Breastfeeding after twins

Hi everyone! I am 35.5 weeks pregnant with a singleton- my twins are 26 months. Although I had planned on breastfeeding my twins, I was unable to due to a pulmonary embolism I had after their birth and the need to be on blood thinners and other medications. So my boys were completely formula fed. I am planning on breastfeeding #3 as long as I don't have any complications like last time, but am not sure if I will have the need for a breast pump. I am a SAHM, so don't have the issue of needing to pump at work, but would a pump be something I might use a lot having two 2 year olds to take care of as well as a newborn?

What have your experiences been breast feeding a newborn after having twins, and what are your thoughts on needing a breast pump? If you do think having a breast pump would be good, do you have a recommendation on what kind?

I feel so silly having two kids but having no idea what I am doing with regards to breastfeeding! :unknw:

Thanks in advance!

 

I can`t speak from experience as #3 hasn't actually arrived yet, but my plan is to not pump at all for the first couple of weeks unless absolutely necessary. I am planning on buying one of these to collect milk from my other breast while I'm nursing to have a bit of a freezer stash. I had to pump a lot with my girls in the early days & I was righteously sick of it. At some point though I am planning on pumping to donate breast milk, once we're into a reasonable routine with the new baby, so I do have a pump (I bought it for my sister to use with her little guy with the caveat that I'd get it back after so I could have it for future babies).

I've also lined up a ton of support for the first few weeks while breastfeeding is getting established so I can really focus on nursing & giving it the time it needs - we've hired a postpartum doula, DH is taking 2 weeks off of work & my MIL will be coming for the afternoons Mon-Fri.

To be honest, it's going to save you a lot more time to just nurse at the breast rather than have to sit & pump, then feed the baby a bottle of breast milk (not to mention cleaning & sterilizing bottles & pump parts every day). Here are some great tips from Kellymom on how to juggle older children with a nursing newborn.

I would say to hold off on buying a pump for now - if you find you do need one after the fact, you can always go & get it then.

 

Pumping sucks. :ibiggrin: I did it and found it to be really annoying- with the boys I would feed 1 and pump the other side (if not tandeming) just to not 'waste' a breast, lol. (S took a pumped bottle for 3 days during every feed). You get the baby hooked up and then the pump and the baby falls off then and you stop pumping, relatch the baby, then pump... or you're about to fall asleep and realize your pump parts need to be taken care of.

It's a time investment when you don't really want to need one, if that makes any sense.

IF your baby needs one, then go for it, but I would not buy one just in case. Also, there are different pumps that work better for different things- Medela makes a Symphony which helps bring in your milk (my hospital had them) and a Pump In Style which is for home use/travel when your milk has come in.

Please don't feel silly for not knowing much about BFing even after 2 kids- we are here to help.

 

I echo the other two on absolutely loathing pumping! I would say that early on you definitely want to focus on establishing the breastfeeding relationship. Once things are going well, you may want a time or two where you can leave milk with a sitter so that you and hubby can go to dinner, so having some sort of pump is nice. A lot of SAHM who pump for instances like this will just own a hand pump or a less powerful (cheaper) electric pump. All those bells and whistles are a necessity for someone who is pumping at work every day, but not for "recreational" use.

 

ITA that pumping sucks but because I'd never BF'd a baby before I had no confidence in my body and pumping reassured me that he was getting milk. Also, even though my baby was full term he was taken to the NICU overnight the first night of his life so I pumped the next morning. Now that he's 7.5 months I never use the pump, but I used it a lot the first month or so. What I did was buy a middle-of-the-line pump. It's electric but I can only pump one side at a time. It fit my needs and my budget. I wanted to BF so badly and was so concerned about him getting enough that at first I'd nurse him, and then I'd pump afterward. Then when I was in the midst of sleep deprivation DH would feed him a bottle of my pumped milk so I could sleep through a nursing session.

 

I'd wait and see if you need it rather than spending the money now. I only pumped because I worked 3 days a week but it was nice to have BM for the baby if DH and I went out for dinner or something. I'd establish your supply with nursing first and then go shopping when you know your needs better.

 

If you're thinking you may only need to pump for the occasional evening away, many women find that hand expression is quick & easy & then you can save yourself the expense of a pump all together!

 

I definitely won't tell you that pumping sucks or is unnecessary. I come from a different perspective though. My boys were born 3 months early and if not for pumping, they would not have had breast milk at all. While they never took to the breast very well given our beginning, I continued to pump for 7 1/2 months.

What I'd tell you is to start off breastfeeding and determine your needs from there. If you'll be gone from the home on occasion or would like DH to be able to feed the baby too, a breast pump will come in very handy. It is not as efficient as breastfeeding, but it certainly has a place depending on your lifestyle. I plan to probably do a combination of both, but I'll see how it all plays out.

The only reason I suggest holding off on buying one is because they're very expensive (around $300, give or take depending on model), so see how it goes at first and then make your decision accordingly. I have the Medela Pump In Style and it is a great product.

On a side note, I know a pp mentioned a post partum doula. I don't see a whole lot of talk of them on this site, but we, too, had one with the boys and she is coming back to help us again.
They are experts and can help in a number of ways, breastfeeding included, so if that's on your radar at all, I would highly recommend one.

Good luck.

 

Thanks so much, ladies! Your advice and experiences have been extremely helpful to hear! I feel much more clear in what I should do and I appreciate all your help!

 

my baby is 12 days old and I do not pump. I have a great supply I dont know if it is because my body was expecting to have to feed 2 again LOL! or not!? but i have the best supply that I have ever had!! I also dont pump for selfish reasons I LOVE my nursing time it is so very sweet I am not ready to share!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!