No supplementing--what are my chances?

I know people have a lot of different needs and experiences, but being able to exclusively b/f is really, really important to us. DH is allergic to soy and his mom and brother are allergic to dairy, so I don't want them on anything remotely coming from either for the first year. <_<

I had no problems b/f either of my first two exclusively. (I actually have never even owned a bottle.) But people talk a lot more about the need to supplement with twins, how much you have to eat to keep up, etc. So I'd love to hear from people who have actually done it. So far I have no complications with this pregnancy, and everyone close to me is going to be *very* supportive of breastfeeding. And I'll be home with them (and two preschoolers. )

Anything that was really important to helping you stick it out?

 

I have made it almost 12 months with out supplementing... well at 6 wks we tried a bottle of formula (two, one per baby) and it made their reflux worse so that was the end of that... besides those two bottles NONE!! YAY!! I am very proud of myself. The hardest thing will being able to nurse the two of them through those 6-12wk growth spurts and then it gets alot easier... you will totally be able to do it if you have your mind and heart set on it!! I did NOT BF my daughter longer than 9wks and I was able to BF the twins with no supply issues. Good luck to you PM me anytime you want.

 

We had to supplement with high cal formula for a few weeks b/c the girls were so small. I had to BF with a teeny tube taped to my breast which was attached to a syringe and we would have to push a little formula in when she sucked. My other baby was in the NICU for 10 days and had an NG tube, then was bottle fed for 48 hours. She didn't take her bottles very well so I "roomed in" with her the last night she was there and nursed her for every feed (without the tube/syringe contraption). They weighed her before and after to make sure she got enough. After 24 hours, they were satisfied and discharged her ... YAY!

We supplemented each with every feed until about 2 weeks old. Then we stopped b/c our Ped said it was OK. We gave them each a bottle of either EBM, formula, or formula and EBM mix (I wasn't able to pump enough at that time for EBM every time b/c they nursed all the darned time) once every day until about 5 weeks old and we haven't given them formula since. We stopped giving them bottles at 8 weeks b/c our help (Mom and MIL) was gone and it was just easier to nurse them. Now they won't take bottles at all. They haven't had bottles in almost 6 months. I am OK with that. I have so much EBM in the freezer, I think I could feed a small country =) I just use it in their cereal and will use it in sippy cups when I decide to wean.

I am a little like you ... I DON'T know why! But I just really don't want to give my girls formula. They hate it, it smells bad ... I like that there is one thing that ONLY I can give them ...

Anyway, I wish we hadn't have had to supplement at first, but they ate for 45 minutes every two hours around the clock. and I just didn't have the "rebound" time to be able to pump much. I DID pump after almost every feed at first (especially when I took it to Meredith in the NICU), but when they were both nursing from the tap ... I would pump for 20 minutes and only get like half an ounce. After a while, I started only pumping in the evenings when they started to stretch out the nights. Now I pump only once a day (at night around 8PM) and I get anywhere from 6-9 ounces.

 

QUOTE(Queen of Carrots @ Mar 6 2008, 10:52 AM) [snapback]655746[/snapback]
Anything that was really important to helping you stick it out?

Being stubborn!!! I never thought I couldn't do it. No one ever suggested supplimenting to me. Have a great support system around you!!

When the babies are born early, you may have to, but if your babies are 'full-term' you shouldn't have to suppliment! Sometimes there might be some issues learning to latch or being inefficient nursers but that can happen with singletons too. In the hosptial, my milk didn't come in until day 5 and my twins never got an ounce of formula. Start pumping as soon as you can. Be your twins' advocate in there and unless necessary, don't let the nurses tell you that you can't do it and that you have to suppliment. Read the stickies on the top of this forum! There is an abundant amount of information up there! :hug99:

 

QUOTE
But people talk a lot more about the need to supplement with twins, how much you have to eat to keep up, etc.


That sounds like a big exaggeration to me. Yes, you'll be hungry a lot, but it's not like you have to force-feed yourself all day or something! As long as you eat when you're hungry, you'll be fine.

