BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 i totally agree with whoopsies comment. the breasts will supply the amount thats required and adapt accordingly. breasts are usually the fullest first thing in the morning. it also doesn't help that maternity hospitals use formula's fairly rapidly after birth. our local area hospitals are supposed to be taking on the breast feeding initative, however weeks ago i was disappointed to hear that my neighbour was offered free formula for 12 months (in the ward) if she went on the bottle within the first 24 hours!! (this was part of a study) she had no breastfeeding support. i totally understand too why people give up on breastfeeding, however, particulary in our area, lots of funding have enabled a wide support network to be established in the NHS/ childrens centre's. i only wish i was able to access these services prior to giving up myself with both my children Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 We would save the nations some money too if more people breastfed. Formula soon adds up cost wise. I was lucky with dd I had nutriprem on prescription. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midori Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 i totally agree with whoopsies comment. the breasts will supply the amount thats required and adapt accordingly. breasts are usually the fullest first thing in the morning. That is certainly what I found when I was spending an awful lot of time researching feeding my twins, as I was determined to exclusively breastfeed. I spoke to the breast feeding support worker at the hospital (she was there full time, purely for that reason, she wasn't a midwife) as I had problems with my milk coming in initially and she said it is a case of supply and demand and so the more I expressed, the more milk I would have. Night feeding in the first 8-10 weeks especially apparently also encourages supply as the body produces more prolactin during night time hours. Formula wasn't an option for me anyway, but I was also repeatedly told that formula inteferes with and reduces supply and that Mothers of twins usually produce more milk than mothers of singleton babies, where both exclusively breastfeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted July 4, 2010 Author Share Posted July 4, 2010 From a different perspective I bottle fed my twins. Nothing particular to say except that I was able to involve my other children who were aged 4 and 3 years and they loved to help feed the babies. Might sound dodgy but they had a twin each that they cared for and it worked well. For the lady (gooner girl?) expecting twins soon, I used to lay them on the floor on a baby blanket and they were happy to lay there, just looking and touching each other. The health visitor told me I had the 4 most placid children she had ever known. That's good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 I don't have children, nor do I want any. I think however, I would prefer bottle feeding. I couldn't imagine 'flopping it out' & feeding a baby. I don't think I'd feel comfy breastfeeding with a baby as it got older either. It's not creepy, it's natural - but I do find it a bit yuk when women do it in public. It makes others (me) feel uncomfortable as to where to look. You can't even admire the baby! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 I am fascinated by the division of opinion on this most natural of activities. I did both with my children, so have no axe to grind, this topic is so emotive The human race would have been in trouble if breastfeeding hadn't happened for centuries before formula came along Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 From experience, no matter how sensitive you are towards other peoples' feeling, and how discreetly you feed, there's always someone who will find it unsavoury, whether they choose to voice their opinion, or turn the other cheek. But then that goes for a lot of other activities too. I was most surprised by my own father's reaction - he's quite old fashioned and very squeamish about any bodily functions, but he was fine and even used to offer to wind Rosie - which he'd never done for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 From a different perspective I bottle fed my twins. Nothing particular to say except that I was able to involve my other children who were aged 4 and 3 years and they loved to help feed the babies. Might sound dodgy but they had a twin each that they cared for and it worked well. For the lady (gooner girl?) expecting twins soon, I used to lay them on the floor on a baby blanket and they were happy to lay there, just looking and touching each other. The health visitor told me I had the 4 most placid children she had ever known. That's good. I also enjoyed the fact that hubby could feed too and the children could help occasionally (i had 3 under 4 so they needed alot of supervision ) with bottle feeding and never found it a chore making the bottles though now mums are told to make a bottle at a time which is more of a bind where as i made a whole days worth in the morning. I never felt less bonded feeding as i talked to them the same as you would whilst BFing and gave them eye contact. I don't like to see babies propped up with bottles in prams when they are tiny when its not needed though, thats just lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 From a different perspective I bottle fed my twins. Nothing particular to say except that I was able to involve my other children who were aged 4 and 3 years and they loved to help feed the babies. Might sound dodgy but they had a twin each that they cared for and it worked well. For the lady (gooner girl?) expecting twins soon, I used to lay them on the floor on a baby blanket and they were happy to lay there, just looking and touching each other. The health visitor told me I had the 4 most placid children she had ever known. That's good. I also enjoyed the fact that hubby could feed