No real world advice (only 19 weeks here with twins, but my DD is 4.5) ... but good luck! I hope I can do it too!
Make sure to meet with the lactation consultant at the hospital. Maybe even a private one before and/or after delivery too! Get yourself an awesome pump and all the stuff that goes along with it. But also don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work.
Ok, so maybe I had a little bit of advice! Good luck!!
I did it for a few weeks. It's actually really a neat experience. I did need some help with the lactation consultant but my kiddos caught on quick and once I started producing it was kind of calming. If you aren't producing right away, like I wasn't, the doctors had me formula feed a little first, then try to tandem feed. That way they aren't screaming at your chest while you're trying to get them to latch.
A lot of women use the bigger pillows or my breast friend pillow. I just used a boppy with a pillow underneath. I think the kiddos were small enough it was okay. Just set yourself up with some water and a TV show because they are slow eaters at first! Definitely take advantage of the lactation consultants. They will come to every feeding if you ask them too. Good luck!
My girls are 4 months and have never had a drop of formula. They get bottles of pumped milk while I'm at work but I exclusively nurse when I'm with them. It is possible!
6 months here and we are still tandem bfing only Totally doable, get support from an LC right away though and a good pillow too! I use the twin breastfriend and take it everywhere we go.
Me: 37 DH: 40 TTC since 9/09
#1 BFP 1/10/11; missed m/c discovered 7w5d IF Dx: Endo, hetero MTHFR mutation, poor morphology #1 IUI: 1/18/12 = BFN #1 IVF/ICSI 4/2/12 = 2 x 7-cell and 1 x 5-cell transferred (3dt) = BFP!!
H was born at 41w2d on 12/29/12 - be still my heart! #2 IVF/ICSI 1/19/14 = 2 x 8 cells transferred (3dt) = BFP!! EDD 10/09/14 M&W born at 37 weeks on 9/18/14 - I am the momma of 3 boys!!!
Tandem means at the same time? Like one baby on each nipple? Sorry if noob question. I'm 10w2d and this is my first pregnancy and I'm happily having twins and trying to learn what lies ahead.
Mine are 11.5 months and still going strong with nursing. I actually prefer to do them one at a time but we still tandem in the football hold before bed and in the morning. It could be stressful in the beginning when they didn't latch well but it's what I always did at night to maximize my sleep. DH helped with positioning and latching in those first few weeks. Totally doable though. I was actuay pleasantly surprised at how manageable nursing twins is. Don't get me wrong in ready to be done but it hasn't been awful and I'm proud we have made it this far even with me pumping and working.
My girls absolutely refuse to tandem nurse and I found it to be incredibly awkward. I still EBF and my girls are about five months old. It took forever to feed them both for quite a few months but it can be done and I hope you are successful!
We tandem nursed a lot when my boys were younger (under 3 months). In fact the first couple of months I just lived on my couch nursing whoever was hungry. Sometimes they lined up together and sometimes not. They are 4.5 months old now and I much prefer to nurse them individually because they get frustrated trying to get in their preferred position with their brother there as well. We do still tandem nurse before bed!
We tandem nursed for months! I was so nervous it would not work out and was hoping to have ONE successful tandem feed in the hospital, and it ended up being almost all we did. I second pp's who say to make sure you get an LC in right away to show you how to latch and hold two, and if you cannot get a LC every time, at least call a nurse in for every feed. Even in the MOTN, I would ask a nurse to come in just to help me latch one without the other falling off. Once they gain neck control, it gets much easier. I have even tandem-nursed laying down sometimes. Now, we mostly do it one at a time because I am lazy and like to side nurse, and I enjoy the individual snuggle time. But sometimes they still tandem and it is hilarious because they sit up and grab at each other and try to steal whatever boob their sister has.
Did tandem for about a month, now I feed them separate and use pumped milk as well. It's hard to latch them on alone when they started getting bigger , I used the twin my breast Friend pillow which really helped at first.
My kids are 20 months and sill nurse. Nursing at the same time makes you feel like a cow, kinda, well me at least. I did it a lot and still do it now, but I much prefer to feed them one at a time. (They've never had a bottle). My biggest advice is to EAT, nurse whenever they fuss instead of giving a paci (especially at first until your supply comes in), and drink lots of water. Eating would be the biggest though. At 18 months I was still around 3500 calories a day. Before they were on solid food I was around 5000 a day. You may not need that much but don't be afraid if you do! Im 5 11 and 140 pounds.
Married to my dream husband
Mom to 2 year old BG twins (Incompetant cervix, cerclage, and LOTS of bed rest)
I agree - nursing them individually is way nicer - but sometimes- for us bedtimes/ nap times- they both just need to eat at the same time. Focus on getting a good latch with each of them- if you can get them to latch well you'll figure the rest out. Good luck
I tried and tried to tandem with no luck. I ended up having to pump, still am pumping and babies are 6 mo, but are exclusively on breast milk. I had a horrible guilt complex about this because I wanted so bad for it to work but the reality is it's very hard for some, and for me it became impossible. I've always been a great producer, but babies were just learning at different paces and needed individual attention. I started pumping because they got on the same schedule and screamed to eat at the same time. The important thing to remember is do whatever works best, and that may very well be different than what you had planned. Good luck.
First natural BFP June 2013
Ectopic July 2012 with fallopian tube and ovary removal
Tandemed with My Brest Friend pillow for 8 weeks. Now BF separately. Tandem feeding was crucial in the early days when they ate so often and nursed for so long.
Re: Twin tandem nursing
A lot of women use the bigger pillows or my breast friend pillow. I just used a boppy with a pillow underneath. I think the kiddos were small enough it was okay. Just set yourself up with some water and a TV show because they are slow eaters at first! Definitely take advantage of the lactation consultants. They will come to every feeding if you ask them too. Good luck!
#1 BFP 1/10/11; missed m/c discovered 7w5d
IF Dx: Endo, hetero MTHFR mutation, poor morphology
#1 IUI: 1/18/12 = BFN
#1 IVF/ICSI 4/2/12 = 2 x 7-cell and 1 x 5-cell transferred (3dt) = BFP!!
H was born at 41w2d on 12/29/12 - be still my heart!
#2 IVF/ICSI 1/19/14 = 2 x 8 cells transferred (3dt) = BFP!! EDD 10/09/14
M&W born at 37 weeks on 9/18/14 - I am the momma of 3 boys!!!
Focus on getting a good latch with each of them- if you can get them to latch well you'll figure the rest out.
Good luck