Triplet mom's - infant feeding questions

MontyMrs

What did you intend to do before the babies were home and what did you end up doing?

I'm currently thinking of a combo of breastfeeding and supplementing  so I can have help feeding all the babies.  I was wondering if I should just be pumping and supplementing, I'm not sure what will get the babies what they need and not have me feeding babies constantly. 

Any tips and advice would be appreciated. 

pea-kay

I tried not to go in with too many expectations. I didn't feel super strongly about any one method, as long as they got food. I was assuming I'd be pumping and supplementing, but wasn't really expecting to BF. 

My milk never really came in, though, so I pumped for two months, gave them what I could, and then they were exclusively FF. At most, they got maybe one or two bottles a day of BM.

MontyMrs

pea-kay:

I tried not to go in with too many expectations. I didn't feel super strongly about any one method, as long as they got food. I was assuming I'd be pumping and supplementing, but wasn't really expecting to BF. 

 

This is good advice, thanks.  I'm certainly feeling the BFing "pressure" from many people I talk to and DH is all about it, but I'm honestly really scared to try and BF 3.  

pea-kay

MontyMrs:

pea-kay:

I tried not to go in with too many expectations. I didn't feel super strongly about any one method, as long as they got food. I was assuming I'd be pumping and supplementing, but wasn't really expecting to BF. 

 

This is good advice, thanks.  I'm certainly feeling the BFing "pressure" from many people I talk to and DH is all about it, but I'm honestly really scared to try and BF 3.  

Dude. Anyone who trys to pressure you into breastfeeding TRIPLETS should get your middle finger. Not that you can't, not that you shouldn't want to, but EFF THEM for pressuring you into doing something SO personal that is quite frankly, none of their business. 

Grrrrrr.....

Kinda98

No kidding!  What's their deal anyway!  

I am also a woman with no real plan which may or may not be a good thing.  I successfully breastfed my son but this is a WHOLE different ballgame!  I may try to breastfeed 2 at once, bottle feed the third & then pump when I'm done but we'll see if this is a realistic scenario.  The lactation consultant I spoke with thinks that if I had a good supply with my first then it may go well this time too.

I definitely want to feed all 3 at once- I am not going to stay up 24 hrs a day just to feed them!!

 Whatever you decide to do, don't let people make you feel like a bad mother for using formula!!  My husband made the asinine remark that he "hoped they aren't brain damaged" by drinking formula. (He, by the way, was a formula fed baby!!!)  That ended the conversation there.

 My 3 are due in a few weeks- I'll try to let you know how things work out!! 

Babsie7

MontyMrs:

pea-kay:

I tried not to go in with too many expectations. I didn't feel super strongly about any one method, as long as they got food. I was assuming I'd be pumping and supplementing, but wasn't really expecting to BF. 

 

This is good advice, thanks.  I'm certainly feeling the BFing "pressure" from many people I talk to and DH is all about it, but I'm honestly really scared to try and BF 3.  

Sorry you're getting pressure about BFing. It seems like everyone has an opinion on what's "best", but it's really no ones business. You have enough to worry about. I am getting pressure from my MIL about CDing. She told me she did it with all three of her boys and it wasn't that difficult... I had to remind her that she didn't have to change 3 ALL AT ONCE!

MontyMrs

Thanks ladies!  I was kind of shocked buy how many people think it's appropriate to ask me about my BFing plans and also how I plan to deliver. I never talked to any of them about my boobs or vaj pre-pregnancy, ya know?

I can handle brushing aside outsider's opinions,  I know that I need to do what it best for me and the babies.  I'm really not attached to any one method, I just want them fed and happy. 

MontyMrs

Babsie7:

MontyMrs:

pea-kay:

I tried not to go in with too many expectations. I didn't feel super strongly about any one method, as long as they got food. I was assuming I'd be pumping and supplementing, but wasn't really expecting to BF. 

 

This is good advice, thanks.  I'm certainly feeling the BFing "pressure" from many people I talk to and DH is all about it, but I'm honestly really scared to try and BF 3.  

