven]

If she wants to BF and she can do so then where's the debate? her body, her babies, her choice.

[Twin Sister]

Oh I totally agree that's it's her body and her choice, that wasn't in question at all.

They didn't say anything negative about her either, they started off talking about my baby and pregnancy blah blah blah and started debating (in general )if you should be breastfeeding while pregnant (my parents are old fashioned with their views and think you should always give soothers, supplement with forumula right from the start to help them sleep better, and stop breastfeeding before getting pregnant as it takes too much energy to do both).

Then when my friend's name came up (because she is doing what they were debating and my dad was asking about other friends who are pregnant) they were worried it would take too much out of her to breastfeed while carrying twins and being so small.

Thanks for all your input, I'm most relived for her sake that it's ok for all of her babies for her to continue (I really had no idea if it was too much or not)

[Barb Glare]

Hi, Twin Sister - it sounds like the debates are the same - whether it's Australia or Canada. I'm sure the same could happen around any barbeque this holiday season in Australia. Sadly, there is so little knowledge in the community about breastfeeding - myths and "old wives' tales abound. Mothers breastfeeding toddlers feel under a lot of scrutiny and percieve a level of criticism, even though just about every authority recommends breastfeeding for at least 2 years and thereafter for as long as the mother and child desire.
Warm Regards
Barb