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One up both up and not tandem feeding?

Stephanie2167Stephanie2167 member
in Multiples

I've tandem nursed occasionally but much rather feed them one at a time, BUT we rely on one up both up to keep them on the same schedule. I'm currently pumping with the occasional nursing session so I was wondering if you nurse one at a time, do you let the other one sleep while you nurse then wake the other when done? Right now I only nurse when both are awake and content and I have help in case the other gets fussy. I can't handle the screaming while I nurse the other hence why I pump.

Pumping is starting to really make me crazy so I'm wanting to add in more nursing sessions when we are together (I'm super lucky that they still latch at this point).


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Re: One up both up and not tandem feeding?

  • carrotcake06carrotcake06 member
    Yes, I will feed the one that wakes up first and then if the other seems to be stirring, I'll feed him next. If he's sound asleep I won't wake him but they're also 9mo old.

    I usually tandem but will feed one at a time when H travels bc it's hard for me to tandem MOTN and transfer back to crib asleep.
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  • Stephanie2167Stephanie2167 member
    carrotcake06 said:
    Yes, I will feed the one that wakes up first and then if the other seems to be stirring, I'll feed him next. If he's sound asleep I won't wake him but they're also 9mo old. I usually tandem but will feed one at a time when H travels bc it's hard for me to tandem MOTN and transfer back to crib asleep.
    When did tandem get easier for you? Maybe I just need to keep practicing. I just really like the one on one time I get by doing them seperately.


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  • carrotcake06carrotcake06 member
    We tandemed from the beginning but nursing in general just gets easier and quicker the older they get. I want to say around 5-6mo is when it became significantly faster to nurse them than the time (and hassle) it took to pump.

    IMO, I'd def try to nurse them when you can. Even if you do one at a time, it's so much less time than pumping and prepping bottles. I can be done in 10min these days (tandem) plus no bottles to wash. Pumping at work is easily a 30min affair, still.
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  • nblondheimnblondheim member
    I'm also doing one up both up and was EPing. They were in the NICU and on a fortifier that needed to be added to their bottles until recently. I then tried to ebf and was in a ton of pain so I went back to EPing. Now I'm nursing when I feel up to it and pumping when I don't. It's less painful to me to nurse one at a time. If they aren't ebf does the time still get shorter around 5-6 months? Being I was EPing, I feel lost with ebfing!!
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  • JodiArielJodiAriel member
    I didnt start tandem feeding until about 8-9mos old when they could sit up to nurse, I could never get the hang of it before then.  I would feed the baby who woke first put them back down, wake the next one feed and then put them back down. 

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  • ceechieceechie member
    JodiAriel said:

    I didnt start tandem feeding until about 8-9mos old when they could sit up to nurse, I could never get the hang of it before then.  I would feed the baby who woke first put them back down, wake the next one feed and then put them back down. 

    Same here. I never enjoyed tandem. Now, at 9months, I'll only do it if they are both at epic melt down status. Then, they spend the whole nursing session pulling each others hair and kicking. Not fun. In motn, I nurse one and put her back in crib, then wake up the other and nurse her. In total, I'm up for about 1/2 hour.
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  • seawaterseawater member
    We tandem most of the time now, but it took me 4.5 months to get there.  BF was a huge struggle for us from the beginning.  They got bottles for the first month (NICU time) and in month two struggled a lot with latch and low supply.  Month three was a lot of pain and trying to wean from the nipple shield.  It's just starting to get a little easier now.  Basically just want to encourage you to keep at it!  Honestly what helped most for me was just making the commitment to nurse as much as possible.  At first, I did what PP said (feed one as soon as they start to give hunger cues, then feed the other next).  That gave each baby the one on one time so they could get better at nursing.  Then I started tandem on the weekend when my husband was around to help.  That way, if one had a melt down he could always give a bottle.  I'd shoot for 1x/day, then 2x, etc.  I still do one at a time at night.  I feed whoever wakes up first and pray the other one lasts until I'm done. :)   Good luck!  And your girls are adorable!!  
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  • SWA80SWA80 member
    I started out tandem feeding but they got to the point at around 3 months that they would fuss and cry when I tried so I started feeding them separately. Now, I am back to tandem sometimes- they hold hands while they eat and it is so sweet. At night I still feed them separately. I do whichever is up first, put him down and then wake the other to feed.
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