Qs - Tandem Feeding Twin Infants

4legsRbest · March 2014

I am planning on BFing these two, I was successful with my DS for 12 months (weaned for IVF cycle), so it gives me some hope, but I know 2 is a whole different ballgame and in the next couple of months I will start weeding through my baby stuff to see what I have and what I need.

I have been googling watching YouTube videos on it to get some pointers but a couple of questions that aren’t addressed. My LC tandem fed but hers were a newborn and toddler aged, so all of her advice is clinical, not from her experience. While I still appreciate it, I would like to hear from some moms who have tandem fed 2 infants.

#1. With DS we used a small bassinet in our bed room. He would wake up, I would grab him and just feed him sitting up in bed, then put him back in his basinet. I am not against co-sleeping at all, I just prefer to wait until they can roll-over because I have a tendency to fall asleep easily (especially while bfing in the middle of the night) and I sleep hard, really hard. But I am thinking if I have to get up with 2, DH will more than likely have to get up and help me get them situated (we plan on doing 1-up both-up if we can), so does it make sense to keep them in my room, if I just have to get up, grab both babies, make my way to the couch so that my set-up is ready for me there instead of make shifting pillows in the bed with 2 babies? If the answer is yes, to keep them in my room, how do you do it and do I need two basinets, or is there one made for twins? I looked on-line and couldn’t find anything except a PNP for 2. What did the room-in moms do?

#2. If the answer is no, and it is best just to get up with them, would I start them out in their own room? We have a good set-up where the master and 2 other bedrooms are on the bottom level so their room is right beside our living room where I could have my station always set and ready to go. Would this be better a better route to go?

#3. How long did you need assistance to get them situated and latched when tandem feeding (mainly MOTN feedings)? My DH is a 100% partner is raising our children and would never shirk from a responsibility like getting up and helping me in the MOTN, but I am just curious because he will take a 4 week paternity leave with me, so it would be nice if he were sleeping at night some so I could get a nap in the day while he is home. All the videos I watch the twins are at least 4 months old, so I know at 4 months you can do it alone, but is that the realistically earliest time?

#4 When is the earliest you fed them while out? My toddler is an on-the-go kid, who can’t tolerate being home all weekend, so we take him out frequently. Did you do one-at-a-time when out? Or could you tandem fairly discretely and easily at some point?

#5 I had a med.ela free.style for my DS but I thought it was so-so but probably wouldn't buy it again, TBT. My insurance will cover any pump I want, so I have some flexibility there. Is there a better pump for this application - feeding 2? I will be off work until they are 5-6 months old, but I was on domperidone by 9 months for my DS and I think it was a combo of the pump and my natural supply sucking. I tried everything to increase supply but only the dom worked. Do you think I will face the same issues with 2 that I did one? It was uber stressful and not one of my fondest memories

Sorry this is so long and all over the place - I am hell-bent on making this work so TIA for any advice or suggestions!

BootsOrHearts · March 2014

I don't have any useful advice either but you have my full respect for wanting to do this! I know mybrestfriend makes a nursing pillow for twins, I'm sure you already know that too. I would think if you tandem nurse, your body will recognize the need to make more milk. @AmyG* probably has some good advice hopefully she will put her 2 cents in here!

SV917 · March 2014

1. We used the twin PnP with bassinets. It has horrible reviews, but we didn't have any problems with ours.

3. Tandem feeding is hard IMO. I only pulled it off twice, but both times I did it by myself. Just get one on and then the other. I have a My breast friend twin nursing pillow and had them in football hold.

4. There is no way I could pull off tandem feeding in public. I can barely do one out of the house. From what I hear, most MoMs do one at a time when out in public.

5. Rent a hospital pump. I have a Hygeia Enjoye, but after 4 months I rented one from the hospital and it really makes a difference. I started having supply issues once my daughter got bigger (she was only 3 pounds at birth) and my son got off the nipple shield. Fortunately I built up a freezer stash early on that I use now to supplement while I'm trying to build up my supply. I eats lots of oatmeal and take fenugreek.

4legsRbest · March 2014

Oh, thank you so much for your response!

jezebel57 · March 2014

I have 11 week old boys and will tandem feed occasionally when both hungry at same time and have done so since they were 4 weeks. No one helps me get them latched on. I put one in a boppy on my bed, pick up the other one and carry him to my bed with me, sit down a and put a second boppy around me, lay child I am holding in position but don't latch yet, pick up other child and position them, then latch them on. It's a pain in the rear for me but very convenient!

twinmama920 · March 2014

In the very beginning i had my boys each in a rock n play next to our bed then when they were a bit bigger we moved them into a crib in our room. I had to wake them up every 2 hours during the night to feed them and I woke them one at a time. After nursing the first I passed him to DH who fed a bottle while I woke and bf the other. After they gained some weight I did one up both up tandem. I think I only needed help getting them situated and latched for a week before being able to do it myself. Like a pp said, I would lay one in the boppy in the middle of the bed and I would hold the other while I got into bed and put a second boppy around me and got him into place. Then I scooped up the other guy and them latched them. It kinda was a lot of work for those middle of the night feeds but better then doing one at a time IMO.

I never bf tandem in public so no help there.

I got the Medela PISA and it was great for me.

Good luck! It's really challenging in the beginning and I wasn't sure how long we would make it. We had some bumps in the road due to latch and supply issues but after around 4 months it was smooth sailing. We are still going strong at 18 months and it's so easy now

4legsRbest · March 2014

Thank you so much ladies!

I had a lot of bumps with DS and am preprared for twice as many this go round, I am just fretting over the MOTN feedings for some reason.

I really appreicate the feedback!

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Qs - Tandem Feeding Twin Infants

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