Dr said NOT to tandem feed

Well first off I'm still breastfeeding which is amazing (to my in laws at least) after I had over 4 infections and ended up in the hospital with an abscess. Anyways, I never got the hang of tandem feeding and don't have a nursing pillow. The Dr at the hospital said not to tandem though because your breasts do not empty they way they do if you feed one at a time and start of the same side as you left off.
I was hoping to perhaps try to tandem except it was always very messy and now after all the antibiotics (4 times) I don't want to do ANYTHING to end up sick again.

Thoughts/opinions on Dr advice against tandem?

 

QUOTE
The Dr at the hospital said not to tandem though because your breasts do not empty they way they do if you feed one at a time and start of the same side as you left off.


No, they don't empty the way they do while single nursing - they empty MORE COMPLETELY. Tandem nursing produces stronger and more frequent letdowns and really keeps the milk moving. This is what I've always heard, and I've seen it in practice, too: my babies would always nurse faster AND get more (=stay full longer) tandem nursing than single.

So if anything, tandem should protect you against further health problems! Ignore the doctor, he's seriously uninformed. (Doctors get an obscenely tiny amount of education about BFing in all their training - maybe one 45 minute lecture in all of med school. And then they go give nursing moms loony advice as if they actually know something about it.)

Good luck! I hope you feel better really soon - and keep feeling better. You are amazing for sticking it out through all this! :hug:

 

I did not tandem my girls since the few times I did, my girls were hungry much sooner then if I nursed one at a time. So instead of saving time by tandem, I wound up spending more time nursing.

So don't feel like you have to nurse.

 

I did not tandem feed. I tried a few times at first, but once they both fell asleep I'd just be trapped under the nursing pillow, unable to get up, so it just didn't work for me. At first I would switch babies and breasts at every feeding (rocking on in a bouncy chair with my foot while I nursed the other), and later I just would give one a particular breast all day and switch the next day. I had no supply issues and they nursed for 27 months. (Note: I had already nursed DS1 and DS2 exclusively, so I was confident I could do it even though the nurses at the hospital told me it is impossible to nurse twins and the LC told me I'd have to pump or I wouldn't have enough milk. They were all wrong. DS2 was a "skin baby" who would never touch any sort of artificial nipple, so I knew I could nurse without pumping.)

I would say that if nursing them individually works better and is more comfortable for you, then go ahead and do it that way. It worked just fine for me.

 

I'd get a second opinion.

 

Sounds like yet another case of a misinformed physician misinforming others. I exclusively BFed and tandem fed 99% of the time. I can assure you that my breasts emptied fine.

 

Another vote here for tandem feeding. It was way quicker for me also, since let down is SO much stronger. The babies would eat and be done in 10 minutes (after 2 months of age). If I would feed one at a time, it would take each baby 15 minutes to get full and empty the breast.

 

Holly is right and that doc is just plain wrong. That said, I didn't love tandem so I used it to increase supply or if I was in a time crunch. When I did tandem my breasts felt more empty and the girls were satisfied. For me there was a faster, more intense letdown making for faster emptying.

 

Yeah, I don't think he knows what he's talking about. The only thing I could say to back that up is that when my guys got to the distracted phase at 5 months--they would start messy with each other, and in some cases they stopped before they were done. But you can tell if they are distracted and just finish them one at a time.

 

I completly agree with the pp. tandem is a plus in many ways and dr's dont' ALWAYS know best. get in touch with another professional in your area, someone who know more about nursing.

 

IMOH the women here who are breastfeeding, who are doing tandem, who are nursing twins ARE the experts! You've had at least 10 votes for 'the doctor is wrong' -- trust your gut and do what you feel is best. No one way is the 'right way' exact for the way thats 'right for you & your babies'. tandem is tricky and can take a bit for you to get the hang of. You dont need to have a nursing pillow to tandem, lots of regular ole fashion pillows will work too!

Absolutely amazing job sticking it out! Im a determined woman myself but after everything you've gone through -- hooray!

 

I vote doctor is wrong. In Australia breastfeeding is very very common everywhere. In special care most women tandem fed. I had a much better let down with tandem. I did it when they were small, but later single fed since it was easier for me.

 

I tandem nurse my girls 99% of the time. It was tricky to figure out, and i didn't buy any fancy twins nursing stuff. I use a simple boppy pillow and some blankets to prop kiddos heads and have gained some searious upper body muscles. Good luck and trust your mothers gut. I have had no supply issues, other than being the only source of milk my babies will except. No bottle for those kiddos. i have one clogged duck issue that lead to mastitis but with alot og help and drugs I made it through. My heart goes out to you. Best wishes. Momma knows best

 

QUOTE(debid @ Feb 16 2009, 07:51 AM) [snapback]1191645[/snapback]
Sounds like yet another case of a misinformed physician misinforming others. I exclusively BFed and tandem fed 99% of the time. I can assure you that my breasts emptied fine.


what she said! (and others)

gl, jl

 

Why does it seem that everything doctors tell us about breast feeding is designed to scare us away from it?

Here's my two cents: Do what ever you need to to make your life easier. Forget what the dr told you, he's probably wrong. If you want expert advice, find women that breast feed, the la leche league, you know, people who have actually done it. When I think about the ridiculous advice I got from so many doctors... I just get so mad. But I'm getting side tracked...

Find what works best for you and your babies. You will know what that is better than anyone else, and I mean anyone. There will always be people to pester you about how you're doing something wrong, or how you can do something better, but you find what works for you and do it. For me, tandem with the EZ pillow while sitting on a bean bag chair with my computer in front of me with at least one other person around to move them or change diapers is heaven! But I can do it by myself if I need to. I've nursed with just two pillows across my lap. I've even tried laying down on my back and holding them up in a sitting position. It does get easier the older they get. I finally had to look at everything and ask "Is this making my life easier?" and if it wasn't, give it up. You'll find what works for you. :hug:

 

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I finally had to look at everything and ask "Is this making my life easier?" and if it wasn't, give it up.


Wise, wise words! :good: