MoMs who breastfeed/breastfed... is this feasible?

3VIBride

Just thinking ahead to what I might like to do/DH might like in regards to feedings. ?I already know I would like to breastfeed the twins. ?Of course we are going to be flexible and do what works best at the time.

Is is feasible or even possible to tandem feed at times, but also do some pumping so that when DH is home, one child can nurse while the other has breast milk from a bottle with DH? ?My thought is that would allow for nice one on one bonding time with me and more importantly DH, possibly make nighttime feedings more manageable. ?I know he would love this. ?However, I know there are many ideas that are great in theory but not so great in practice! ?Has anyone done this or something like it?

dtwmco

I have done this, but then I tend to feel bad for the one who isn't bf... The girls seem to much prefer bf over bottle, so the bottles are mainly for when I'm out and they get hungry or when we go somewhere I'm not comfortable bf.

Also, with tandm vs one on one, I prefer the one on one time, but often both babies are hungry at the same time.

You will definitely find what works for you!

Temp6313048411121614

I'm trying to figure this out too because I'd love a stash with twins so someone else can take a feeding here and there.  Not sure how easy it would be to build since it seems like the demand would be higher than the supply.  I know when DS was very little I would BF him and then pump to get the last bits out.  Thinking I may try the same thing this time but planning to do something and being able to put it into action aren't always the same thing.

na24

I haven't done this yet but plan to. ?I hope it's feasible. ?I want to EBF and then pump for a few minutes after each feeding to help build up my supply so my husband can bottle-feed them EBM now and then. ?

irngrl73

I pumped from day one and to be honest, if I didn't I wouldn't have had any sleep at night since the babies were up at different times. Yes, you can wake one, but we chose not too. My dh took the boy at night and I took the girl. The girl was easier and since I nursed during the day and pumped at night (in addition to day after feeds) the girl was a better sleeper so that's why I took her.

I had difficulty tandem feeding. It was just easier for me to feed one at a time especially in the beginning when they were so small. Plus, baby girl was a great nurser and baby boy needed a lot of work.

 I'm sure it's possible to do though, it was just hard for me and I preferred to feed one at a time. That said, my babies got breastmilk only for about five months and then I got mastitis for six weeks. My supply dropped at that point and I had to supplement. But, they still got 80% bm up until 10 months when I quit.

clberry6492

i have been told by several moms who breast bed their twins that it is totally possible to tandem feed. its hard at first they say. i was told to adhere to a strict feeding schedule or i will loose my mind. these women also said to get a twin bf pillow--- it made things easier. other moms on here have said they did not like it and found other things easier. i think it varies from person to person.

im not planning on doing this always. i want the freedom to go out and also to share feedings with my husband and grandmas. so, i am going to pump, too. i am going to see where pumping and direct bf lead. either way, i want them to have breast milk. 

i probably havnt helped you at all, but i thought i would share! 

Skatcat

Absolutely. I do this all the time. Today for instance I tandem fed twice, at 8am and when I got home from work at 5. The rest of the morning I nursed them seperately (they woke up from their naps at different times) and for the last bottle in the evening, I nursed one baby while DH gave the other a bottle. At night I usually get less milk, so I can really only nurse one baby, and like you said, it gives Mr. Skat a chance to bond and help out. I switch each evening so that both babies get a turn nursing at night.

Its all about playing it by ear each day. 

ravenmama

You can totally tandem feed and also pump.  I did this for about 4months and then I EP'd.  It was kind of stressful tandem feeding.  It seemed like one baby was constantly unlatching/looking around whatever.  My point is, tandem feeding was not relaxing for me at all.  It was however very convenient and fast.  When DH was home, I usually bottle feed them.  I always got up at night on my own, so I tandem feed at night.   Pumping and breastfeeding is a lot of work, but can be done.  You'll be amazed at what you do for your little loves! Good luck.

Jem04

I am currently EBF and tandem as often as possible.  One of my boys needs more frequent nursing than the other (they are 2 pounds different in weight), so I have to do some 1 on 1s as well. 

You have to be careful if you always skip night time BF and use bottles - your body will stop making milk during that time frame because you have told it you don't need it at that time.  then, it is hard to go back to BF because your supply is totally dependent on the demand, and it takes a few days of increased demand to get your supply to respond accordingly.

I don't want to reduce my night time supply, so we are EBF for now... which means no sleep for me...

AlpacaBunny

I bf the babies during the day, most of the time I feed them separately, sometimes tandem.  At night we feed them bottles b/c they are waking up 2-3 times during the night and it just makes things so much eaiser.  So after those feedings I pump which makes the bottles for the next feeding.  DH and I each feed them a bottle at each overnight feeding.  I just don't have much of a big milk supply so I find pumping after they have eaten during the day I don't get much of anything.  So we don't usually have any extra BM to feed them in bottles during the day.  We do formula feed sometimes too, also overnight if I didn't pump enough milk for a bottle.  Basically you will just have to figure out how to work things so you can do what you want to do.  If you have some help during the day you will probably be able to pump more, I find that being alone with the babies, there's just no time to pump during the day either b/c one of them is usually awake.