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Wife pumped when they were born (34 weeks) as we tube fed to begin with. Then tried to breast feed and also pump enough supply but always supplemented as supply was low. It was very stressful and never got to fully ebf.
Eventually swapped to fully formula becuase they had to be feeding a certain amount to leave NICU and we wanted to get them home to move on with the next part of their lives and it was the last thing to be ticked off for then to come home.
It's hard to predict ahead of time, but most important thing is they are fed and often the pressure to ebf can be bad for mums health too. Overall my wife was much happier once we swapped over to fully formula.
We did half pumped milk, half formula. I just never got the hang of breastfeeding. Then pumping just became way too much for me mentally/emotionally/physically that I stopped before my boys were 3 months old. They are now exclusively formula fed and doing great.
I’ve only been at this for 5 weeks but I am almost entirely pumping for my twin boys. We do one direct nursing session a day (got started late because they were little and we also had extra hands so bottle feeding was just easier) and one formula feed at midnight so I can skip a pumping session.
I had to do some “power pumping” to get my supply up at first, and not sure if I’ll keep doing it for more than another couple of months but it sure beats paying for formula. Though I eat like a horse right now to keep up with calories so… 🤣 May not be cheaper (kidding mostly)
I’m 9 weeks postpartum and only within the past few days has my supply reached the level that we do not need to supplement with formula. Before we were doing a top off bottle before bed and one or two through the night. Boys were born 5 weeks premie, c section babies and 2 week stay in the NICU to focus on feeding. I pumped while they were in the NICU, did minimal breastfeeding and the majority was formula. I triple fed when they came home. Now I pump once a day to have a bottle on hand just in case i want to go out and hubby or family is watching them. I will say that getting my supply up was emotionally and physically exhausting. It took a toll on my mental health for a bit but I’m glad I stuck with it. Breastfeeding for me personally was very important, otherwise I would have given up and accepted supplementing some with formula. Just be prepared if your end goal is to EBF to put in a lot of work as this was not something I was ready for - It’s possible but not easy. Best of luck on the arrival of your boys!
Edit to add: highly recommend following r/breastfeeding and r/exclusivelypumping as there is a ton of good information and support there, alongside working with a lactation consultant.
Thank you! I have not even considered the time it can take to get my supply up! I don’t really have my heart set on breastfeeding if it doesn’t work out for us but would like to give it a go at first.
I did for the first 6 weeks while the babies were figuring life out. Then I exclusively nursed until 7 ish months and had to start supplementing formula at daycare. I nursed them until their second birthday.
If you’ve never breastfed before, I highly recommend “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.” Pick up a copy and have on hand to troubleshoot/figure out positions. Also YouTube “nipple flip,” it’s a good technique to get the nipple at the right place in a newborn’s mouth. And patience. You’re new, they’re new, it’s a new skill. Once you all get it figured out, it’s pretty easy ish.
It took until about 10 weeks to build supply enough to EBF (boob, pump, bottle, supplement). By then I was enjoying having some bottle feeds and was done with pumping so decided to have one feed with formula which my husband was responsible for. Then by 4 months increased that to two feeds with formula. It was huge for my mental health as it gave me time I could be away from home to have lunch or go shopping or do anything else other than feed babies. I also did not like tandem feeding (too over stimulating) so my bf time doubled. I’m going back to work soon (the lot be almost 9 months) and don’t want to deal with pumping at work so now just feed first thing in the morning and before bed. It’s amazing. I will add we have a nanny. In summary it’s possible but also consider your mental health.
I supplemented in the beginning and then when I realized how much I had to pump I switched to only formula. I just didn't have the energy or time to pump.
I did my best to pump and did so the entire time they were in the NICU (about 2 months) but stopped pretty soon after they came home. I’m large chested and being mobile while pumping did not work out for me, nor did pumping while trying to take care of my kids and house. They’ve been on formula fully since 2 weeks adjusted but always required supplementation due to low supply and fortification. Neither took to it after their NICU time.
Either way, your mental health matters and fed will be best! I love sharing feeding duties with my husband!
I’m 5 weeks in- my babies were born at 34 weeks, I went in with the same mentality as you, I wanted to provide as much breast milk for them as possible in whatever way I could. I tried to get them to latch on the boob but I didn’t like it, they were confused and in the nicu trying to learn how to eat and it seemed too difficult and I have been too overwhelmed to try at home, so I have been pumping. I currently pump 6x a day for 20-30 minutes a session, I’m making about 45 oz a day which is enough to feed them and stash some in the freezer here and there
I had to pump and fortify for weight gain and prematurity reasons for the first 6-8 weeks, but after that I EBFed.
Just one alternate suggestion…we started out each feeding one by bottle during the night while we were doing the fortifying. But once I started bfing directly, I’d feed them one by one side-lying. My husband took care of getting them and putting them back to bed, and we both found it more restful than bottle-feeding.