And it's probably pretty rare to NEED to supplement. Like Jackie said, if your twins are in the NICU and aren't latching yet and the pump isn't working that well for you, you might need to. But plenty of moms pump successfully for their twins and then transition to EBF. When mine were in the NICU, they practically needed to buy a new fridge to store all my milk!

My story in a nutshell: no problem pumping more than enough milk while babies were in the NICU. DD came home nursing like a pro, DS came home on bottles, but after a few months I got him to the breast. Bottles were mostly EBM. DS needed some extra calories in the bottles (had IUGR and really needed to catch up), and we used formula for that once we got home, but in the NICU they were using a human-milk-based fortifier. (Something to look into just in case it comes up for you.) I chose to supplement with a bit of formula here and there so that I could get breaks/sleep without being under enormous pressure to pump enough. But could I have done it without supplementing? Heck yeah!

We're still happily nursing to this day.

You can do it! Where there's a will, there's a way. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!

 

Hi there, I am new to breasfeeding twins....my guys are 11 weeks old...and it is going beautifully...they were born 7 weeks early...and were given high calorie formula mixed with bm in the NICU....They were given all of the BM that I could pump and then mixed it with the HiCal formula to make the amount they were "suppose" to be intaking. THey were in there for 2 weeks and by the second week they were getting about 75-80 % bm!!! when I got them home we went right to the breast! Get ahold of the lactation consultants at your hospital...and talk to them...let them help you advocate for your children. You are a seasoned pro at this...you can do this without supplementing.

Best of luck and congratulations on doing what is best for your babies!!!


Missy
:wavey:

 

The NICU started supplementing before I was even pumping. UGh. But once my milk came in they gave them EBM but with a high calorie supplement. Other than the first few weeks of that Combo of EBM and the extra calories, I've been exclusively breastfeeding for going on 10 months. Yay!!! I have had to eat a lot more than normal or I loose more weight and my supply dips.
If I could recommend anything I would recommend pumping. Once the babies are sleeping longer at night. Use that time to add in a pumping session. That way you will always have a good supply of breastmilk and won't need formula when your out and can't bf'd. (My boys play hockey and there is no way I'm going to freeze bf'ding at the rink. :lol:
YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

 

Honestly, aside from issues if they are born early I really don't think you will have problems. You have the will to do it, that's obvious. And you had no difficult ebfing your other two. Personally I think previous success is a HUGE boon to future bfing experiences. You know for sure your body can do it. Once you know you can establish normal supply for one baby, then increasing that for two babies isn't that big of a deal. I think, as far as supply, there are much bigger issues when a mom has difficulty supplying enough for even one baby. (which is usually my problem...it takes me a full 3 weeks to build enough for a newborn. I have no dramatic milk coming in experience...)

 

I would talk to the ped who will see them in the hospital before hand. Let him/her know you don't want to suppletment at all and as long as they are healthy will he support you in that. The nurses at my hospital pushed it and not knowing anythign i let them. But if the dr say you don't have to it will make it easier. I wish I had done that. ALso don't give up. There are times it is hard but it is just as hard to do bottles (at least taht is what I told myself). Also get a breastpump a nice electric one. This will help if you need to increas your suppy or freeze to use when you can't be there. Lots of us give bottles once a day after the first little while. THis lets me get a break and lave them wtih dad or a sitter it will help your peace of mind. ALso get an EZ-2-nurse pillow that way after the first fe weeks you can do it tandem. Saves time, effort, haveing 1 cry, it is great.

I have to still eat pleanty but even more than that drink lots. I can tell a difference if I don't drink more. Good luck you can do it ,just come back on here for support.

 

I ditto the "being stubborn" advice I literally thought of it as "formula is not an option" and just trudged on through. My other advice is to line up help for at least the first month so you can focus on BFing. You will not have time to do much else. Get others to do household chores, cook/bring you food, and care for your older children. Also be careful who you get help from, as some people say they want to help and then it turns out all they are willing to do is hold the babies. You don't need people to come hold the babies, you need them to do your laundry, clean your house and cook your meals.

