Happy World Breastfeeding Week 2013!
This week, we will be celebrating by sharing real-life breastfeeding victories that you, our readers, shared with us! We were so thrilled to see all of the wonderful photos and heartwarming stories, and we cannot wait for you to read them all. Each day this week, we will be celebrating a different “category” all in the theme of “Breastfeeding Victories.” Any of you that have breastfed know that it is never a smooth-sailing ship, so each and every story is worth a celebration!
Today, we celebrate victory stories for mamas who have breastfed multiples! Our photo contest winner will be leading off our post…..
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER: Jess
My name is Jess, and I’m the proud mother of three boys 12, 10 and 5, and triplet girls that are now 8 months and still breast fed.
Demand breast feeding three babies is not without a challenge, but I just tried not to feel under too much pressure, and just took one day at a time. I have to admit, the pressure of the first two weeks is crazy, nurses at the hospital are not all supportive, but I focused on the ones that believed in me and went from there. My advice, get through the first two weeks. They are hard, it hurts, it’s emotional, it’s stressful, but wow, what a rich rich blessing it is now. I can go anywhere without packing bottles, I don’t have the added expense of formula, or washing bottles, and I just love looking into my babies eyes and playing with their little fingers as they feed. Precious!
This pic was at 3 months. Such a great way to comfort all three.
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Trisha
When I found out that I was going to have twins, I was terrified. How in the world would I take care of 2 older children and twin infants? People were incredulous when they found out I planned to breastfeed. Even the lactation consultant gave me a “schedule” prior to leaving the hospital which would have me breastfeeding exclusively within 8 weeks “if all went well.” But, she really didn’t sound all that optimistic. She told me she hadn’t seen many mothers of multiples who were able to breastfeed without supplementing.
With the milk I was already producing by the time we left the hospital I was determined there was no reason I couldn’t start breastfeeding immediately. We ditched the schedule, skipped the formula, and my babies thrived on breast milk alone for their first year of life.
The first couple of weeks were a struggle. I spent time pumping between feedings to make sure I established a good milk supply (I ended up having problems with over supply!). I fed the pumped milk to the babies after I nursed so I could make sure they were getting enough. It also took several weeks before we were all coordinated to tandem nurse, but we went on to breastfeed until they were 20 months old.
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Jen
As a first time Mom, I planned to exclusively breastfeed when my twin girls were born. Of course, I wanted only the best for my girls.
Who knew it would be a struggle? The first few days in the hospital, things started out rough. My lactation consultant outed my struggles to the nurses who insisted we supplement with formula. I felt awful, but again wanted what was best for my girls.
Fast forward to our first weeks at home. Twin A is a breastfeeding pro, latching perfectly and eating lots. You’ll see her featured in our picture. Twin B can’t figure out how to latch and gets frustrated. Many visits with a lactation consultant later, Twin B still isn’t interested. I keep trying to bring her to the breast several times a day, even though she’s fighting it. Finally, at 8 weeks old in the middle of the night we try again. She latches and eats beautifully – success! But I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a fluke, maybe she’s just too tired to fight me. Nope, the next morning success again! And from that time on, she becomes the power eater. Both girls tandem breastfeed and we have the experience I had dreamt of before they were born. Amazing! I’m so glad I never gave up on her during those 8 weeks.
Twin A decided it was time to wean at 11 months, but Twin B savored her time with mama for several more months.
As I am currently pregnant with the girls’ baby brother, I can’t wait to see what my next breastfeeding journey brings!
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Erin
With two young kids plus newborn twins I wasn’t sure how well breastfeeding would fit into my now hectic lifestyle….but I was determined to succeed. I ignored all the people who told me formula would be easier, and that I’d constantly be nursing. Having breastfed my older two daughters, I knew that that’s what I wanted for the twins, no matter how difficult it was. It has taken a lot of juggling, patience, crying, a good nursing pillow and a supportive husband but I’m still exclusively breastfeeding my 3 month old twin girls, Adley & Brynn. And I feel victorious!! 🙂
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Tanya
My name is Tanya, I am Russian by birth, English by passport and I live in Finland. I moved “away from it all” , – from London to a small island of Houtskari in Finland, bought a very old farm and renovated it. My husband left me in the process of renovation and my triplets were a complete surprise – they came a year after and the renovation was still not completed! I had very little money, no triplet car and the shop was 3 km away from my place, so exclusive breastfeeding and babywearing was a survival tactic. I was and still am a single mother of triplets.