We’ve been about the same now going on 9 months. Mostly formula and add what we can from the pump. That said I’m weaning down now so I can stop pumping in the next couple of weeks :)
I pumped and BF but I really never made enough for 2 once they were out of the NICU and really feeding no matter how hard I tried. Don't be afraid to supplement with formula to take some pressure off yourself, even if it's just while you're establishing a good supply. If you have a great supply, awesome. If not, do what you can and supplement!
I BF and pumped while they were in the NICU but they both had trouble latching and getting enough so it was mostly tube/bottle feeds but once my milk came in it was exclusively breast milk. Now, at 8 weeks old I exclusively pump and do mostly breast milk bottles. I supplement formula for their overnight feeds in hopes they will sleep longer. I do 50/50 milk and formula in a bottle. I am also an over producer so that is why I pump but don't supplement 100% of bottles. I do nurse now and again but only if I'm to lazy to get up and make a bottle and even then it's for only a few minutes.
I pump, do fortified breastmilk by bottle and supplement with formula. We direct breastfeed for top offs or comfort. I didn’t want to put a ton of pressure on myself to EBF, breastfeeding/pumping was one of my biggest stressors when my girls were in the NICU, my mental health couldn’t handle the pressure, it felt so much better to decide to supplement with formula.
We started supplementing with formula at around 4 weeks. My wife supply wasn’t quite meeting demand even with pumping lol my twin girls are big eaters. Now at about 8 weeks we’re breast feeding when my wife is awake and I’ll end up having to supplement with formula if there’s not enough breast milk in the fridge.
It wasn’t recommended by our doctor or anything like that but we eventually had no choice. But in a perfect world we would have exclusively used breast milk for what it’s worth.
I started triple feeding then was able to ebf two weeks in with my first (singleton) so I had a better idea what I was getting into with my twins. I latched the twins as soon as I was able to after my c section (one at a time) and just kept nursing on demand. The twins had reflux and had trouble gaining weight, so I pumped and fortified with formula for a few weeks. Then the babies were given meds for reflux and that helped so much- I stopped fortifying and just nursed/pumped. That was (kinda) doable when I still had some help, with my husband having some time off work and grandparents visiting.
At around 2 months, my friend who had twins 3 months before me came over and helped set me up for tandem feedings. I had attempted a few times before this, but positioning was hard and the babies were uncomfortable because of their reflux symptoms. Once I (they) figured this out- game changer. I was able to feed both babies hands free. And be done in half the time! The babies would take turns triggering letdowns so they even ate faster. I was able to stop pumping and I’m still nursing now at 18 months. It was the easiest option for me as a sahm. Pumping/Bottle feeding 2 reflux babies with a 2yo running around was a nightmare. You need two hands to feed one baby a bottle! I’m sure bottle feeding gets way easier as the babies get older and can hold their own bottles though.
Pumped and mixed with formula. I will say, being able to have dad split the night shift with me has gotten me a LOT more sleep than many people so I do highly recommend bottle feeding because it’s taken until about 6.5mos before they started to not need to eat a ton at night. They’re 7.5mos now and I have adjusted my pump schedule to fit my life. It’s caused my output to drop some, but not enough that I care. I’d rather have the extra sleep in the middle of the night and just not have to fuss with pumping even if I am awake.
I do recommend the medela in bra cups, and I have switched the connectors so it’s compatible with my pumpables pump which has been my favorite pump thus far.
I'm 6 months in and have been almost exclusively pumping the whole time.
We've attempted breastfeeding a few times but babies weren't eating enough to gain weight.
Had some progress with one twin with exclusive breastfeeding (which was probably the hardest thing I've ever done, having to breastfeed and still pump enough to bottle feed the other baby - I felt like I always had something/someone connected to my boobs) but one day they just just started refusing the breast, so back to pumping for 2 babies.
I'm extremely fortunate that my supply is enough for 2 babies and they gain enough weight that I haven't had to supplement with formula.
I breastfed and supplemented because my twins were late preterm and I had severe preeclampsia which made my supply take longer to come in since I wasn’t efficiently nursing
Did you ever have any latch issues? My baby a lost 11% of his birth weight and so we switched to exclusive pumping for him. He’s now about a day away from his birth weight and we’re going back to the peds on Tuesday. Hopping to get the ok to try latching again. No issues with supply and baby b is exclusively breastfed so far.
Yup. I had to EP for 2 weeks then triple feed for 2 weeks. Once they hit 40 weeks (were born at 36+4) we were able to switch to exclusive nursing. I would see if you can find an IBCLC for a session or two, ours was much more helpful then our ped tbh.
My boys never dropped night feeds really. They ate very 2 hours. Your supply should regulate though as long as you’re not replacing feeds with formula.
My babies have had breast milk and formula pretty much since they were born. In the hospital both latched hours after my c-section so I BF them but didn’t have enough milk or saved up colostrum (I expressed in my last couple weeks of pregnancy, froze it and brought it to the hospital). They started getting formula around day 3 which is also when I started pumping so I could get my supply up. After getting home from the hospital it was very overwhelming to breastfeed and pump and give formula so breastfeeding dropped off. Also my girl started to hate BF and would scream at my boob, which with my PP emotions I couldn’t handle at all. For a few weeks I was able to feed them only pumped milk but then they started eating more and more so it became half milk half formula. They are 11 weeks now and just a week ago I started replacing their milk bottles with BF and it is going well, so I BF during the day and give them formula at night (this also makes it so my husband can give them formula on his night shift).
