BREASTFEEDING TWINS
BTC is a voluntary self help group and this information is intended for interest only. For medical advice, please contact your GP or Health Visitor
One of the pictures that flashed into my mind on first being told I was expecting twins was a photograph I had seen in an M & S pregnancy book of a woman breastfeeding her two babies. I remembered all too vividly passing over the page thinking, “That won’t be relevant to me!” Now it was awfully relevant and, despite the apparent confidence of the mother in the picture, my next thought was, “Will I be able to feed two myself?”
It turned out that the majority of people I came into contact with had this same thought. I had decided that I was going to try breastfeeding, but was surprised at the responses I received from Health Visitors and even NCT-ers on telling them this, “You are?! Oh, well done!”. As a result I began to think that it was going to be difficult, and armed myself with a Sheila Kitzinger book, “The Experience of Breastfeeding”, to get an idea of what I might be getting myself into. This book turned out to be one of the best investments I made, and I cannot recommend it highly enough to any would-be breast feeders. I also read up the TAMBA leaflet on breastfeeding twins and talked to members of the Billericay Twins Club who had breast fed.
My twins were born by Caesarean Section at 38 weeks - I had an epidural anaesthetic. They were both given the “all clear”, and I held them in my arms in the trolley as I was wheeled back to the ward. Following a post-op complication I was in some pain when they first wanted a feed and so we agreed to giving them some formula milk. However, a few hours later when their tummies were rumbling again, with a lot of encouragement and support from the midwives, I started feeding them myself.
We started off feeding them separately with a side each. It was very obvious that all three of us were complete novices at feeding, with just a few instincts to support us! The babies fed very differently, one was a strong, quick and effective feeder, with an alarmingly powerful suck, and the other was more of a tippler. After two days we changed tactics and alternated sides each feed, so that the stronger feeding could stimulate both sides of my supply more effectively. The drawback to this approach was that I developed painful cracked nipples on both sides, only eased with lashings of Kamillosan ointment. The midwives were all very supportive and so, despite the discomfort, we persevered.
By the time my milk came in, feeding was no longer so painful, but they were feeding frequently and still separately. With windings and changing it seemed like one long round of baby care, with barely enough time to eat anything myself. Despite many attempts to get a shower in the day, I kept ending up with a strip-wash at midnight!
The major breakthrough came on Day 6 when, with coaching from the midwife team leader, we managed to synchronise feeding times and commenced feeding together. I sat on the bed surrounded by a mountain of pillows, and she brought the babies to me one at a time and got them positioned to feed, with their legs tucked under my arms. I felt a real lift and suddenly thought of the cosy intimate photo from the M & S book.
It worked really well! Now that they fed together they slept together more often - suddenly I had some time in the day for me. When we left hospital on Day 8 I could get them into position myself and even had a hand free to take a drink!!
I started weaning at 14 weeks. While they were learning to take food from a spoon, feeding them on solids 30 to 45 minutes apart. My morning routine went out of the window and I found I couldn’t get out of the house before lunch. However, once they had worked out what to do with slop on a spoon, I was able to feed them together with one bowl and one spoon. Over the next four months I gradually dropped the breast feed at lunch, then breakfast and finally tea-time, and by 8 months they only had breast milk first thing in the morning and a formula bottle at bedtime. At 9 months I switched the morning feed to formula and then over two weeks changed them over to ordinary cows milk.
I am very glad I persevered and managed to feed them myself for as long as I did. It gave me lots of confidence, which helped me face all the other difficulties of coping with twins. The most enjoyable time was from 2 - 4 months when my milk supply was well established and they were both accomplished feeders. It was also good to be able to feed them with my milk when they had tummy upsets and when formula fed babies could only have water.
So, for any would-be twin breast feeders, I think it’s definitely worth a try but arm yourself with lots of support and determination to cope with the skeptics!
