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EBF and exhausted

heaven22twheaven22tw member
in Multiples
I am EBF my twins and Im so tired. Last night I only got two hrs of sleep. I have a one year old so there is no sleeping when they sleep during the day unless it coincides with DD s nap. Every night i cry and want to supplement with formula just so im not feeding every hour! Im sorry to rant but after 3 1/2 weeks like this I am at a loss:/
After three miscarriages and one ectopic pregnancy we are currently pursuing adoption. " Born not from our flesh, but born in our heart. You were longed for and wanted and loved from the start."
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Re: EBF and exhausted

  • ceechieceechie member
    edited October 2013
    To help, I would breast-feed one and my husband would bottlefeed formula the other. That way they could be fed at exactly the same time And not staggered. I hated supplementing but I need to sleep. Now at three months old, I'm pretty much exclusively breast-feeding. Theyre just older and sleep better. But I did cheat and gave a bottle of formula before bed last night and they slept six hours. I don't love the idea but twins are hard. I have a four-year-old and a two-year-old so I need my sleep. But during the day theyre exclusively breast fed.
    Just know you'll get through it! Hate to tell a breast-feeding mom to use formula But sometimes I think we are all too hard on ourselves!
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  • lwatkins12lwatkins12 member
    I'm planning on BF by pumping or nursing. I nursed my DS for only 7 weeks. He ate every hour and a half or two hours. I was exhausted and did not enjoy it. I'm really going to make a stronger effort this time but I'm completely open to supplementing. I'd rather be sane and calm than frustrated and on edge trying to care for twins just because of the pressure we tend to get to BF.
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  • carrotcake06carrotcake06 member
    Feeding them at the same time has been crucial. I do one up, both up and tandem bf. In the very beginning, it still was incredibly rough and my 3yo goes to FT daycare. I rarely have all 3 by myself and about once a week I have help during the day w just the twins. That help and break are really essential since it just seems never ending w twins.

    It does get better. They're 34weekers and it seems we got over a hump around their EDD at 6 weeks, again at 9 weeks (started sleeping at night in 3-4 hour chunks) and then at 3 months (stopped screaming so much). They're done with a feeding in 15 min instead of 45.

    I know it seems forever from now, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
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  • LittleLady77LittleLady77 member
    I just wanted to pop in and commend you for BFing twins. I hope it gets easier for you.

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    Lilypie First Birthday tickers
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  • bumpuser924057bumpuser924057 member
    I do supplement my twins with one 3oz bottle of formula every night and BF the rest of the time, and it has worked out VERY well for us so far.  I was so stubborn with DS1 about never ever wanting to give him formula, and I look back at that and can't imagine why on earth I was so obnoxious about it.  We started giving the one bottle in the beginning because after nursing all day long I was pretty tapped out by the evening and they were screaming and cluster feeding constantly from about 5pm-11pm and I just felt like I had nothing left for them.  I don't even know if they "need" it anymore, but it's part of the routine and they're sleeping so well that I don't want to eff anything up by taking it away.  

    I don't mean to try and encourage you to do what I did if it's not what you want, but just remember that supplementing does NOT mean the end of breastfeeding, and you can still have a healthy nursing relationship with your twins even if they get a little formula now and then.  You are doing a GREAT job and it is hard as hell to nurse two babies and care for an older child at the same time, so cut yourself some slack and do whatever you need to do to get through it!  


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    Grant - 6/2/11
    Glenn and Caroline - 6/19/13

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  • frank3jrfrank3jr member

    Due to some repeated mastasis/breast infection issues in the first few months, I started only pumping. When I tried to go back to nursing, it was really stressful and the babies weren't intersted so I continued to EP and it's really helped with saving time. The babies took a less time with a bottle than the breast and I was able to have my husband always feed one of them or another family member. When I was alone I started to feed both at the same time and it's helped so much with saving time. I use a little blanket to prop up their heads and put them on either side of me on the couch. They both wear bibs and I have burp rags ready (pretty much anything I would need I bring over and have ready to go because the twins do not like stopping in the middle and having to go get something) and I have pacifires ready for them so they can stay put and occupied for after they are done and I'm still working on the other one.

    It still takes a lot of time to EP but not near what it took to do both. The important thing for me was that they got the breast milk and we have found other ways to bond. If nursing is really important to you, maybe try half bottles and half nursing so that you can get some extra time during the day.

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