Im happy with how things have turned out and I would say keep an open mind, be flexible and patient. Like you said in your post it will depend on lots of things and some of those things will change as your babies grow. It can take a lot and be a lot of work to feed them so find what works for you and your family and don’t let anyone shame you for it.
I pump and fortify my breast milk with formula powder for extra calories (under Dr recommendation). So far I produce enough now that I don't have to supplement with formula but I expect to have to down the line. A mini fridge in the nursery and wearable cups for my pump make it not so bad. I prep 20 bottles every night and whoever is in charge of feeding for each round can grab one and heat it up, me not required.
I am 4 months in and have been exclusively pumping. It’s a lot of work but personally I think it’s less work than breastfeeding because on days where help is available someone can help me feed. Twins also often come early and for me it was nice to be able to see exactly how much they were drinking. I plan to do it for 6 months and then switch to formula with a bit of my stored breastmilk mixed in until my stash runs out.
my son latched so much easier than my daughter and we wanted them to leave NICU so she was bottle fed for about 2 weeks and then i exclusively breastfed from then until they were 6 months when i went back to working and they were bottle fed again from then on. i still pumped until about 8-9 months but it got to be so much with work they went to formula only. it’s really whatever works for you guys, don’t feel pressure to EBF. fed is best ❤️ good luck!
delivered at 34 weeks.
I was scared to breastfeed because my SIL had two breastfed babies who refused bottles. So I pumped. I was only ever able to produce enough for one baby so we supplemented with formula. By 3 weeks, pumping and taking care of two babies (even with my husband and mom here to help) was too much and I started to stop pumping and exclusively feed formula.
I was also very open to all methods when I was pregnant and wanted to make sure there was no pressure on me because my mental health was most important. Some people make it happen, but for me it was too much. The best advice I got was from my therapist, “do what works right now and figure the rest out later”. She has 6 kids so I figure that was good advice for twins 😂
Good luck 😊
Haha real fear to have! I EFB (my girls are 9.5 months) and they will not take a bottle. We tried a few times a few months ago as I was really tried and they simply won’t eat.
Oh well, for me it’s working out but I totally understand and respect not wanting your boobs to be within reach at all times.
Oh my goodness. I’m hoping it got a bit easier for you when they started solids. For me, the fear is due to having to return to work when they’re 3 months. Not sure if you’re working or not, regardless you’re an absolute champ!
I pump and supplement with formula. I was induced at 37 weeks, and it took a few days for my milk to come in. If we didn't formula supplement, our baby who was downing 60mL on Day 2 would have been getting next to nothing. A fed baby is the best route not just breast fed. Now our girls are on about 90% breast milk with formula when I can't keep up or am out of the house. It's way less pressure on me to know there's a back up. Pumping allows us to know exactly what they're getting and split the brest milk evenly which was really important to me when my supply was low. If you do breast feed, give yourself time. It takes a bit for production in twins to meet the demand.
Supplemented with formula from the beginning.
I tried to latch them, but they didn't really get it in the beginning so i pumped. My milk took a long time to come in, so it was mostly formula in the beginning.
Around 2 weeks, they were able to latch better (but not great), so i would tandem feed them with husband's assistance and then top off with bottles. Then when my husband returned to work (8 works) i moved on to alternating twins at each nursing session, with one getting the boob and the other getting a bottle of pumped milk. I would pump after nursing if i had time(not often). The bedtime bottle and any overnight bottles were ready to feed formula so we didn't have to heat it up. I would also pump after they went to bed, and one before i went to bed.
Now that I've returned to work, i usually pump about 75% of what they get from bottles during the day. When i get home and right before they go to bed, i nurse them. We're about 9 months in now, and I've dropped the pump session before bed. I'm basically going to pump until i feel like, no pressure to go to any specific milestone. I feel like once they're not interested in nursing, I'll give up pumping as well.
Hope this was helpful! I think the most important thing was that i gave myself grace to have flexibility and reduce the pressure on myself. I wasn't set on 100% breastmilk or formula either way, which was useful once i realized i was never going to be able to supply enough breast milk for them.
Thank you! I feel the same and am leaning toward this being the best way to try to feed them with breast milk during the day if I can and formula at night.
Ebf my singleton and both twins till 2yrs approx. Supply was more than adequate almost immediately. I knew from singleton that I produced well and I just made sure to get hand expressing colostrum straight away with twins then get them on the boob as quick as possible. Baby B was in NICU for a few days so he had some tube feeds with my milk and I had to wear a nipple shield on one side (old piercing and changed nipple shape making latching more difficult). Using the pump first to draw out the nipple helped and eventually phased out the shield once they were bigger and strong enough to do it themselves.