too and the children could help occasionally (i had 3 under 4 so they needed alot of supervision ) with bottle feeding and never found it a chore making the bottles though now mums are told to make a bottle at a time which is more of a bind where as i made a whole days worth in the morning. I never felt less bonded feeding as i talked to them the same as you would whilst BFing and gave them eye contact. I don't like to see babies propped up with bottles in prams when they are tiny when its not needed though, thats just lazy. I agree, I had no problems bonding with my children through bottle feeding and loved watching them drinking and stroking their faces and hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 I have read everyone's comments with interest, but having done it both ways I will say that as a lazy person, breastfeeding appealled to me because it was just soo much easier. I didn't actually have to do anything except keep myself hydrated. The house didn't smell like a swimming pool, I could read my book whilst the night time feeds were happening (not something you can do during the daytime with a lively three year old commanding your entire attention!). The disadvantage for me was that my DS would not take milk I had expressed from a bottle (not any type of teat - absolutely not..none..nada...I bought every sort that was on the market, and I am very certain of this...he did not like milk from a bottle!! )So that did mean that when I went out in the evening I either had to keep it brief or take him with me but it is for such a short time in their lives and yours...so ... I also fed in public (I did always cover him and me with a shawl, or whatever was available, and would retreat to the car and feed if possible but if push came to shove, faced with a screaming baby and a toddler who really really didn't want to leave the bouncy castle, I just got on with it!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I lost a baby at 25 weeks and produced so much milk but my doctor wouldn't give me anything to stop it. The sound of a baby, any baby, crying made it gush out and I was heartbroken. When I got pregnant again my brain refused to believe my body and though I so desperately wanted to feed my daughter I never produced any milk at all. I was sad I never had the opportunity to get that physically close to my newborn. I think as long as one is discreet breast feeding in public is neither here nor there. I must add, though, that when my step daughter fed her new baby she would just flop her boob out right in front of anybody and make a big thing of it(I say flop because she is a very large lady in all directions). One day we were in a restaurant and she flopped that big boob out,resting it on the table while her daughter fed and mum continued eating her dinner with her fork as if such exposure was to be applauded. I was mortified and the thought still makes me blush And her father, my DH, is such a nice gentle well mannered man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I never produced any milk, when I was expecting I knew I wouldn't. But what annoyed me was the pressure the midwives and health visitors put you under to breastfeed. Within hours of having my daughter I was shouted at accross a ward by a mid wife half my age "not to be stupid everyone can breastfeed if shown the right way" at this point I got very angry and suggested she read my notes. The looks of disgust I got and the tutting drove me to tears many a time. I would have loved to do it but it was never going to happen so I made the most of the fact my hubby could help and he was the proudest man alive to feed his baby daughter. At the end of the day you do what best for you and your baby. Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 today i have been on a expressing by hand group - teaching new mums. which in itself is a tricky skill to learn. personally had i had this tuition in the first instance myself, then i might have stuck to it longer! what strikes me is that the expectation of how much milk we express is much greater than what we actually do and now i realise that (through observation and skills learnt), that the amount usually expressed in the first few weeks is very small, BUT this is all the baby needs. the size of the baby's tummy in the first few days expands from a small 1cm marble to a walnut in the first 14 days and at first only just over a teaspoon is sufficient with 6-8 feeds a day - i find this incredible, and often expressing mothers think that they have not got enough milk. i'm not overly comfortable with some people flopping out their breasts, however i strongly think this is a cultural issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurmurf Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 today i have been on a expressing by hand group - teaching new mums. which in itself is a tricky skill to learn. personally had i had this tuition in the first instance myself, then i might have stuck to it longer! what strikes me is that the expectation of how much milk we express is much greater than what we actually do and now i realise that (through observation and skills learnt), that the amount usually expressed in the first few weeks is very small, BUT this is all the baby needs. the size of the baby's tummy in the first few days expands from a small 1cm marble to a walnut in the first 14 days and at first only just over a teaspoon is sufficient with 6-8 feeds a day - i find this incredible, and often expressing mothers think that they have not got enough milk. Good point! I never tried hand expressing until my third pregnancy: it was much easier than i expected it to be, and a great deal more comfortable than the battery operated gadget i had the first time round. The second time i ended up feeding a baby and a toddler as my ED decided she remembered how much she liked the 'milkshake' taste of breast milk and I ended up feeding them both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 