My Breastfeeding Journey… So Far

Today’s guest post comes to us from Theresa, who blogs at Confessions of a High-Heel Wearing Hippie Mommy

I’m breastfeeding twins. Exclusively. It’s actually really easy.

But it hasn’t always been this easy!

My first foray into breastfeeding was with my son, a singleton. I knew before he was born that there might be issues. I had very flat nipples and I was very concerned about it.

I wanted to learn how to deal with any problems that might result from flat nipples, so I went to a local Le Leche League meeting. At the meeting I found out that it likely would not be an issue, but I might have to work harder at getting a good latch.

I also didn’t have any changes in my breasts during pregnancy, aside from slight soreness near the beginning. This worried me very much, as I found out it could be a sign that I wouldn’t be able to produce.

My son was born, via “emergency” C-section. Once again, I had many worries. Women who give birth via C-section usually have more breastfeeding issues and take longer for their mature milk to come in.

At the hospital, my son and I worked extremely hard at getting a good latch. He was born with a fairly severe tongue tie. Doctors and nurses kept asking me if I wanted it taken care of. I believe in keeping the body intact, so I didn’t do anything about it. I should have. Already in my first couple days of breastfeeding, I had such extreme nipple pain that I could hardly stand it. I thought it must just be the normal, first few days of breastfeeding kind of pain.

At one point a nurse offered me a pump to give my nipples a break. I tried it. I pumped 2 OUNCES of colostrum. That’s a lot of colostrum!!! I started to gain some confidence that my body knew what it was doing. I was producing food for my baby, even though I had so many fears that I wouldn’t!

My son and I went home, and our breastfeeding journey continued. It continued to be very tough. My nipple pain wouldn’t go away. He would nurse for hours on end, and just wouldn’t seem satiated. One night he literally nursed for 5 hours straight. I just about lost my mind! It’s a good thing I’m so stubborn or I would have quit. It’s also a good thing I didn’t know that most babies are faster than that. I just thought it was normal for babies to nurse for at least an hour at a time.

Finally, when he was a month old, after having a lactation consultant come and find no obvious issues, I took him to the doctor’s office to have his frenulum snipped.

They say that mothers notice a difference right away. I nursed him minutes after his frenulum was snipped. I didn’t notice a difference immediately, but I noticed it in the days following. My nipples finally didn’t hurt! I was overjoyed!

From then on, our breastfeeding partnership was great. He still nursed for pretty long periods, but even now as a toddler, he is an extremely hungry little guy! And it’s possible that our problems at the beginning affected my supply. Also, being a first time mom, and having flat nipples, I think my son just had to work at it a little harder. He nursed until the 6th month of my pregnancy with twins, at which point I stopped offering because it was hurting a lot (normal during pregnancy), and he never asked for it again. He was 14 months old.

Enter, my twins! My twin girls were born 17.5 months after my son. I was a little nervous about breastfeeding twins, but thankful that I had some experience under my belt. Also, my nipples weren’t flat anymore because my son worked so hard at them! I realized that since so many women have engorgement soon after their babies are born, that must mean that MANY women could breastfeed twins if they had to. It’s a demand and supply system! The more milk that is taken out, the more that is produced. Seemed perfectly natural and normal to me!

The first few days of breastfeeding my girls went fairly well. I was able to have a vaginal birth, and my milk came in quite quickly. My babies were full term, 7 and 8 pounds, strong and ready for life. It was really interesting to breastfeed two very different people. Baby A was a champ from day one. She latched perfectly, had a rhythmic suck, and was so fast! She rarely breastfed for more than ten minutes. I couldn’t believe that she was getting enough milk, but she was back up to birth weight by one week! My son took a whole month! I couldn’t believe it!

Baby B had a few more problems. She would latch fairly well, but would constantly lose suction. She was also much more disorganized at the breast, and also much more relaxed. She would nurse for closer to twenty minutes at a time. But, compared to my son, twenty minutes was nothing! My two babies took less time TOGETHER than he did! Thank goodness, since I now had three children to care for! She was also fairly gassy from losing suction all the time. I had a doctor look at her tongue and upper lip for ties. I think she has both. But the doctor didn’t think they were severe enough to do anything, especially since she was gaining weight almost as fast as her sister. I worked very hard with her to get a better latch, and it did get better and better.

Both babies suffered from some gas in the first few weeks. I think I may have a strong let-down. They both turn away sputtering at the beginning of a feed. I’ve tried to change my position by keeping their heads higher than my breasts, and this seems to have helped.

Now my babies are 8 weeks old. They have only tasted my milk. They are gaining weight like crazy. I feed them each whenever they ask for it. At first I would feed them both whenever one was hungry because all the twin moms said I should “have them on the same schedule.” But I soon found that they were very different babies with different needs for milk. Baby B didn’t need to nurse as often as baby A, so I followed their individual cues and still do. Baby A isn’t always as fast and rhythmic as she was at the beginning. She fusses at the breast from time to time, and I’m not sure why. She has been very congested for some reason, and may be having trouble breathing. Baby B has gotten MUCH better. She no longer loses suction, and she’s gotten faster.

Everyone wants to know if I feed them at the same time. I have a few times, but I prefer to feed them separately. Partially because it’s easier for me. Partially because it gives me one on one time with each baby. I have fed them at the same time when they’ve both demanded it at the same time but I don’t have a fancy twin nursing pillow, so it’s not the easiest task ever! Also? I feel a bit like a mother cat feeding her litter of kittens. Can I say that?

So, I’m breastfeeding twins. It’s going really well. I credit several things to my success:

1. My experience with my son was priceless. I learned what a good latch looks and feels like. I learned patience. I learned doggone stubbornness to make it work. And he worked my flat nipples out and made things easier for his little sisters.
2. I have no issues with my supply. I believe this is because I’m eating and drinking a lot, and I’m feeding on demand. Also? I might just be lucky. Some moms simply can’t produce enough, and it’s not their fault. Also, I have a lot of help, so I’m fairly rested and relaxed.
3. We co-sleep, which makes breastfeeding a night a breeze. I learned the side-lying position for feeding, and it is a life saver! This is also contributing to my being well-rested.
4. I’ve attended Le Leche League Meetings. I’ve read breastfeeding books. I’ve found resources (websites and people) online and in real life that help me when I have a problem. If I hadn’t been informed, I may not have been as determined and successful in breastfeeding all my children.

So, if you’re wondering if breastfeeding twins is possible? I’m here to tell you, absolutely! It’s not only possible, it’s wonderful. Breastfeeding my twins is a joy and a privilege!