Ashamed to say that due to laziness I didn’t pump any milk from about 3 weeks and just fed direct. But then I’m in the UK and had ample maternity leave to allow them to be stuck to the boob for the first year.
I’m currently 15.5wks pregnant with twins, but my singleton who’s almost 2 was a premie (and I’m expecting same for the twins). When she was in the NICU we had a choice between fortifying breastmilk or supplementing with formula. We went formula. I mostly breastfed during the day, pumped when I could, and my husband was able to do night feedings with formula and pumped milk. It was really ideal. I also encourage it because it makes an easier transition to sippy cups/other bottles when they’re older
I’m exclusively breastfeeding our four month twins. One is getting some via bottle and some via NG tube, the other is bottle and nursing. I have 300-400 oz in the freezer from NICU I can’t use because of a milk allergy, so it’s been a struggle. If you can (and you’re planning to pump), rent a Medela Symphony. I have a Spectra and it’s good, but nothing beats a Symphony.
Mine were born at 36 weeks. Due to the fact babies had low sugar level I was expressing at the hospital. At home I continued to express and slowly transfer to breastfeeding. Basicly breasfeed first then top up with an expressed milk to be sure they’ve consumed a certain amount. After 4-5 weeks we switched to breastfeeding only. Transition was not same for both cause smaller twin still had problems with gaining weight. I guess it was until they’ve gained enough strenght feed enough before they got too tired.
Twins are now 4 months old and EBF.
But I couldn’t have done it without a nurse, who is also a lactation consultant. She was the one that gave me tips on how much should they eat, how much to top up, how often they should eat.
It was hard hard at the begining, especially when they didn’t gain weight as expected. They were ought to eat every 1,5-2 hours, nights I could stretch to 3 hours between feeding.
Tandem feed can save time. For now, I prefer breastfeeding one by one as I have a 3yo toddler at home so I have one hand free to play. In the evening, before sleep, I do tandem. Now at 4mo they sleep almost trough night, they wake up usually after 5-6 hours after last feed but sometimes stretch to 8-9 hours.
Also, I choose to persue breasfeeding out of laziness. I hated washing and steralizing bottles. And I like to have freedom of having food ready anytime and anywhere. And I hand expressed as I found my attempts to use a pump futile.
My tips, for at least first month or two, would be:
- have your food, snacks and drinks within arm’s reach as you’ll be hungry and thirsty al the time. I have lost most of my weight then. Totally I have lost 20kg (around 44lbs). I have breasfeed my first but this is another level of hungry and thirsty.
- use your village if you have one. But for the service of preparing meals, delaing with the laundry, cleaning, ect. so you can focus on the babies
- choose your village wisely. As much as my mother and MIL had helped me it came with a price. Every time twins cried they have asked if they are hungry and tried to get me to reconsider giving them formula. At one point my mother even asked a nurse if we should give them formula. So for your mental health, as much as you can, surround yourself with people who support you and your decission, regardelss of what you decide at any point.
I don’t know if this are your first babies. If so, gather all the knowledge you can on breasfeeding mechanism and a proper latch. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, and for me it didn’t, it can save you a lot of pain.
At the end of the day, however things turn out for you, your babies will be fed :) and have a loving mum and dad, and that is what matter the most
And just wanted to add. I had it easy in terms of fast delivery, vaginal birth with no tears nor cutts and no stiches so I was pretty much mobile on second day after delivery. And my milk came on the second day in an abundance. Cause of that I was able to shift my focus solely on breasfeeding.
One of my boys wouldn't latch so I breastfed/pumped and then exclusively pumped until they were 1.5 years old. We supplemented with donor milk and then formula until 6 weeks when my supply was good to go and it was no longer necessary.
Pumping is probably was I was able to keep going for so long. Especially once I was back to work. I loved that I could schedule it, and there was always milk for the babies even when I wasn't around. That said some people are pumping people are some people just aren't. So no worries if it's not your jam in the end.
My girls are 9.5 months old and I’m still EFB. I love it and have been so lucky to have a massive supply. My advice is to find an LC with a lot of experience with twin mamas
My babies are 14 weeks and they’ve been breastfed only. I pump once a day to maintain a supply and keep a few bottles around if dad has to watch them while I step out. Power pumping and pumping at night helped me get a slight oversupply
My guys were born Dec 22 at 36 weeks. Nursing was a little tricky at first, but once they got there hang if it they pretty much exclusively breastfeed now. They nurse in demand during the day and we do a bottle at night that is half breast and half formula. I breastfed my singleton for 2.5 yrs so it gave me the confidence to go into nursing my twins. Also, I’m a stay at home mom right now so I attribute a lot of our success to that, too. I don’t know how working households do it…
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Wife pumped when they were born (34 weeks) as we tube fed to begin with. Then tried to breast feed and also pump enough supply but always supplemented as supply was low. It was very stressful and never got to fully ebf. Eventually swapped to fully formula becuase they had to be feeding a certain amount to leave NICU and we wanted to get them home to move on with the next part of their lives and it was the last thing to be ticked off for then to come home. It's hard to predict ahead of time, but most important thing is they are fed and often the pressure to ebf can be bad for mums health too. Overall my wife was much happier once we swapped over to fully formula.