My story: my twins are 10 months and aside from a little formula in the hospital (they were preemies and my milk did not come in until day 6 -- docs said they didn't have any fat on them, not like full term babies, and could not afford to wait for my milk to come in) they have been exclusively BF'd. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world but it wasn't the hardest either. I agree with the PP -- what you've heard re: having to eat so much etc seems a bit of an exaggeration to me. Isn't that what our fat stores from the pregnancy are for? Really -- I was glad to have put on the 50 lbs I did (it would have been more if I had gone past 34 weeks!) because I needed it in those first months. Didn't have near enough time to eat the extra calories needed to fully replace the milk I was producing -- so good thing I had some fat to draw on.

 

I bfed my first two. I did do EBM for my first (was working), but no formual (he refused it, even mixed with BM).

I bfed #2 exclusively, total of 22 months (of course he was on solids by then :laughing: ).

I bfed my girls for 27 months, NO supplements. The first 6 weeks were pretty hectic. One had a touch of jaundice, and the (male) ped pushed really hard to have me give her formula, but the female ped said just keep going and I did and she was fine.

You're already a seasoned bfer who's proved her supply. I wouldn't anticipate any problems for you.

eta: Agree with PP, definitely let the hospital staff know you don't want them given formula.

I never pumped with DS2 or the girls at all. (This did mean I could not have babysitters, but I just wanted you to know that it can be done without any pumping.)

 

None of my children have ever had formula. They were born full term, in a "baby friendly" hospital, so we never had anyone try and push formula on us, plus I had a lot of experience from my first two. For us it has mostly been a matter of me saying "this is what we're doing." I have had a great support network also, which has been wonderful. It can be done!

 

I wouldn't worry at all about it, especially if you have full-term babies. I nursed my twins exclusively until we started solids at 6 months and was still making plenty of milk when I weaned at 14 months. It's all supply and demand. There will probably be times when you are nursing more often because they are going through a growth spurt, but it will work out, in most cases. Good luck!

 

I only supplemented with formula a handful of times, then switched to supplementing with ebm. The main reasons I ended up supplementing:

1. The NURSES at my hospital. they told me I needed to rest up (had a difficult delivery), should only bf every 3hrs, don't want snackers, etc, etc.
2. the sleeping all night in the hospital and only slightly bfing every 3hrs (so about 5x/day for 5 min) did not help my milk come!!!
3. It didn't start coming in until I was home and hired my own LC who showed me what I SHOULD be doing.
4. By then I was FULL of self doubt and kept supplementing until 4 weeks and I found TS :icon_biggrin:

Since then all boobs baby :winking0009:

 

QUOTE(JicJac @ Mar 6 2008, 01:06 PM) [snapback]655923[/snapback]
Being stubborn!!!


Ditto! I never supplemented. A NP suggested it once and I called the pedi next day and complained about her (especially since my girls had gained a POUND each in 10 DAYS!) They did NOT need any supplement!

 

You've successfully breastfed before! That definitely ups your chances of not supplimenting!

 

Ditto the stubborn advice and the be very clear in your choice with the hospital staff!
I BF my DS1 for 13 months and my twins are almost 8 months and not a drop of formula has been ingested by any of them.

My DS1 has mutliple food allergies and his allergist told us even one exposure to formula can instigate food allergies with siblings, so I was super determined to avoid that. My twins were 38 weeks and did not need any NICU time but they were small for the regular nursery so the staff was really conservative. They both had jaundice and formula was brought up - between myself and the LC we nixed that.
I found the docs were much more comfortable with me only BFing and taking them home small and with jaundice since I had an older child.

My freezer stash is very small compared to my singleton but we are making it ( I am pumping as I type).
You'll do great!!!

 

We had to supplement for 4 weeks (with my own milk) since the babies were born early and had latch issues/weak sucks. It definitely took some being stubborn and sticking it out and I have been exclusively BF since then and it's great. MY son is up to 10lbs8oz and my daughter is over 7lbs. I love not having to pump and warm bottles (especially at night) I nursed my other children too and it was harder to get into the groove of nursing with preemies, but I am so so glad that I stuck it out!

