breast feed/formula/pump?

hi! im jumping over from the expecting board. as time gets closer and closer im feeling more and more uninterested in breastfeeding. these are my first babies, and i have to admit..the idea of nursing 1 baby is a lil bit scary, but 2? my first time around as a new mom?? im scared i guess? maybe scared to be the ONLY ONE that can feed them. of course there is always pumping..but that requires almost if not more attention and time as nursing, except someone can help feed. sooo i guess im looking for any advice. what do you do? what have you found makes feeding time easier? tia

 

i do a combo of the three, though for the first three months it was almost 100% breastfeeding. its totally do-able. im back at work now so i HAVE TO pump.. plus we have to supplement because i just am not able to pump enough milk. i have to say that it was A LOT easier to tandem nurse when they were both smaller... now its a lot more challenging... its really worth a shot. you will be amazed at what you are really capable of. having twins, though it may put you through the ringger... brings out all the strength and amazing stuff you've got inside you never knew you had.

BEST OF LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

<3

 

I breastfeed and might be a 'breastfeeding snob' but when my girls do get bottles of ebm I find it very time consuming and dont like cleaning up the mess.
I dont have to worry about preparing bottles, remembering to bring them with me, or clean them. My boobs are always with us, the perfect temperature and get cleaned in the shower.

Good luck!

 

i voted for luna omg she is the cutest thing!! lol i was also nosey and watched the videos in the blog. lol theyre too stinkin cute!!!

 

lol i love your response. they get cleaned in the shower. very funny and very true!

 

if you CAN breastfeed exclusively- while a daunting task, it's STILL the easiest way to do it. That had been my goal, but a premature birth and post partum pre-eclampsia ended that dream. I probably did it the most difficult way possible- I breastfed the best I could, pumped every three hours, fed them EBM, and had to supplement with formula. Not what I recommend, but FOR ME- that was my best option. I wanted them to have as much breastmilk as possible, and that was the only way I could do it- so while my life was miserable, I managed to keep it up till they were 9 months old, and I miss it more than anything....

Good luck- just remember that no matter what happens, you do the best you can for yourself and your babies!!!

 

I did a combination here as well.

I pumped exclusively for the first 11 weeks and then they were BF'd until 9 months.

 

I bottle feed mine, always have. My girls are also my first, and I felt like you did when I was pregnant, I was too nervous to even attempt to BF and I've really never had a 2nd thought about it. I felt like ppl (specifically my mother) were trying to pressure me to BF at the end of my pregnancy and I only made up my mind to FF once I talked to my pedi about it. It DID help that the first couple of months I could have my mom or dad or dh or anyone stay with me and do the night feedings. I don't have to heat up the formula, I feed my girls room temp water.

I would suggest setting up a meeting to talk to your future pedi about it, that's what I did when I was pregnant and trying to decide if I wanted to BF or FF.

 

I breastfeed one and formula feed the other. That is just the way it worked out. I tried to breastfeed both of them but DD would not latch on well and she had bad colic and reflux. I was going to quit breastfeeding altogether but my DS just loved it too much. I definately have to say that breastfeeding is DEFINATELY easier than formula feeding once your milk is established. I hate to wash all those bottles, make all those bottles. My DS will eat in 5-6 minutes total breastfeeding. DD on the other hand takes forever. My DS has also not had any illnesses or anything. DD has had colic, reflux, several ear infections, colds.

 

My girls are 10 weeks old. I am currently pumping and then supplementing with formula. I found this worked best for me because I doubt I'm coordinated enough to nurse 2 at the same time and I have a 3 1/2 year old bugging me constantly.

 

I bf and have since the beginning. BUT I have also give about 1 bottle a day since the beginning. This was for my sanitity. That way I could have help, when they wouldn't latch/nurse I had another option. I could leave them with friends/family and get out. I have every couple of weeks since they were 2 weeks old. That is how I made bf work for me. I didn't want to be tied down to every feeding. I know people say then you have to pump and I did sometimes but not always. Even a week or a month helps build their immune systems so don't feel like if you don't want to do it for a year then you can't, you can always switch at anytime. That might make it doable for you if you know that you can quit at some point before a year. Being alone 12 hours a day, I love bf becasue I can't see feeding 2 bottles at the same time and then more dished, time to fix the bottles, warm them ect.

 

I breastfed my twins and am currently bf my singleton. I had to pump for the first 3 months since mine were premature and had trouble nursing. I would HIGHLY suggest breastfeeding with occasional pumping and bottles of EBM. Full time pumping is time consuming and your supply may not adjust well as your babies get older. It is nice to teach them to take a bottle though so that you can have a break now and then! The first 4-6 weeks are hard, but then BF is SOOOO easy. Especially if you figure out tandem nursing. Please join us in the breastfeeding forum and we'll be happy to answer any questions you have

 

I formula fed my oldest son (after having some medical issues that required me to stop BF'ing) and I have exclusively BF my twins. Having done both I can honestly say that BF'ing is easier if you can just get through the first 8 weeks or so. Those first few months are really time consuming--you will feed them what feels like all the time, but it really is so worth it. Once they get a little older they can eat in under 5 minutes and you're all done--no prep, no clean-up, no stinky diapers (formula diapers smell way worse) no gross spit-up (again, BM spit-up doesn't smell or stain like formula). So all around, having done both, I think BF'ing is great if you can really commit the time and effort in the beginning.

Reyna

 

i did all 3 in combination for almost 8 months--there was a time when they were taking only breastmilk, but i always pumped and gave bottles of EBM

i gave formula early on while i got my supply up, and for the last feeding since about 3 months

breastfeeding turned out to be SUCH a rewarding experience, give it a go, and visit the breastfeeding forum, the gals there rock!!!!

 

I'm the only one that voted "pump". I'm surprised!

I've been pumping since the day they were born. I wanted to breastfeed (I had books on breastfeeding multiples and everything) - but after Molly and Owen's NICU stay it just didn't happen. For me, it's about knowing exactly how much milk they are eating. Molly has problems with her feedings.... and I wanted to know how many ounces she was getting.

Pumping isn't that bad. It is time consuming - I've tried to pump while feeding them, but it just doesn't work. It seems to always get kicked off and milk gets spilt. So, right now it's 4:45am both babies are fed, back in their crib, and here I sit pumping.

Just wanted to add - I produce enough milk that I don't have to supplement with formula.

 

Hi, and do come & browse the breastfeeding forum if you're interested!

It is totally doable to BF twins. Like pps said, the first weeks are difficult - but then the payoff is incredible. In the long run, BFing is so much easier than bottle feeding. There's nothing to buy, measure, mix, pour, heat up, clean up after; the diapers aren't nearly as stinky; the babies don't get sick as often as FF babies; there's nothing to pack up and tote around when you go out. Once the babies get efficient, they can get a full feeding in 10 min or less, with no prep work and no cleanup! And once those babies get here, EVERY minute counts. I for one am WAY too lazy to bottle feed. B) BFing also helps you lose the baby weight faster - for many nursing moms, the weight just falls right off.

And BFing does NOT mean that you are your babies' only source of food. Lots and lots of nursing moms give some bottles here and there - EBM, if they have the time to pump, but many of us don't mind giving a bottle of formula now and then! It's not all or nothing. You can truly have the best of both worlds.

If you decide to BF, a really nice "treat" to give yourself is to figure out how much money you're saving by BFing (and it will be in the thousands), and spend all that money on making the first months with the twins easier. Hire a maid service, peapod your groceries, hire a mother's helper, send all the laundry to the cleaners...

I know it can sound intimidating, but it's really just two boobs and two babies. And in the long run, it is just so EASY!

GL with the rest of your pregnancy!

 

I use to bf till 11 months. No formula, but the girls are not to good with that.

 

I BF DD1 for about 3 weeks, and had an awful time of it. Because of that, with the twins, I just went straight to formula.

There is a great forum here for support on BF if that is what is right for you. Lots of people have done pretty much whatever combination of feeding you are thinking about, so good luck figuring out what is best for you and your twins.

 

Before the boys were born, I said I would give breastfeeding a try, but wouldn't be devestated if it didn't work. I was willing to put forth the time & effort, but knew it may not be possible (I had 2 medical conditions that effected my milk supply).

I was quite relieved when I had breastfed both of them within the first few hours & by day 2, I was tandem nursing for all the feedings with minimal help. Even the nurses were impressed! However, by day 4ish, my supply still wasn't up, the boys were hungry all the time, & jaundice kicked in. I had to start supplementing. Ironically, I was really upset, but needed to do it to help the boys get through their jaundice.