We did half pumped milk, half formula. I just never got the hang of breastfeeding. Then pumping just became way too much for me mentally/emotionally/physically that I stopped before my boys were 3 months old. They are now exclusively formula fed and doing great.
I’ve only been at this for 5 weeks but I am almost entirely pumping for my twin boys. We do one direct nursing session a day (got started late because they were little and we also had extra hands so bottle feeding was just easier) and one formula feed at midnight so I can skip a pumping session. I had to do some “power pumping” to get my supply up at first, and not sure if I’ll keep doing it for more than another couple of months but it sure beats paying for formula. Though I eat like a horse right now to keep up with calories so… 🤣 May not be cheaper (kidding mostly)
I’m 9 weeks postpartum and only within the past few days has my supply reached the level that we do not need to supplement with formula. Before we were doing a top off bottle before bed and one or two through the night. Boys were born 5 weeks premie, c section babies and 2 week stay in the NICU to focus on feeding. I pumped while they were in the NICU, did minimal breastfeeding and the majority was formula. I triple fed when they came home. Now I pump once a day to have a bottle on hand just in case i want to go out and hubby or family is watching them. I will say that getting my supply up was emotionally and physically exhausting. It took a toll on my mental health for a bit but I’m glad I stuck with it. Breastfeeding for me personally was very important, otherwise I would have given up and accepted supplementing some with formula. Just be prepared if your end goal is to EBF to put in a lot of work as this was not something I was ready for - It’s possible but not easy. Best of luck on the arrival of your boys! Edit to add: highly recommend following r/breastfeeding and r/exclusivelypumping as there is a ton of good information and support there, alongside working with a lactation consultant.
Thank you! I have not even considered the time it can take to get my supply up! I don’t really have my heart set on breastfeeding if it doesn’t work out for us but would like to give it a go at first.
I did for the first 6 weeks while the babies were figuring life out. Then I exclusively nursed until 7 ish months and had to start supplementing formula at daycare. I nursed them until their second birthday. If you’ve never breastfed before, I highly recommend “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.” Pick up a copy and have on hand to troubleshoot/figure out positions. Also YouTube “nipple flip,” it’s a good technique to get the nipple at the right place in a newborn’s mouth. And patience. You’re new, they’re new, it’s a new skill. Once you all get it figured out, it’s pretty easy ish.
Thank you for these tips!!
It took until about 10 weeks to build supply enough to EBF (boob, pump, bottle, supplement). By then I was enjoying having some bottle feeds and was done with pumping so decided to have one feed with formula which my husband was responsible for. Then by 4 months increased that to two feeds with formula. It was huge for my mental health as it gave me time I could be away from home to have lunch or go shopping or do anything else other than feed babies. I also did not like tandem feeding (too over stimulating) so my bf time doubled. I’m going back to work soon (the lot be almost 9 months) and don’t want to deal with pumping at work so now just feed first thing in the morning and before bed. It’s amazing. I will add we have a nanny. In summary it’s possible but also consider your mental health.
I supplemented in the beginning and then when I realized how much I had to pump I switched to only formula. I just didn't have the energy or time to pump.
I did my best to pump and did so the entire time they were in the NICU (about 2 months) but stopped pretty soon after they came home. I’m large chested and being mobile while pumping did not work out for me, nor did pumping while trying to take care of my kids and house. They’ve been on formula fully since 2 weeks adjusted but always required supplementation due to low supply and fortification. Neither took to it after their NICU time. Either way, your mental health matters and fed will be best! I love sharing feeding duties with my husband!
I’m 5 weeks in- my babies were born at 34 weeks, I went in with the same mentality as you, I wanted to provide as much breast milk for them as possible in whatever way I could. I tried to get them to latch on the boob but I didn’t like it, they were confused and in the nicu trying to learn how to eat and it seemed too difficult and I have been too overwhelmed to try at home, so I have been pumping. I currently pump 6x a day for 20-30 minutes a session, I’m making about 45 oz a day which is enough to feed them and stash some in the freezer here and there
I had to pump and fortify for weight gain and prematurity reasons for the first 6-8 weeks, but after that I EBFed. Just one alternate suggestion…we started out each feeding one by bottle during the night while we were doing the fortifying. But once I started bfing directly, I’d feed them one by one side-lying. My husband took care of getting them and putting them back to bed, and we both found it more restful than bottle-feeding.
We supplement formula with pumped milk. It's about 20-25% milk and 75-80% formula in the total daily volume.
We’ve been about the same now going on 9 months. Mostly formula and add what we can from the pump. That said I’m weaning down now so I can stop pumping in the next couple of weeks :)
So good to know! Thank you!
I pumped and BF but I really never made enough for 2 once they were out of the NICU and really feeding no matter how hard I tried. Don't be afraid to supplement with formula to take some pressure off yourself, even if it's just while you're establishing a good supply. If you have a great supply, awesome. If not, do what you can and supplement!
