best breastfeeding resources?

dleigh81

Please recommend your most helpful breastfeeding resources: books, websites, etc. Or was taking a class the most helpful?

It's so hard to decide what to do- EBF, BF and pump, BF and formula. I'd like to BF but worry about night feedings having to be the only one able to feed them- more importantly wake up. But then if I also pump how much of my time am I stuck to a baby or machine? And then knowing what bottles are best is a whole other story.

Obviously, I have no idea where to start so any and all advice will be helpful.  

TIA

ancjph

I didn't not bf the triplets, I did pump for a very short time. This time with our singleton is did bf and I found this site to be very helpful kellymom.com

 

atc282

I too found kellymom.com being super helpful! Other than this site, I only contacted the LC at the hospital where I delivered (you could page them and they'd call you back w/in a decent amt. of time).

GL!

atc282

I should also add that I decided to EP since I wanted to feed both babies in the same style and only one DD nursed well (I would still nurse DD on occasion anyway).

EP'ing is a LOT of work (I pumped every 3 hours--it's really exhausting at first) but I am glad I did it for 4 months. I was able to make a huge stash of frozen BM that came in handy, too.

Shannonlea

Kellymom is great.  My suggestion is that you'll have to find a solution that works for you and your situation.  For 12 weeks, I breastfed on one side and pumped the other side so that DH (or anyone else) could help me feed.  Now that I am back at work, I tried to continue to nurse in the AM and PM but   because I needed more pumping sessions to keep over 40 oz per day, I had to move to exclusively pumping.

 

Any way you do it,  breastfeeding twins is hard but its totally doable. 

sunnybrook.

Ditto the kellymom website. I also highly recommend the book Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins and More! by karen kerkoff Gramada.

I was BFing and pumping. Pumping was too hard to do when I was home alone with the girls. I am now only BFing. I try to squeeze in an occasional pumping session just so I have breastmilk on hand for DH to give them if I'm not home. Initially, whether you pump or BF, you will need to put baby or pump to breast every 3 hours - including during the nights - in order to get your milk in and build your supply.

jalaiaa

Ditto Sunnybrooks post. Kellymom.com is great and sunnybrook actually recommended the mothering multiples book to me and it is worth reading. I wish that I had had it before they were born. Also your LC is generally a great resource. 

Until they were 1 month I EBF. I pumped to get a little stash but didn't introduce a bottle until one month. My LC said that earlier you chance nipple confusion/preference issues and much later they may not take a bottle at all. It is easier now that DH can help with night feedings, but I'm glad I had and made that month goal.

BFing is hard, especially with two, especially at first. But it gets much better over time. So if you decide to EBF keep that in mind. You may have to get through he rough patch of nipple pain and growth spurts but in the end it is so much easier.  

keg

Honestly, probably other moms of multiples who breastfed, pumped, etc.  I did take a class (two actually--one at the hospital and one at work), and while it was kind of helpful, discussions about what to do with full term singletons is a little different than often-preemie multiples.  I worked with a couple LCs which kind of helped too.  The Mothering Multiples book was pretty good, but it is a LLL book so be warned if you wind up doing a combo of BF and formula (the babyproofing section is pretty crazy though so don't get too alarmed!).  However, getting a sense of what worked for real people in a similar situation is really helpful.  Also, trying to get a sense of what your priorities are (do you want to be EBF or EP if at all possible or there are other priorities that come into play?)   Good luck!

Twin.Peaks

All of my BFing information was from word of mouth and the LC at the hospital.

I have almost 9month old twins and have BF the entire time. I supplemented with pumped milk for the first 2 weeks but have been solely BF since then. It has been a joy but you definitely have to find what works for you. I was able to feed them together until 4 1/2 months. That when things got tricky but for the most part its a smooth machine.

Oh, and I only BFed/pumped in the night until 8 weeks. After the doctor gave us the clear for STTN I stopped waking them. 

smackjlaw

I have a book called Mothering Multiples by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada, it's main focus is breastfeeding. So far I have found it to be pretty resourceful.