The first week we were home was awful. I continued tandem nursing (I was too exhausted to do each individually) & supplementing after each feeding. I pumped, took herbal meds, & pumped some more. The boys started getting frustrated at the breast b/c they were so hungry & my supply wasn't good enough, so I stopped bfing for a week & exclusively pumped. They got a mixture of EBM & formula each bottle.

Eventually, I ended up nursing each baby once a day & loved it. I loved the individual time, but still had to bottle feed afterwards. I continued to pump during the day & add EBM to each bottle.

By the time they were just under a month old, my OB told me to stop. I was so exhausted from pumping/nursing/formula feeding & not eating well (my fault), that I had dropped 45 lbs in 3 wks & was feeling awful. I was dizzy & totally out of sorts. I began weaning & even cried at my last declared nursing session with each baby.

BFing is hard. I send kudos to every mommy out there who can do it. Had my supply been up, I would've liked to have tried longer, but it was just not working. I gave a valiant effort, but looking back, almost wished I hadn't tried. I think I would've enjoyed my first month with them a lot more & been less stressed (ha). I'm glad I did it, overall, for the medical aspects to them & for the rewarding bonding experience it was, but can't guarantee I'll try it with any future babies. My original goal was to BF until I returned to work, as with my job, I just didn't think it'd be all that feasible to pump during my 12 hr shifts. I didn't reach my goal, but I sure tried!

Do whatever YOU want to do with your little ones. You're the mommy & regardless of what you pick, your babies will be fine. My ff babies also go to daycare & I won't lie, they're sick A LOT. But it's hard to say if I BF if they'd be sick less. I felt SUPER pushed by the Lactation Consultants to not give up, so it was almost nice when my OB TOLD me I had to quit. I don't know how long I'd have pushed myself (and how much more unhealthy I would've become) had I not been told that. Don't let others pressure you. It's your decision.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy & your delivery! I look forward to hearing more from you!

 

QUOTE(lilly_&_hunter @ Apr 3 2008, 05:49 AM) [snapback]702294[/snapback]
I'm the only one that voted "pump". I'm surprised!

I've been pumping since the day they were born. I wanted to breastfeed (I had books on breastfeeding multiples and everything) - but after Molly and Owen's NICU stay it just didn't happen. For me, it's about knowing exactly how much milk they are eating. Molly has problems with her feedings.... and I wanted to know how many ounces she was getting.

Pumping isn't that bad. It is time consuming - I've tried to pump while feeding them, but it just doesn't work. It seems to always get kicked off and milk gets spilt. So, right now it's 4:45am both babies are fed, back in their crib, and here I sit pumping.

Just wanted to add - I produce enough milk that I don't have to supplement with formula.


I pumped for the first 3 months and then transitioned mine. If you ever want to transition them, feel free to PM me and I can give you lots of tips! I understand the feeling of wanting to know how much they are eating! I had a hard time letting go of that!

 

I bf my older ds for 23 months. It made my life so much easier for many of the reasons others have listed.

I am bf my girls and it is still pretty challenging, but because I've done it before, I know how easy and rewarding it becomes.

Here's a link to babycenter.com with some good info... I guess it saves a nursing mom of twins 300 hrs and $1,200 over the course of a year.

babycenter

Give it a shot... who knows.... You may love it (even through the hard stuff in the beginning)

 

QUOTE(lilly_&_hunter @ Apr 3 2008, 05:49 AM) [snapback]702294[/snapback]
I'm the only one that voted "pump". I'm surprised!

I've been pumping since the day they were born. I wanted to breastfeed (I had books on breastfeeding multiples and everything) - but after Molly and Owen's NICU stay it just didn't happen. For me, it's about knowing exactly how much milk they are eating. Molly has problems with her feedings.... and I wanted to know how many ounces she was getting.

Pumping isn't that bad. It is time consuming - I've tried to pump while feeding them, but it just doesn't work. It seems to always get kicked off and milk gets spilt. So, right now it's 4:45am both babies are fed, back in their crib, and here I sit pumping.

Just wanted to add - I produce enough milk that I don't have to supplement with formula.



I just wanted to add that I am the SECOND exclusive pumper and I have been doing it for almost seven months. I was really determined to nurse my baby babes but after being born early and a stint in the NICU they just were not turbo nursers. I had an incredible milk supply from the beginning and I didn't want to see that wasted so I committed to pumping while keeping in mind that I would be heading back to work at roughly four months so they would have to take a bottle eventually. I am still able to feed them exclusively with my milk, much to the marvel of their pediatrician.