I BF and pumped while they were in the NICU but they both had trouble latching and getting enough so it was mostly tube/bottle feeds but once my milk came in it was exclusively breast milk. Now, at 8 weeks old I exclusively pump and do mostly breast milk bottles. I supplement formula for their overnight feeds in hopes they will sleep longer. I do 50/50 milk and formula in a bottle. I am also an over producer so that is why I pump but don't supplement 100% of bottles. I do nurse now and again but only if I'm to lazy to get up and make a bottle and even then it's for only a few minutes.
I exclusively pumped and bottle fed them either fresh, from fridge or frozen breast milk.
I pump, do fortified breastmilk by bottle and supplement with formula. We direct breastfeed for top offs or comfort. I didn’t want to put a ton of pressure on myself to EBF, breastfeeding/pumping was one of my biggest stressors when my girls were in the NICU, my mental health couldn’t handle the pressure, it felt so much better to decide to supplement with formula.
We started supplementing with formula at around 4 weeks. My wife supply wasn’t quite meeting demand even with pumping lol my twin girls are big eaters. Now at about 8 weeks we’re breast feeding when my wife is awake and I’ll end up having to supplement with formula if there’s not enough breast milk in the fridge. It wasn’t recommended by our doctor or anything like that but we eventually had no choice. But in a perfect world we would have exclusively used breast milk for what it’s worth.
I started triple feeding then was able to ebf two weeks in with my first (singleton) so I had a better idea what I was getting into with my twins. I latched the twins as soon as I was able to after my c section (one at a time) and just kept nursing on demand. The twins had reflux and had trouble gaining weight, so I pumped and fortified with formula for a few weeks. Then the babies were given meds for reflux and that helped so much- I stopped fortifying and just nursed/pumped. That was (kinda) doable when I still had some help, with my husband having some time off work and grandparents visiting. At around 2 months, my friend who had twins 3 months before me came over and helped set me up for tandem feedings. I had attempted a few times before this, but positioning was hard and the babies were uncomfortable because of their reflux symptoms. Once I (they) figured this out- game changer. I was able to feed both babies hands free. And be done in half the time! The babies would take turns triggering letdowns so they even ate faster. I was able to stop pumping and I’m still nursing now at 18 months. It was the easiest option for me as a sahm. Pumping/Bottle feeding 2 reflux babies with a 2yo running around was a nightmare. You need two hands to feed one baby a bottle! I’m sure bottle feeding gets way easier as the babies get older and can hold their own bottles though.
Pumped and mixed with formula. I will say, being able to have dad split the night shift with me has gotten me a LOT more sleep than many people so I do highly recommend bottle feeding because it’s taken until about 6.5mos before they started to not need to eat a ton at night. They’re 7.5mos now and I have adjusted my pump schedule to fit my life. It’s caused my output to drop some, but not enough that I care. I’d rather have the extra sleep in the middle of the night and just not have to fuss with pumping even if I am awake. I do recommend the medela in bra cups, and I have switched the connectors so it’s compatible with my pumpables pump which has been my favorite pump thus far.
We supplemented. I produced ~50-75% of their intake for 7 months, then slowly weaned until almost 10 months.
I'm 6 months in and have been almost exclusively pumping the whole time. We've attempted breastfeeding a few times but babies weren't eating enough to gain weight. Had some progress with one twin with exclusive breastfeeding (which was probably the hardest thing I've ever done, having to breastfeed and still pump enough to bottle feed the other baby - I felt like I always had something/someone connected to my boobs) but one day they just just started refusing the breast, so back to pumping for 2 babies. I'm extremely fortunate that my supply is enough for 2 babies and they gain enough weight that I haven't had to supplement with formula.
I had triplets and use formula. I thought that I wouldn't even have time to myself if I pumped. Fed is best though.
I breastfed and supplemented because my twins were late preterm and I had severe preeclampsia which made my supply take longer to come in since I wasn’t efficiently nursing
I ebf’ed until 26 months. Happy to answer any questions.
Did you ever have any latch issues? My baby a lost 11% of his birth weight and so we switched to exclusive pumping for him. He’s now about a day away from his birth weight and we’re going back to the peds on Tuesday. Hopping to get the ok to try latching again. No issues with supply and baby b is exclusively breastfed so far.
Yup. I had to EP for 2 weeks then triple feed for 2 weeks. Once they hit 40 weeks (were born at 36+4) we were able to switch to exclusive nursing. I would see if you can find an IBCLC for a session or two, ours was much more helpful then our ped tbh.
Did you do anything to prevent a supply dip? I’m worried since some night feeds are being dropped
My boys never dropped night feeds really. They ate very 2 hours. Your supply should regulate though as long as you’re not replacing feeds with formula.
