If you don't already, you can also try to let him use you as a pacifier sometimes. Any little bit of suckling is supposed to help.
LOL Ain't no little bit about it here. I've threatened to tape him to me so he can just stay attached all day. Sometimes he just don't wanna let go. Even when he finally gets to sleep, try to move him and...ruh roh.
Yeah, am trying to keep him on me - which is a little difficult as Im trying to get the house ready for in-laws on Fri...haha. Had oatmeal this morning - boy was THAT filling! We'll see over the next few days....Id be happy to be able to feed him in the mornings and supplement in the afternoons....
Sabra, please please please tell me how I can nurse twins without making my son (who will be 3)feel totally leftout since I think it means having babies on boob at all times. It is really important to me to nurse, but just as important to keep my son well adjusted and not feeling totally shut out because I'm nursing all the time. Is it as time consuming and hard to tandem nurse as I think?
I think this is one time when you'll really need La Leche League. I tandem nurse, but my other nursling is more than two! It's not very difficult for me, but Linda can understand "You need to wait a minute." I have talked to several women online who successfully nursed twins, so I know it can be done, but it's even more unusual than nursing at all, so I think you'll be well served to have a support system in place before your kids are born, especially since twins quite often come early.
I wish I could give you more specific advice, believe me. It might not be your cup of tea parenting-wise, but I really recommend checking out the fora at MotheringDotCommune for breastfeeding help, I know of at least one lactation consultant who's making a point of visiting their breastfeeing forum. LaLecheLeague.org will help you find LLL where you are, and they have a page of info on feeding twins: http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBmultiples.html & also a "Breastfeeding Help Form" that may be of use.
Just speaking generally, I have found that giving the elder sibling things to do to help out with the new baby usually helps. I don't know how old your son is, but Linda was about 21 months old when Esther was born, and even at that age could do things like bring me diapers or a blanket or something. (It has also been my experience that my kids are capable of doing a lot more than I think they are!)
I will check on La Leche. We have the BEST lactation people at the hospital I use. They are actually the best part of the place. They were irate when the NICU gave my son formula and they worked very hard to get him to latch. They even helped me through mastitis about 6 mos after he was born. I almost cried on the phone thanking them for their help. Anyway, I know how to pump effectively and luckily get lots of milk that way. I have also been promised 2 Medela double PIS by 2 separate folks. Hopefully they will follow through because it will give me options. Nursing would be preferable, but if I feel it is taking so much time my son is getting really left out or resenting the babies, it will be a way for me to keep giving breastmilk while keeping the peace. His relationship to them is just as important as my relationship to them. I really fear rivalry because my husband and his brother are so adversarial and I think it is sad. In the end, all they will have is each other and I want to raise them to love one another.
I also thought I could nurse one while expressing on the other at the same time, then give the other one the pumped bottle. I really hate my left side being nursed, but I don't mind pumping it. I hear twins may not always be wanting to nurse at the same time, and this would solve this issue and give them both some experience with boob and bottle. I really like the bottle nipples I used with Eli and swear they helped his latch, so half pumping/half nursing is probably going to end up being my scenario.
Oh, almost forgot. Y'all are gonna LOVE THIS. I got a call from my insurance company. Apparently, all multiples have to be assigned a case manager to try to assess risk and recognize preterm labor problems. At the end he asked me if I had any other concerns. Mind you, I had been perky and jokey the entire conversation. I mentioned I was concerned about learning to breastfeed twins and wanted to know if they had on staff lactation consultants or information on nursing twins (when I had my son they sent an offer of a lac. consultant with a $40 copay). He said "what I can do is give you a referral to a mental health counselor for counseling." WHAT??? Is it THAT crazy to want to nurse twins I was like "I know how to nurse a baby...I want to know how to juggle twins...Therapy doesn't do that."
I have been having major supply issues, but am continuing to nurse and pump as well as suppliment (as recommended by an LC). My daughter was losing weight until last week and now has regained her birth weight. I didn't want to suppliment, but it has worked thus far and I always bf her before giving her the formula.
I will look for fenugreek at a health store this weekend!
Ali, it may not be a matter of adding something to your diet to produce more milk...check to make sure you don't need to take something away. There are foods that decrease supply. For example, even though it isn't listed to hurt supply, every time when I had soy milk I would dry up for about 12 hours. The fenugreek won't hurt, though
Saber was born on Friday morning at 3:20 am, and he nursed frequently in the hospital during the stay. My milk actually started coming in in a larger quantity by Saturday...and by Monday evening I had full engorgement-the beginning "way too full" kind that lasts for a couple days. It is starting to subside today and regulate just a little bit-which feels much better.
My right side is perfect-but I am having real issues with soreness on the left side. For some reason, this happened with both of my other children as well...and it is really, really hard for me to get rid of completely. I have been really diligent with the lanolin and changing my nursing pads...watching his latch on, adjusting it when necessary, and changing his nursing positions back and forth at feedings. (football, cross cradle, etc.)
Well, I'm glad you're not having supply problems. I'm lucky; I haven't really had any engorgement issues since my first kid. I guess nursing two is a good guard against that.
We're flying out of here this coming Tuesday, God willing. We're trying to get a late-night flight so the kids will sleep through most of it. (No, we don't know our flight times yet; the Navy is funny like that.) It's sure to be a fun experience. Esther is not going to be pleased at having to be in her car seat for a long time. At least I don't have to worry about any liquids in carry-on.
Aphil, I have heard that a lot of women produce more on the left side, however slightly. I know my breasts tend to ache when they get over-full, so maybe it is something similar for you? Maybe that extra little bit of milk is just enough to tip the scale. You never know.
Congrats Aphil!! I had quite a bit of soreness when I first started bfing...and fell in love with nipple shields. I only used them for about a week, but it was enough to allow them to heal while Carter was still able to breastfeed without any problems. Ive heard some women say that it messed up the feeding - like nipple confusion, but we didnt have any probs with them. I bought the Avent ones...and were one of the best buys I could have made!!!
