Nursing twins.

saloved · May 2015

My twins girls are 1 week old today! And they are just the most precious and adorable things in the world! Ha.
Anyway, I have been tandem nursing since they were born and have been pretty blessed bc they are pretty consistent and on the same schedule. I feed them every 2 hours and pump the hour in between(suppose to build my milk supply) my question is, my family has been begging to feed them. I have opted for no bottles so far and kind of want to keep it exclusive nursing as long as I can. I will end up having to go back to work and my sister is worried that if I exclusively nurse for the first 8 weeks they won't take bottles. Any thoughts or opinions and am I being selfish for not letting them feed my babies once in a while. Sure it would help to give one a bottle here or there but I like the connection. (Ps I am a single mommy to my twins and so my sister is my big supporter)

rivers714 · May 2015

I am also a single mom to a singleton. Going back to work soon. I started trying a bottle now here and there to get my daughter used to it. She's a pretty big eater so it wasn't a big issue

saloved · May 2015

rivers714 said:
I am also a single mom to a singleton. Going back to work soon. I started trying a bottle now here and there to get my daughter used to it. She's a pretty big eater so it wasn't a big issue

How old is she? When did you start the bottle?

Megaphone2752 · May 2015

I've heard the general advice is to introduce a bottle at around one month, so that they do learn to take it.

Knottie54288128 · May 2015

Your family needs to respect your wishes. I feel like if the baby is hungry, they'll figure out how to eat from the bottle when you go back to work. I worked at a daycare and saw it happen. It was a little more difficult to get babies who were exclusively on the breast for several weeks to take the bottles at first, but they got used to it.

lestes1121 · May 2015

Most doctors will tell you if your EBF that you don't need to introduce a bottle for 4-6 weeks because it can cause nipple confusion and they will ultimately not take your breast.

Mommabroad · May 2015

Just gotta say KUDOS!! Nursing is, as I have recently learned, not easy, and I am amazed that you can manage both babies and pumping!

I'd definitely wait a bit longer to introduce bottles, especially if you don't particularly want or need to. Trust yourself! Closer to your return to work slowly phase them in.

saloved · May 2015

Knottie54288128 said:
Your family needs to respect your wishes. I feel like if the baby is hungry, they'll figure out how to eat from the bottle when you go back to work. I worked at a daycare and saw it happen. It was a little more difficult to get babies who were exclusively on the breast for several weeks to take the bottles at first, but they got used to it.

I guess the way I worded that it does sound like my family isn't being supportive, but that's not true! They are so very supportive. I am a single mom to twins and they help me with everything! They are concerned that if I don't introduce a bottle to them every now and then before they spend 8 hours getting 3-4 feelings out of a bottle that they should feel comfortable with it. I happen to agree. The thought of sending my babies to a strange place with strange people and except them to eat in a way they never have before away from me terrifies me! I just want to get a feel for when I should introduce a bottle to them. Just to get use to this different way of eating!

saloved · May 2015

Mommabroad said:
Just gotta say KUDOS!! Nursing is, as I have recently learned, not easy, and I am amazed that you can manage both babies and pumping!
I'd definitely wait a bit longer to introduce bottles, especially if you don't particularly want or need to. Trust yourself! Closer to your return to work slowly phase them in.

It's definately the hardest thing I've ever done. Lol and I had a completely natural twin birth with one baby coming out breech! Way harder than that!!! Ha!

californiagraham · May 2015

I too am a mom of two beautiful twin girls, and first off I got mine out of the nicu after only 48hours of being in there and had some nipple confusion already. We tried a lot of things, including a supplemental nursing system, with breast shields and all three of us were crying with each feeding out of frustration.
Long story short, they currently are on formula so they don't starve, but every time we feed them I pump to encourage my milk to come in. They do, however, still like to comfort suck on the breast, which is an improvement. And that started after we stopped using traditional bottle nipples and started using Philips avent natural nipples for the bottle. The "Noms" don't just drip into baby's mouth, they have to suck and work like they would if we were at the breast. I don't know if using that kind will work for your girls, but it has worked for mine.
Good luck and hope you get plenty of rest soon!

jennygirlmt · May 2015

I didn't introduce a bottle with my first until almost time to go back to work, probably 10 weeks. I loved nursing and it was so much easier than pumping. But she wasn't having it. I actually decided to stay home and put in two weeks' notice for my company so they could work things out. She spent 2 weeks with my MIL not eating at. All. Mil would bring her to me at lunch time to nurse. I tried every bottle, droppers, spoons, she wouldn't take anything. It was so stressful.

My second ended up the same way despite all my efforts to start her earlier. Neither ever wanted a pacifier either or sucked a thumb. I must have weird kids!

So with this baby I plan to introduce a pumped bottle around 3 weeks, offered every day just to establish that she will take one so that I can be gone longer than 3 hrs if needed.

If I were you I would probably keep up the nursing for now and around 3-4 weeks start offering a daily bottle.

Also, giving a bottle of breast milk while you are out or working doesn't really mean you aren't exclusively nursing.

Good luck!

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