August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month! What a wonderful time to extol the benefits of breastfeeding and offer some helpful tips. We all are aware of the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby, such as protection from bacterial infections and chronic childhood diseases, increased bonding with mother and providing the balanced nutrition that nature intended. But, there are also benefits for the Mom, as well, including a lowered risk of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer, helping Moms lose weight after birth and making night feedings easier (no bottles to warm up or formula to mix in the middle of the night).
With all that said, we can all agree that breastfeeding is a good thing, but for many parents, it’s also a hard thing. And for parents of twins and triplets, it can be a hard thing that’s multiplied by two or more. With a unique set of challenges, many mothers find themselves with questions and concerns. Hopefully, these tips will help alleviate some of them.
- Save yourself the aggravation of split feedings and feed them together with the help of a nursing pillow designed specifically for twins, not the ones that say “also for twins”. They don’t work nearly as well.
- When possible, pump breast milk and store it for times when you’re tired or away.
- If your milk output is low, take a few days off from everything except nursing the twins. Because milk is produced by supply and demand, allowing them to nurse on demand will increase the supply. Pumping between feedings will also increase the supply.
- When it seems like there’s not enough time in the day, DELEGATE! An easy way to do this is to put up a list of things you need help with, such as laundry, meals, grocery shopping, clean bathroom, etc. That way, you’re ready to answer the often-asked question, “Is there anything I can do to help?” Tell them to pick something on the list and get started.
