Pregnancy Info HOME

My twins are now 3 months old & I've been b___stfeeding as well as giving them a bottle since day 1. I find supplimenting really helps as my hubby or Mom can also give them a bottle & give me a bit of a break. I do pump so that in each bottle they are always getting b___stmilk as well as formula. I do at times feed them both at the same time just to save some time. The best way to do this is with a large/twin nursing pillow & you use the "football" hold on each of them. When doing this, don't switch sides, keep them on the same b___st for the entire feeding. However, for the nest feeding, swithch them up. They both have different suckking/suction & will stimulate different areas of the b___st to help fully drain them. I also like to nurse them serperatly to give them each taht 1 on 1 time that we all need. When you do this, have someone help out to give the other one a bottle & some alone time. IT'S NOT EASY!! Please don't get discouraged, it will come. My milk took a long time to come in & I still feel that had I not been able to do it, my babies would still get the noutritian they need from a bottle. You will need a lot of help. Have someone hand you each child & be on standby if you need a__sisstance. Good luck!

My OB actually suggested pumping and bottle feeding the expressed milk which is what I plan to do. Actually nursing them is not as important to me as making sure they get b___stmilk. Another advantage of doing it this way is that you can see how much the babies are eating alot easier and then I can supplement as needed. She also said that pumping is alot faster than nursing. I'm not saying that this will be the right choice for you (or me for that matter as I haven't tried it yet!) but it's an option.

Hello, I have 4yr old boy/girl twins and I b___stfed them until they were two. It's not easy in the beginning but it is so worth the perserverance. I fed mine together on a pillow using the football hold. On the very odd occasion I would feed seperately but it just takes too long. In regards to the swapping b___st thing, I kept each baby on the same b___st for the whole day then the next day I would swap b___sts. I found that easier as my boy always drank more than my girl, so by them having the same b___st one wasn't getting more than the other, if that make sense. It can be very daunting and tiring in the first few weeks, especially as mine were very chucky babies, so trying to burb and catch vomit while still having one on the b___st can be quite tricky but you do get the hang of it. I tried expressing and letting my husband have a turn at feeding but after a while they refused to take the bottle even though it was b___st milk. My best advice is to drink heaps of water and eat well, and make sure you have everything within reach when you do sit down to feed, eg phone, remote control for the telly, a bottle of water, chuck cloths, etc. Best of luck with it all, and remember it's a learning experience for the three of you so don't get disheartened if it takes a while to perfect. One other thing if one of mine woke at night which was rare my babies pretty much slept right through from when I got them home, I would wake the other and still feed at the same time, cause guarenteed if I didn't do it that way I would only be back in bed for a few miniutes before the other woke up. They are still the same now, they get up every morning within 3 minutes of each other, must be a twin thing. Good luck.

Pumping IS much faster & this way others can help you. I do also pump & if needed (as it's hard to produce enough milk for 2) I give it to the twins in a bottle - half b___stmilk & half formula.

bumping this up for phoenix1

Caught it, Thanks Pinkrox87 :) I just bought a medela pump, ebay has them pretty cheap. I have been doing lots of reading and think I'm definately more prepared to do this b___stfeeding bit...HahAha

Happy pumping!! My babes are now 6 months, & we're still at it. Please remember though that it is not the be all & end all if you can't do it! Formulas today are great. All that matters is that your babies are loved & well fed, no matter how you do it! Good luck.

For those of you that are just pumping. do you have to wake up at night and pump as well? also how many times a day do you think your pumping for the twins? i really want to b___stfeed them but im thinking pumping is going to be more for me due to the twin factor.

hey blf0521. i pump exclusively for my twins as they are bad latchers. i pumped every 3 hours for the first 10 weeks and i have now gone to every 4 hours - and that includes nights. i did notice my supply has dropped heaps during the 1st 10 weeks and i now only make 1oz from each b___st every hour, and it isnt enough for my boys, so i am subst_tuing with formula until i find a way to increase my supply. i think the only problem with pumping is it isnt as efficient as b___stfeeding but i have read success stories and i plan on doin it until i've dried up or wean. lol.

My twins are almost 6 months old and I'm nursing them exclusively. I pump for the times I'm at work but when I'm home, I always tandem nurse them. The first few weeks were hard to learn what we were all doing, but once we got the hang of things, it's been so much easier than dealing with bottles. At the start of a premie life, I could see pumping and bottle feeding to preserve their calories, but it's so much easier to just latch them on and let them do their thing. When they wake me to nurse at night, I'm up for only 20 minutes and then we're all back to sleep. Good luck and remember that your babies will grow with all b___st milk, all formula or a mix of the two.