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Breastfeeding twins...
Be honost...how hard is it. Also i would love to here how to breastfeed in public x2, or when the babies get a little bigger.
IVF #1 BFN... IVF #2 BFP! TWINS!
Twins born too early at 23 weeks due to incompetent cervix
FET #1, IUI #1, 2, 3, 4 - all BFN
IVF #3 BFP!!! IT'S A BOY! Born July 16th, 2011
FET #2 BFP! Due February 15, 2013
Twins born too early at 23 weeks due to incompetent cervix
FET #1, IUI #1, 2, 3, 4 - all BFN
IVF #3 BFP!!! IT'S A BOY! Born July 16th, 2011
FET #2 BFP! Due February 15, 2013
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Breastfeeding twins...
it was very hard in the beginning for us, but that is partly because they were a little early and small. but now its easy...so much easier than bottle feeding, IMO. just make sure you get the EZ2Nurse twin pillow.
As far as NIP, I barely have done it...once, I did tandem nurse in public by setting a baby on each knee (facing my breasts). it works, but its hard to do discreetly. In general, in public, i always plan to feed one baby at a time (although we tend out outings around their feedings so its not really an issue)
anyway, its very doable and its very fun!
Twins born too early at 23 weeks due to incompetent cervix
FET #1, IUI #1, 2, 3, 4 - all BFN
IVF #3 BFP!!! IT'S A BOY! Born July 16th, 2011
FET #2 BFP! Due February 15, 2013
Yes, it will be so hard to tandem feed at first because they will be small and "floppy." (Especially if they are preemies!) For a while I was just feeding one at a time, but it got easier as the girls got older, bigger, better at BF, and had more control.
The EZ2Nurse - in my opinion - is very useful, and it may take lots of practice to transfer them on and off the pillow safely...
As my girls have gotten older, tandem nursing again is a bit of a challenge since the girls are SO squirmy, distractable, and claw at one another's faces... Sometimes starting recently I actually feed on the floor and without the EZ2nurse... one baby across my lap and the other one part on the ground in the football hold.
As far as NIP both at the same time...haven't done it. I don't think I could do it covered up. I can cover up at home with the EZ2Nurse since it's basically hands free, but I don't ever take that out except for maybe to my parents house. I tried to do it once with a cover and without the EZ2Nurse, but I couldn't keep covered up because the girls were pulling off the cover.
Like PP, I plan my outings around their feedings, but I admit that's a bit of a challenge since they like to eat every 2 hours.
Sorry to hear you've been getting negative feedback - you can successfully bf your twins!
I plan to EBF the twins. I EBF DS for over 6m and it was a wonderful experience. I'm worried about how much harder it'll be to juggle 2 at once. I don't plan to BF in public often (if ever). I NIP when I was pg with DS and that was hard enough to be discreet about, I couldn't imagine tandem feeding in public (and doing one at a time might take too long). I plan on bottle feeding when out in public (though as pp's mentioned, with DS I would plan outings around his feeding schedule, so that helped). GL.
You should try it...it's a guaranteed 20 minutes of peace & quiet many times a day! A must with 2 babes that may or may not always want to nap at the same time. Get the pillow, though. I've never nursed both in public, If i'm out, I nurse one at a time.
It was a bit difficult at the beginning, but the hospital was great with helping me since these were my first babies
The boys didn't latch on properly so to encourage BF they gave me some nipple shields to help make it easier for them to latch, if it weren't for that I don't think I would of continued BF when I came home. I tried on and of while at home to BF directly, but being home by myself if both babies were crying I didn't put much effort into that, but I finally started to BF without the shield about 3 weeks ago.
After we got in the routine of things (they were on the same schedule) it was easier and I'm very happy I decided and didn't give up on it when sometimes I felt like it. If you're determined to make it work you can do it!
The cost of formula for two babies as well was defenitely a motivator too!
As far as tandem nursing I know some MoM do it on their own, I need help with it and still do if, but I don't tandem nurse often, I'd rather nurse one at at time and as far as nursing in public it's not something I'm comfortable with so I usually nurse prior to going out
We had a little bit of trouble getting started. I think preemies have a tougher time, being so small and tiring easily. Nipple shields were a lifesaver for us. They made it so the babies would actually latch on with their tiny little mouths. We just stopped using them a couple of days ago and everything is going well for us.
Good luck!
The first 6 weeks were so hard. I wanted to give up frequently. Like pp said, they were too floppy to tandem feed at first and they fell asleep all the time at the breast - and I didn't have enough hands to juggle their heads and keep them awake at the same time. They ate for about 45 minutes each, one after the other, and I have a toddler too. Plus the nighttime feedings were absolute torture. By the time they both ate I had 15-30 minutes before they ate again. I got through it by pumping/bottle feeding at night. We would feed them quickly, then I would pump and wash the parts. I was back in bed within about 45 minutes, which beat the heck out of the 1.5 hours it took to feed them directly! Eventually we switched to just one bottle feeding a day to keep them used to it and I now nurse directly the rest of the time. Right around 2 months we dropped down to 30 minutes per kid per feeding and I started tandem nursing again. Then right at 3 months they dropped to about 10-15 minutes per feeding. I switch back and forth between tandem and separate feedings depending on who is awake, etc. I am so glad I stuck it out because at this point it eems easier to me than bottle feeding.
I NIP frequently, but nearly always one at a time. In the beginning I always carried bottles, but for me it got really old, really fast. If we are in a hurry (like a long car trip or something) then I can nurse them both in the car, either with the EZ2Nurse or propped up on two diaper bags. Out in public I have never tried to nurse both at once. I would definitely need the pillow and it is a pain to lug around!
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