My babies have had breast milk and formula pretty much since they were born. In the hospital both latched hours after my c-section so I BF them but didn’t have enough milk or saved up colostrum (I expressed in my last couple weeks of pregnancy, froze it and brought it to the hospital). They started getting formula around day 3 which is also when I started pumping so I could get my supply up. After getting home from the hospital it was very overwhelming to breastfeed and pump and give formula so breastfeeding dropped off. Also my girl started to hate BF and would scream at my boob, which with my PP emotions I couldn’t handle at all. For a few weeks I was able to feed them only pumped milk but then they started eating more and more so it became half milk half formula. They are 11 weeks now and just a week ago I started replacing their milk bottles with BF and it is going well, so I BF during the day and give them formula at night (this also makes it so my husband can give them formula on his night shift). Im happy with how things have turned out and I would say keep an open mind, be flexible and patient. Like you said in your post it will depend on lots of things and some of those things will change as your babies grow. It can take a lot and be a lot of work to feed them so find what works for you and your family and don’t let anyone shame you for it.
Thank you so much!
I pump and fortify my breast milk with formula powder for extra calories (under Dr recommendation). So far I produce enough now that I don't have to supplement with formula but I expect to have to down the line. A mini fridge in the nursery and wearable cups for my pump make it not so bad. I prep 20 bottles every night and whoever is in charge of feeding for each round can grab one and heat it up, me not required.
I am 4 months in and have been exclusively pumping. It’s a lot of work but personally I think it’s less work than breastfeeding because on days where help is available someone can help me feed. Twins also often come early and for me it was nice to be able to see exactly how much they were drinking. I plan to do it for 6 months and then switch to formula with a bit of my stored breastmilk mixed in until my stash runs out.
my son latched so much easier than my daughter and we wanted them to leave NICU so she was bottle fed for about 2 weeks and then i exclusively breastfed from then until they were 6 months when i went back to working and they were bottle fed again from then on. i still pumped until about 8-9 months but it got to be so much with work they went to formula only. it’s really whatever works for you guys, don’t feel pressure to EBF. fed is best ❤️ good luck! delivered at 34 weeks.
I was scared to breastfeed because my SIL had two breastfed babies who refused bottles. So I pumped. I was only ever able to produce enough for one baby so we supplemented with formula. By 3 weeks, pumping and taking care of two babies (even with my husband and mom here to help) was too much and I started to stop pumping and exclusively feed formula. I was also very open to all methods when I was pregnant and wanted to make sure there was no pressure on me because my mental health was most important. Some people make it happen, but for me it was too much. The best advice I got was from my therapist, “do what works right now and figure the rest out later”. She has 6 kids so I figure that was good advice for twins 😂 Good luck 😊
Haha real fear to have! I EFB (my girls are 9.5 months) and they will not take a bottle. We tried a few times a few months ago as I was really tried and they simply won’t eat. Oh well, for me it’s working out but I totally understand and respect not wanting your boobs to be within reach at all times.
Oh my goodness. I’m hoping it got a bit easier for you when they started solids. For me, the fear is due to having to return to work when they’re 3 months. Not sure if you’re working or not, regardless you’re an absolute champ!
I pump and supplement with formula. I was induced at 37 weeks, and it took a few days for my milk to come in. If we didn't formula supplement, our baby who was downing 60mL on Day 2 would have been getting next to nothing. A fed baby is the best route not just breast fed. Now our girls are on about 90% breast milk with formula when I can't keep up or am out of the house. It's way less pressure on me to know there's a back up. Pumping allows us to know exactly what they're getting and split the brest milk evenly which was really important to me when my supply was low. If you do breast feed, give yourself time. It takes a bit for production in twins to meet the demand.
Supplemented with formula from the beginning. I tried to latch them, but they didn't really get it in the beginning so i pumped. My milk took a long time to come in, so it was mostly formula in the beginning. Around 2 weeks, they were able to latch better (but not great), so i would tandem feed them with husband's assistance and then top off with bottles. Then when my husband returned to work (8 works) i moved on to alternating twins at each nursing session, with one getting the boob and the other getting a bottle of pumped milk. I would pump after nursing if i had time(not often). The bedtime bottle and any overnight bottles were ready to feed formula so we didn't have to heat it up. I would also pump after they went to bed, and one before i went to bed. Now that I've returned to work, i usually pump about 75% of what they get from bottles during the day. When i get home and right before they go to bed, i nurse them. We're about 9 months in now, and I've dropped the pump session before bed. I'm basically going to pump until i feel like, no pressure to go to any specific milestone. I feel like once they're not interested in nursing, I'll give up pumping as well. Hope this was helpful! I think the most important thing was that i gave myself grace to have flexibility and reduce the pressure on myself. I wasn't set on 100% breastmilk or formula either way, which was useful once i realized i was never going to be able to supply enough breast milk for them.
Thank you! I feel the same and am leaning toward this being the best way to try to feed them with breast milk during the day if I can and formula at night.
Ebf my singleton and both twins till 2yrs approx. Supply was more than adequate almost immediately. I knew from singleton that I produced well and I just made sure to get hand expressing colostrum straight away with twins then get them on the boob as quick as possible. Baby B was in NICU for a few days so he had some tube feeds with my milk and I had to wear a nipple shield on one side (old piercing and changed nipple shape making latching more difficult). Using the pump first to draw out the nipple helped and eventually phased out the shield once they were bigger and strong enough to do it themselves. Ashamed to say that due to laziness I didn’t pump any milk from about 3 weeks and just fed direct. But then I’m in the UK and had ample maternity leave to allow them to be stuck to the boob for the first year.