 

Still nursing here at 17 months (just once a day but only because I'm pregnant.) The doctors suggested I supplement but instead I nursed more often and took fenugreek, ate oatmeal cookies and upped my water intake. In the beginning I ate a ton but before dh left he'd make sure there was something for me to eat all day (and I did eat all day.) Its doable!! I supplemented with my first thinking I didn't have enough milk... boy was I wrong!

 

None of my children have ever had formula (other than a bottle of 22 cal in the NICU the first day). I had to pump for my twins the first 3 months, but they got all BM. I think you can definitely do it

 

No supplements at all, ever, here. T&T were full term (39 weeks) and strong nursers from the get-go. FWIW, I had a nurse try to tell me I needed to supplement because they were "losing too much weight" on my 4th day at the hospital. The pediatrician hadn't said a word about it so I gave push-back and I got a strong sense that she was convinced I was doing them harm. She tried to plant seeds of doubt by saying things like my milk must not be in yet because I'd be in pain when it came in and my hearing them swallow wasn't a reliable way to know. When I told her later that day that their poop had changed from tar to seedy mustard, she wrote "meconium" on their charts anyway like she didn't believe me. Seriously bizarre woman. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I hadn't come to the hospital armed with knowledge and self-confidence.

 

My babies were born at 35 and 4/7 weeks at 5 pounds 1.9 oz and 5 pounds 9.6 oz, and they have never had formula in their little lives. They were born on a Monday and my milk came in on a Thursday and even though they lost a bunch of weight (like down to 4.5 pounds and 4.75 pounds), the doctors were great about letting me breastfeed only. I kept a chart for the first few weeks - until they were gaining weight adequately of when I fed each baby, how long, which breast, and wet and poopy diapers. I look back and can't imagine that I really fed that much, but I did. We had a lot of weight checks in those first couple of weeks. I'm stubborn too!

This is the first time I've ever nursed, so you've got that going for you.

I haven't found that I'm eating out of house and home, but eating a bit more than I normally ate pre-pregnancy. The biggest thing is I get really thirsty, so I always have a glass of water in the fridge for me to take a swig out of every time I walk past.

You can do it!

Erica.

 

Of course you can! I've never supplemented or even debated the need to. I have pumped a couple times because I needed to be away for a few hours and wanted it to be there i n case they needed it. just give them lots of time at the breast in those first few weeks. And enjoy!

 

Thanks everybody! I'm feeling really excited about this. And I have a list of people to call and talk to ahead of time, too, so that our plan is clear.

 

Know you can do it. I just this week rewrote my nurisng story for a scrapbooking challenge. My girls got a 1 1/2 cans of neosure (the 22 calorie) forumula. and that was it.
you can do it.

 

YOU CAN DO IT!!

I only supplemented for 1 week when they were about 4 months old. I was very sick and HAD to take medicine which dried up some of my supply. It took about a week to get back to where I didn't need to suppliment but other than that, I didn't supplement!

And don't forget this forum. IT is an amazing source of support and information!

 

I've exclusively fed my wee ones now for 12 weeks! It can be done! I've had a couple of exhausting days when they've gone through growth spurts, but other than that it's been easier I'd say than juggling bottles and formula. My babies are thriving on it too- hope that gives you some encouragement!

 

I had the same worry when I was pregnant with my twins. I breastfeed my other sons and I wanted to be able to give them the same benefits. They were born at 35w 5d and had to be in nicu for 6 days. During this time I pumped and they were feed from bottles. They came home and I was so nervous about them not gaining, so I continued to pump amd feed it from bottles,and offer the breast. At their 2 month check my doctor told me to try to nurse exclusively for a weekend. We tried it, it was a little hard, but it worked. I was so worried that I had messed up and they were not going to nurse. They are 6 six months old and going strong. The only advise I have is try not worry about it and have an open mind.