My workers finished the renovation while I was in the hospital with my kids – Tanya Amanda Alice, Alexander Maximilian and Björn, all born at 33 weeks. The doctors did not believe I will be able to breastfeed triplets exclusively – they have never seen anything like that, all multiples went onto formula in addition to expressed breast milk. Well, they have never seen an SNS system either… Only two nurses believed in me, one of them was a lactation specialist.
I pumped starting from the 7th hour after the C section, 8-9 times a day for about half an hour each time to build up my milk supply. I did not expect C- section to be that bad – I thought it was an easy operation to live through – but I ended up being in so much pain that two nurses had to roll me on the sheet like a log so that I could pump the other side. I could not rise or turn in bed by myself.
But all things pass, soon I was able to walk with an aid and started cangaroo-caring my kids. I asked the staff not to use bottles to avoid nipple confusion – well, they did not know what nipple confusion was:) But using no bottles at all in the first two months helped me a great deal.
My biggest boy (1800gr) was a pro from the beginning. He managed to latch on during the end of the first week with the help of the nipple shield. I made a mistake by not encouraging him to suck the bare breast before putting the shield on – later it was hard to get him to take the breast without silicone;) But at 1,5 months I weaned him off the shield. He is still the biggest and the strongest of the trio, with the best appetite. However he is a softie! It is funny to watch how a tiny sister commands this big guy around now…
My girl (born 1500gr) had an “intellectual approach to breastfeeding” as I call it – she thought a lot before latching on. It took a long time before her nasal tube was out: the doctors were afraid she was not getting enough with this kind of a sucking pattern. Eventually she was doing ok, but it seems that being a slow eater is her nature. She developed into a slender toddler, but interestingly, her communication and other skills developed quicker that the boys’…
My smallest boy (born 756 gr) was the longest in the hospital and the last to get out of his “glass house”. He latched on when he weighted 1 kg. I always offered him my bare breast before putting on a nipple shield, and later this helped him to wean off the shield easily and quickly. He had a severe IUGR and probably won’t grow to be a basketball player, but he is strong and healthy, with no issues.
My kids are turning two on 27th of July. We live in our house on an island, keep chickens, grow our own veg and bake our own bread. Life is good with triplets!
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Sabrina
When I found out I was expecting twins, I was so excited to try breastfeeding them! It was a desire of my heart (and still is) to be able to nurse them. However, as they continued to lose weight, our pedi was concerned, and I was totally stressed out. Our lactation consultant worked with us and researched ways to achieve weight gain. They began to slowly gain, but it was NOT easy. We ended up having to supplement some, and as I became more and more sleep deprived and overwhelmed (we have four other kids), I needed some relief. Our LC suggested that I nurse one & give one a bottle. We did that for a time, but I knew even when we started doing things that way, that I wanted to go back to EBF or at least mostly breastfeeding. So, I began researching and calling on the help of those who had been there done that, and I began the journey to increase milk supply. I started taking Domperidone, back to tandem nursing as much as possible, pumping after every feed, as well as some in between pumping sessions. I also have many nights had a baby next to me so that there is continual stimulation. This is where I am now. I think it’s a victory because supply is slowly increasing, and my twins are getting less than 6 oz of formula a day now. For that I am so thankful! My prayers are being answered, and I am so blessed to have been on this journey!
Jennifer
Breastfeeding triplets has been a long, but rewarding journey. These children have been my first and were born at nearly 33 weeks. It took me many months to teach them how to breastfeed. When we finally got going, every month that went by was more and more enjoyable. Currently they are 21 months and still nurse several times a day!!! I am so grateful for the privilege to be their mother and to be able to breastfeed them still!
Bekki
I with very little support and knowledge was determined to breast feed my twins. We made it to 14 months. The proudest thing I’ve ever accomplished.
Thanks, Mamas, for sharing your stories! What’s YOUR breastfeeding multiples victory?
Congratulations on winning, Jess! I loved all of these photos and stories!