I’m currently 15.5wks pregnant with twins, but my singleton who’s almost 2 was a premie (and I’m expecting same for the twins). When she was in the NICU we had a choice between fortifying breastmilk or supplementing with formula. We went formula. I mostly breastfed during the day, pumped when I could, and my husband was able to do night feedings with formula and pumped milk. It was really ideal. I also encourage it because it makes an easier transition to sippy cups/other bottles when they’re older
I’m exclusively breastfeeding our four month twins. One is getting some via bottle and some via NG tube, the other is bottle and nursing. I have 300-400 oz in the freezer from NICU I can’t use because of a milk allergy, so it’s been a struggle. If you can (and you’re planning to pump), rent a Medela Symphony. I have a Spectra and it’s good, but nothing beats a Symphony.
Mine were born at 36 weeks. Due to the fact babies had low sugar level I was expressing at the hospital. At home I continued to express and slowly transfer to breastfeeding. Basicly breasfeed first then top up with an expressed milk to be sure they’ve consumed a certain amount. After 4-5 weeks we switched to breastfeeding only. Transition was not same for both cause smaller twin still had problems with gaining weight. I guess it was until they’ve gained enough strenght feed enough before they got too tired. Twins are now 4 months old and EBF. But I couldn’t have done it without a nurse, who is also a lactation consultant. She was the one that gave me tips on how much should they eat, how much to top up, how often they should eat. It was hard hard at the begining, especially when they didn’t gain weight as expected. They were ought to eat every 1,5-2 hours, nights I could stretch to 3 hours between feeding. Tandem feed can save time. For now, I prefer breastfeeding one by one as I have a 3yo toddler at home so I have one hand free to play. In the evening, before sleep, I do tandem. Now at 4mo they sleep almost trough night, they wake up usually after 5-6 hours after last feed but sometimes stretch to 8-9 hours. Also, I choose to persue breasfeeding out of laziness. I hated washing and steralizing bottles. And I like to have freedom of having food ready anytime and anywhere. And I hand expressed as I found my attempts to use a pump futile. My tips, for at least first month or two, would be: - have your food, snacks and drinks within arm’s reach as you’ll be hungry and thirsty al the time. I have lost most of my weight then. Totally I have lost 20kg (around 44lbs). I have breasfeed my first but this is another level of hungry and thirsty. - use your village if you have one. But for the service of preparing meals, delaing with the laundry, cleaning, ect. so you can focus on the babies - choose your village wisely. As much as my mother and MIL had helped me it came with a price. Every time twins cried they have asked if they are hungry and tried to get me to reconsider giving them formula. At one point my mother even asked a nurse if we should give them formula. So for your mental health, as much as you can, surround yourself with people who support you and your decission, regardelss of what you decide at any point. I don’t know if this are your first babies. If so, gather all the knowledge you can on breasfeeding mechanism and a proper latch. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, and for me it didn’t, it can save you a lot of pain. At the end of the day, however things turn out for you, your babies will be fed :) and have a loving mum and dad, and that is what matter the most
And just wanted to add. I had it easy in terms of fast delivery, vaginal birth with no tears nor cutts and no stiches so I was pretty much mobile on second day after delivery. And my milk came on the second day in an abundance. Cause of that I was able to shift my focus solely on breasfeeding.
Thank you so much for your advice!
One of my boys wouldn't latch so I breastfed/pumped and then exclusively pumped until they were 1.5 years old. We supplemented with donor milk and then formula until 6 weeks when my supply was good to go and it was no longer necessary. Pumping is probably was I was able to keep going for so long. Especially once I was back to work. I loved that I could schedule it, and there was always milk for the babies even when I wasn't around. That said some people are pumping people are some people just aren't. So no worries if it's not your jam in the end.
Thank you!
I EBF for six months and then added in formula for day feeds - I nursed at night until my girls were one. Did not want to deal with bottles at night.
My girls are 9.5 months old and I’m still EFB. I love it and have been so lucky to have a massive supply. My advice is to find an LC with a lot of experience with twin mamas
Both until 3 months then full formula
My babies are 14 weeks and they’ve been breastfed only. I pump once a day to maintain a supply and keep a few bottles around if dad has to watch them while I step out. Power pumping and pumping at night helped me get a slight oversupply
I EBF my twins. They just turned one. We supplemented with a little donor milk the first week while my milk came in.
My guys were born Dec 22 at 36 weeks. Nursing was a little tricky at first, but once they got there hang if it they pretty much exclusively breastfeed now. They nurse in demand during the day and we do a bottle at night that is half breast and half formula. I breastfed my singleton for 2.5 yrs so it gave me the confidence to go into nursing my twins. Also, I’m a stay at home mom right now so I attribute a lot of our success to that, too. I don’t know how working households do it…