Desert Storks

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding twins and more.

Because breastmilk supply increases with extra demands, most women can breastfeed twins well. This can mean much less work compared to preparing and giving formula.

Twins can be fed together, but you may prefer to feed them separately while they are very young, either when they wake and demand or one after the other.

Once feeding is established, it is usually best to feed them at the same time and keep them in much the same routine.

Each twin may have her own breast, or it may help your supply to alternate them.

Make sure you eat well to have energy to cope with caring for two babies.

If you have three or four babies you may like to breastfeed two each time and have someone bottle feed the others - then swap next time.

However the babies are fed, parents of twins (or more) need plenty of help and support. You may like to contact your local Multiple Birth Association.

Breastfeeding a premature baby

Babies who are born some weeks or even months early will need special care in hospital.

At first they will usually be fed through a tube which goes into the stomach through their mouth or nose.

Even at this stage breastmilk is the best food for babies, although a “fortifier” may be added to help them grow. Breastmilk has been shown to have lots of health benefits for prems.

You will need to express your milk and this will be given to your baby. The nursery staff will help you with this.

You can express by hand or pump - you may like to hire an electric breast pump if you have to express for some weeks.

When your baby is mature enough you will be able to put him or her to the breast. Be patient and give your baby time to learn to suck.

If it is difficult to get your baby to feed, ask the nursery staff, or see the sections Attachment in the related topic “Breastfeeding - a new baby” and ‘Attachment Problems’ in the related topic “Breastfeeding - When babies won’t feed”.

It may take some time for him to learn to suck and for your supply to adjust to his demands, so be patient and keep trying. See the section ‘Not Enough Milk’ in the related topic “Breastfeeding - Milk supply concerns”.

A new pregnancy while breastfeeding

Although you are unlikely to become pregnant while fully breastfeeding, especially early on, it does sometimes happen.

You may become aware you are pregnant because your baby becomes fussy at the breast or your nipples become tender.

There is usually no rush to wean your baby. You can keep feeding as long as you (and the baby) want, unless your doctor says there is a reason not to.

Most women like to gradually wean around the middle of the new pregnancy. The older baby will be taking other foods by then anyway. See the related topic “Breastfeeding - Weaning from the breast”.

Some women prefer to keep feeding their older child and the new baby. This is called “tandem feeding”. This can be done safely if the mother eats well, gets enough rest and makes sure the new baby’s needs are met first.

Working and breastfeeding

There are many ways to work outside the home and keep breastfeeding.

Use your maternity leave - take as long as you can to recover from the birth and get breastfeeding going well.

Try to get working hours that will fit around your baby’s needs, or work part-time.

Work-based child care is ideal but it is not often possible.

You can express milk while you are at work, which can then be fed to your baby (by cup or bottle) by the carer the next day.  You can breastfeed at home and formula feed when you are at work.

If you have some expressed breastmilk, ask the carer to give the breast milk first so that it is not wasted, but it is OK to mix your own milk and formula, even in the same bottle.

An older baby (over 6 months) may be able to manage with other milky foods while you are at work.

There is a resource booklet called ‘Balancing breastfeeding and work’, see under Resources below.

Dummies and breastfeeding

Babies really like to suck and dummies are commonly offered. Parents may find them useful to calm an unhappy baby or help a baby fall off to sleep.

However, if dummies are given to very young babies before breastfeeding really gets going well, it may be confusing for the baby because of the different kind of sucking needed. Dummies are not usually recommended for breastfed babies for the first few weeks. So, wait a few weeks if you can.

Using a dummy has been shown to decrease the risk of SIDS, but very few babies die of SIDS when they are less than 4 weeks old, so that it is though to be safe to delay using a dummy until breastfeeding is well established. See the topic ‘SIDS’.

Also, dummies should not be used when the baby is hungry and really needs to be fed, as this may mean he does not suck so well when he is being fed and the breasts are not stimulated enough to make a good supply of milk. Babies need plenty of sucking time at the breast to keep up the milk supply.

If you find your baby is using a dummy a lot, discuss this with your child health nurse as it may be a sign of a feeding problem.

Exercise and breastfeeding

Regular, moderate exercise is good for your health and it helps you to feel good.

Most women can exercise regularly without any effects on breastfeeding.

An occasional baby may be fussy at the breast if fed straight after the mother has exercised. This may be due to lactic acid in the milk, which does no harm and will disappear in an hour or two.

Rarely, a mother may find she needs to cut down on exercise to prevent her milk supply from dropping off.

Make sure to have plenty of drinks when you are breastfeeding and exercising.

Healthy eating is important too. Don’t go on a strict diet to lose weight while you are breastfeeding.