Do you need to pump after each feeding...

Hello,

I'm almost 32 wks now and am trying to get as much info possible on BFing twins. I successfully BF my 3 girls but never had a super supply of milk... They were growing fine though. But here I am expecting twins and I really want to make sure that I can get a good supply for both of them.

I think I read somewhere (Dr Luke's book?) that it is advisable to pump for 15 min after each feeding to make sure that we had enough milk.

Do you do it?

Thanks!

PS: also could you recommend me a good book about BFing twins. Thanks!

 

A good read would be mothering multiples. I forgot the author but it is excellent!

I pumped after every breastfeeding session to help increase my supply from the start & to get somewhat of a freezer stash. It worked!!! I recommend it. If you do pump after MOST sessions it will help you get through their growth spurts. Make sure you eat lots of oatmeal & drink enough liquids. I was going through a HUGE container of cranberry juice every 2 days!!

Glad to see that you are researching ahead of time! I hope you have at least 6 more weeks for researching!

 

Mothering Multiples is the only twin specific nursing book i know of - i haven't read it myself, but have heard good things about it. it's published by La Leche League.

my all time favorite breastfeeding book is Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding - i recommend it with the caveat that he's pretty anti-formula, which bothers some people. i usually just say that, like any book, it's best to throw out the bits you don't find useful & then keep the rest.

pumping after feedings is definitely a good way to establish your supply. the absolute best thing though is to ensure that babies are nursing effectively - make sure you see an LC in hospital, if you can, to have their latches & sucks evaluated. assuming that side of things is good, then it's all about letting them (and you!) practice, practice, practice. the more you can put them to the breast in the first days & weeks, the better for your supply. and don't hesitate to come back & ask any questions as needed - we're here to help, support & generally cheer you on. :good:

 

I have been exclusively breast feeding since about 20-30 mins after my babies were born via c-section.

I didn't pump at all until they were about 4 weeks old and only then to build up a freezer stash. I continue to pump once a day (at night) after that to have milk in the freezer for when I needed a break or when we went out for dinner at night and then eventually when we mixed EBM with cereal.

The indisputably BEST way to get your supply established and built up is to BF your babies as much as you can! We BF on demand (I'm talking every hour to two or three at the most) from the get go. I had this idea that I'd send them to the nursery at night for a few hours at least at night, but the nurses came back 20 mins later saying that they were crying and did we want to give them pacifiers. From them on we took them in our room constantly and I mostly slept with them for the first 6 weeks so that BFing was easy and accessible. BFing even in the beginning is easier than setting up a pump and washing pump parts and storing milk, etc.

If you let your baby BF as much as he or she "needs" and even some more for comfort if they want or need then your body will respond by providing as much milk as that baby needs.

I made my whole life for the first two months or so about BFing and not much else. If I showered it was great, but mostly I stayed in bed or on the couch or recliner with one baby or another. Lots of skin to skin time and lots of nursing will make you a big success!

Good luck!

 

I can't say it any better than K2daho. Nurse, nurse, nurse. Then repeat. You won't be doing anything else for a while but after the first 6 weeks the payoff is incredible!!!!

Congrats on your twins and yay for figuring out this stuff before they are born!

Do you have an ez 2 nurse pillow yet?

 

I did pump after almost every feeding for the first month and I hated it. I stopped pumping for all but a couple of feeds at that point and I felt emotionally much better about everything. If your twins are nursing well you may not need to pump. Just nurse, nurse, nurse. If they are not nursing well you may need to pump in order to build your supply and possibly supplement if they are not gaining weight.

I read Mothering Multiples and it is a good read. Some of it is pretty technical and detailed, but there is some very good info. There are also some chapters on the general care of twins, which I also found helpful.

 

As a side note I have the same age children as you and I highly recommend a really strong routine for the kids. Especially a lunch box available at all times for your little one. One of the reasons we went to formula was my inability to have extended periods of time where I just couldn't help the older ones. If I had planned and organised our kids earlier on I may have stuck with BF. I hope this helps your BF'ing planning. :youcandoit:

 

Thank you for that advice! I'm already struggling with organization :headbang: that's not my strongest point... But it's never too late, so I will start NOW. Plus I homeschool them so really we NEED the routine and now one more reason!!

Thanks!

 

Thank you everyone for sharing your experience! I think that I'm going to rent the pump from my hospital to start and see how often I need to pump and so forth. I really want to have a good supply for my little ones

Thanks again!

PS: I will probably come back with a "few" more questions...

 

That is exactely what I'm looking at right now... Kind of expensive but I'm sure it's worth it!

Thanks!

 

I didn't like paying for it, either. But then I thought if I had to do formula the cost of the pillow was quickly paid for.

 

So true! The cost of formula is wayyyyyy more! Thanks for reminding me of that!!