At about four months they were both able to breastfeed pretty well but by then I was back to work and it was just easier to feed them ebm. Asher is an incredible nurser and I still nurse him on occasion because he loves it and I do too. I think nursing is such a sweet and endearing experience. It is so beautiful to see those little bodies nestled against yours--I love it.

I would also add that pumping is what has allowed me to lose all of my pregnancy weight plus nearly 20 pounds extra. I gained an atrocious [SIZE=24pt]80[/SIZE] pounds due to a nasty case of preeclampsia. I lost 70 in TWO weeks and the rest melted off over the next few months. The ability to nurse is such an incredible opportunity.

That said--do what is comfortable for you and what works for you as a mom.

 

I have the utmost respect for those who had a long, hard struggle with it. I want to add, though, that it isn't always hard to breastfeed. My two were full-term and I'm convinced that makes a HUGE difference. Anyway, they latched on like pros from day 1 and they are my first babies so I certainly had no clue what I was doing other than what I'd read and heard from friends. Yes, there was some soreness and for the first few weeks I felt like I did nothing but nurse. But, by 1 month, I was comfortable and they were gaining well so I relaxed. It's been a relatively smooth ride since.

It never crossed my mind to not breastfeed so I don't have experience with the inner struggle you're facing. I can tell you that not having them take a bottle at all is a committment but breastfeeding doesn't mean that they can't ever have a bottle. It's better for them to have some breastmilk and some formula than to have no breastmilk and all formula.

Good luck with your decision and please visit the breastfeeding board and read the success stories if you would like to be inspired

 

Mine were exclusively BF.

 

I had been breastfeeding, then formula feeding, then pumping. I desperately want to BF, but I've had to supplement AND my milk is not coming in. Doing all 3 was really rough, and I decided to not pump that much at all, and honestly, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted! I still don't have much milk, but I'm slowly becoming ok w/ it. I need my sanity. And they are getting SOME breastmilk, which is really important to me.

I never thought I would formula feed at ALL. Never crossed my mind. Just be prepared for whatever happens.

 

just wanted to say thank you for all the responses. im going to go lurk in the BFing forum

 

I voted combination. My boys were born at 30 weeks and spent 8 weeks in the NICU. I pumped for them and had a great supply. I loved that I was able to provide them with all that great breastmilk that they so needed. I also nursed them 2 or 3 times a day once they were able to. When they came home, I exclusively nursed them (except for maybe 2 bottles of frozen breastmilk) for just under 3 weeks. It was EXHAUSTING!!!!!! I tried to tandem feed but due to lingering feeding issues due to being premature it was just too difficult. So I had to nurse them one at a time. It felt like that was all I was doing.

So...after 3 weeks, I decided to switch back to pumping and feeding them bottles of EBM (I had a huge stash in the freezer from their NICU stay). I did this until they were 6 months old. At about 4 months I had to give a bottle of formula each day and that slowly increased because I just wasn't able to increase my supply as they needed more.

At 6 months - DS1 was no longer getting breastmilk at all due to reflux so all was going to DS2. My pumping sessions were getting longer and longer and it was getting harder and harder to fit in time to pump since they were awake so much more. I decided that it was time to stop and go to formula. It was a hard decision but one I'm now very happy with.

You will have to decide what you want for your babies. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do before they were born. But when they came so early and there was nothing I could do for them except provide breastmilk for them, the answer was obvious. I had to pump for them.

One thing I have issue with whenever this discussion comes up - everyone who breastfeeds says "It is so much easier in a few months when nursing sessions get shorter and you don't have to bother with bottles". I'm sure this is true. But to me is equivalent to saying to a college freshman "it'll be a very hard first year, so you should take 10 courses in the first semester and 2 in the second semester. It'll be so much easier the 2nd semester when you only have 2". Nursing 2 newborn babies is the hardest thing I ever did. And I only lasted 3 weeks. Yes, if you're committed to it, it can work but don't feel any pressure to do it. Do it because you choose it. If you don't choose it, it's OK. Many of us were formula-fed and are totally fine.

Good luck with your decision. It is a very hard one to make. Remember though - it isn't all or nothing. You can breastfeed and still have family give bottles of formula to give you a break. It's OK.