Sorry you're getting pressure about BFing. It seems like everyone has an opinion on what's "best", but it's really no ones business. You have enough to worry about. I am getting pressure from my MIL about CDing. She told me she did it with all three of her boys and it wasn't that difficult... I had to remind her that she didn't have to change 3 ALL AT ONCE!

 

LOL - sounds like MIL totally doesn't get it.

I had thought about CDing if it was going to be 1 but with 3 I really believe that whatever is going to make life easier around here is the way to go.

 

lnle

MontyMrs:

Thanks ladies!  I was kind of shocked buy how many people think it's appropriate to ask me about my BFing plans and also how I plan to deliver. I never talked to any of them about my boobs or vaj pre-pregnancy, ya know?

I can handle brushing aside outsider's opinions,  I know that I need to do what it best for me and the babies.  I'm really not attached to any one method, I just want them fed and happy. 

yeah, and I still get questions about things like this. I don't know why they think it's appropriate.

I felt pretty strongly that I wanted to try to BF - it's something I've always wanted to do and didn't want to let multiples change my intentions. I decided that it was most important to me that they get as much breastmilk as possible, regardless of how it got into their tummies. I also wanted to save as much money as possible - a monthly hospital-grade pump rental is a lot less expensive than formula for 3! Here's what actually happened:

month one - tons of pumping, lots of practice latching but no true bfing

month two - A & L got the hang of bfing, so then it was a combo of bfing and pumping. used a little formula around week 6 during their growth spurt when I couldn't keep up, but otherwise it was all BM.

month 3 - Z got the hang of bfing, and we all got the hang of tandem bfing. Still pumping though - I've never done all feedings just through bf - I NEED other people to feed the babies sometimes! 

month 4-present: had to start using more formula when I returned to work  I know formula isn't evil but I really wanted to avoid it. I'm still trying to make peace with it. I'm currently bf'ing when I can at home, especially overnight and first feeding of the morning, pumping at home and work, and using formula when there's no bm or boob available. So far we've only bought one can of formula - we've been able to rely on samples for the rest!

good luck! 

 

 

ethansbride2b

I initially wanted to BF or at least supplement with BM.

I ended up formula feeding from birth. 

SLM05

pea-kay:

MontyMrs:

pea-kay:

I tried not to go in with too many expectations. I didn't feel super strongly about any one method, as long as they got food. I was assuming I'd be pumping and supplementing, but wasn't really expecting to BF. 

 

This is good advice, thanks.  I'm certainly feeling the BFing "pressure" from many people I talk to and DH is all about it, but I'm honestly really scared to try and BF 3.  

Dude. Anyone who trys to pressure you into breastfeeding TRIPLETS should get your middle finger. Not that you can't, not that you shouldn't want to, but EFF THEM for pressuring you into doing something SO personal that is quite frankly, none of their business. 

Grrrrrr.....

 

I AGREE!  I BF DD and tried witht he boys but they could not latch well, i tried to pump and did so for 3 months but the lack of sleep and tring to pump then feed, and take care of my 3 year old killed my supple so i stopped and they are no FF and doing great.  Try not to let the pressure get to you.  I had a lot of guilt at first about giving up the BF but then i realized i had to be able to care for them !

Hibiscus2007

I really didn't have any expectations where BF or FF were concerned, I was going to try to pump while they were in the NICU at the very least and my plan was to go as far as I could.  I pumped and produced plenty to keep up with their feeds in the NICU.  I had to supplement with some formula to make it 22 calorie but I was able to do this for 6 weeks.  I could have done it longer but I was just toooo tired to add more to my load.  With A toddler and 3 babies to feed every 3 hours (each baby taking about 45 minutes to finish a bottle) there was just no time left in between to pump.  I actually weaned down and just pumped 2X a day for a few weeks and was able to still get a good bit.  My advise is just go into knowing you will do what you can and understand they things just may not work out.  In the end I was happy I was able to give them BM for 6 weeks.  I am surprised people are pressuring u to BF triplets, most people I encountered were like "Your not going to try to breast feed 3 of them are you?, that seems impossible"  It is weird that people just open their mouth when a thought passes through their mind intead of thinking how it is going to sound. 

GL