Happy World Breastfeeding Week 2024
World Breastfeeding week is always near and dear to my heart, but this year has even greater significance as it marks 8 months of exclusively breastfeeding my twins! Breastfeeding was always important to me with my singletons, and after getting pregnant with twins I feared I wouldn’t be able to produce enough or be able to handle the stress of feeding two. I saw exclusive breastfeeding rates for mothers of multiples are significantly less than those with single babies, reported only between 8-22%.
This year I want to share what has worked for us to help encourage other moms of multiples to pursue breastfeeding and to know there is hope for exclusively breastfeeding their multiples!
Set Yourself Up for Success
Despite having breastfed with each of my other two children, I put in a lot of time preparing for my breastfeeding journey with twins. I read the books, did the research, talked to other moms of multiples, and met with my lactation consultant early in my pregnancy in order to have a plan in place going into the hospital for multiple scenarios and to be able to advocate for my own breastfeeding needs. To ensure I would have the necessary equipment, I put breastfeeding items on my registry and/or purchased items I thought I might need like nursing pillows, multiple pumps (manual, suction, electric, and cord-free), nursing camis, nipple cream, and easy-access clothes (since there aren’t many options other than baring it all when tandem feeding). Being ready both physically with the equipment and mentally with the knowledge of experts, I was able to jump into my twin breastfeeding journey with confidence and determination.
Fuel Your Body
You can’t expect your body to produce fuel for two or more babies if you’re not even fueling yourself. Adequate hydration and nutrition are key to being able to sustain exclusively breastfeeding. Moms need about 500 extra calories per day per baby for breastfeeding in the first 6 months. This means to produce enough milk for twins you may need to be taking in 1000 calories more than your pre-pregnancy needs. Knowing this I filled my home with nutritious snacks and water bottles strategically placed in the nursery (in arms reach of my rocker), the kitchen, and the living room where I frequently feed the babies. I believe the first 6 months of breastfeeding (at least) are not really the time to be counting calories or trying to lose weight since your body is working in overdrive but more about filling your body with nutrient-dense foods and water….lots and lots of water.
Just Go For It
My final advice – jump in head first and just go for it! I had no idea how to tandem feed or if I was doing it “right”, but I started my trial and error right there in the delivery room. Remember your babies have never done this before either so you’re really just figuring out your right way together. For me, I knew the time saved with tandem feeding would allow me more time with my other two kids so it was motivated me to start this quickly. Through the course of the journey, I tried to stay patient with the process for myself and each baby as they improved their latches and I learned their cues. I tried to pay more attention to their cries and less attention to the clock. And I let go of expectations of what should be and let it be what it was.
I take great pride in my twin breastfeeding journey (so far) and feel blessed to have had this experience. It has not all been easy but it has all been worth it. Did you breastfeed your multiples? If you’ve breastfed multiples, what’s one piece of advice you would pass on to other future moms of multiples?