When dd was born prem we were lucky if she managed to take 1 ml. And its never normal to get as much expressing as you would feeding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I think I spend half my working day explaining that to people, especially to the dads - some of them really worry, though I can totally undertand why. I felt really good the other day when i showed a woman how to hand express and she was delighted by the amount of milk she got. Mind you it's a rare event when i can spend two hours on a visit though - I wish I had all the time to help people when they need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I think I spend half my working day explaining that to people, especially to the dads - some of them really worry, though I can totally undertand why. I felt really good the other day when i showed a woman how to hand express and she was delighted by the amount of milk she got. Mind you it's a rare event when i can spend two hours on a visit though - I wish I had all the time to help people when they need it. hey.....we should start a breast feeding support thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I was watching a programme last night called 'bringing home the babies' and their are twins, triplets and more occasionally. A lady last night was expressing enough to solely feed her 6 week old triplets but she didn't actually breast feed any of them i found that strange, but well done her for having the patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 I have also read with interest, having struggled to feed DS1 but managed beautifully with DS2 for nearly 2 years. I think it has to be a personal choice and would never criticise anyone for going for either option. When I was struggling with DS1, my Mum stopped me and said 'Just feed the baby, however you do it, and don't beat yourself up about it'. She was right, I was putting myself under a lot of pressure. I never noticed any pressure from midwives but that may have been because I wanted to feed, just struggled. For me it was a wonderful confidence-booster to be able to feed DS2 easily - with DS1 I had done a lot of expressing, as latching him on was a non-starter - he was 10lb 12oz and RAVENOUS! But whenever people ask about it I am honest that it wasn't easy first time round - yes it's natural but not necessarily easy, both Mum and baby have to learn how. As for feeding in public, I did feed DS2 all over the place but always discreetly. At home I just got on with it, visitors could stay or go as they felt fit. One of my friends is breastfeeding her twins, they are eight months old now and doing beautifully - she couldn't imagine sterilising that many bottles and felt this was much the easiest thing. She has a 2 year old as well and has somehow managed to make it all work. We call her SuperMum! I was sad the other day to be talking about relationships with a group of 14-year-old girls at work, and realise that one of them was unaware that breasts and babies had any kind of link - breastfeeding was totally outside her experience . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 I'm hoping that sex education in schools is actually going to teach them something at some point. Won't hold my breath though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 today i have been on a expressing by hand group - teaching new mums. Does this have anything to do with the Mcsquirty part of your name, Bertie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I did wonder.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 today i have been on a expressing by hand group - teaching new mums. Does this have anything to do with the Mcsquirty part of your name, Bertie? Why of course it does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I'm expecting twins in October and am gonna give breastfeeding a go but i'm not going to beat myself up about it if it doesn't work. If it was 1 baby i would be more determined to perservere but as its 2, getting them to latch on at the same time could be tricky so i will just have to see how it goes... Even if i can just feed for 3/4 months i will be pleased. 6 would be ideal and is my aim. congrats gooner.girl! I shamefully admit to being quite smug about having twins! they were a bit early so i started expressing when they were in SCBU and then fed them from there. My midwife insisted i bottle feed the smaller lad but it used to make me cry so much that i had to give that up and trust my instincts: he took a while cause he was small but i wasn't rushing to do the housework anyway... twins are bloomin' hard work so, for me, breast feeding was the perfect 'slackers excuse' to sit down with a V shaped pillow, two lads in a football hold on each side and a book propped up in the middle.... bliss! If you find that feeding both at night is exhausting at times so you probably can borrow a humilactor (sp?) from your local hospital and express if your partner can do one, while you do the other. I kept all of SCBU in milk for weeks the only people who ever gave me the impression they were uncomfortable about me feeding the kids were my in-laws, but it was my house - my rules. I would love to have been a militant 'lactivist' and had a speech all prepared in my head for anyone who expressed objections but the only comment i ever got from anyone over 7 years of almost continous breastfeeding was an old dear in a cafe who came over and said "ah, that's lovely'". I never did get to air my 'radical' views Haven't been on here for ages! Just thought you might be interested to know that i am still breastfeeding my twins 7 months on laurmurf and they are doing really well. I was very lucky as apart from one short bout of mastitis i found it a doddle. i know its not like that for everyone so i am very grateful that they are both such good feeders. Theres enough to remember when taking twins anywhere without having to faff with bottles too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
