When I tell people that I exclusively breastfed my twins, they tend to respond with disbelief. Like it is the most challenging way they could possibly think of to feed two babies. What I don't understand is how they could think there could be an easier method. It was the easiest possible way. Period. Here's how it went:
Things didn't start out ideally. I had complications from my delivery (hemorrhage due to a very stretched uterus), so I was out of commission for several hours after the girls were born. They did not breastfeed during the 'golden hour' right after they were born. We didn't get to do the skin-to-skin thing until the following morning. Their first feeds were bottles of formula in the nursery, which definitely was not what I had planned. That was the only formula they ever received, for the record.
As soon as they were brought to me in my postpartum room (nine hours later), I was very eager to see my girls and to breastfeed them for the first time. My plan was to practice with them each individually before we attempted tandem nursing. Miss M went first (because her sister had just had a bottle in the nursery). No problem! Miss A, your turn. Another expert! I sent my sister-in-law to get my nursing pillow, and I was tandem nursing by the first night. Could it possibly go this smoothly? Yes. I had not one crack, not one bruise, blister, or scab. Tenderness, a little, but nothing a little nipple cream couldn't handle.
I credit our breastfeeding success to a few things. Yes, I had good (full-term) partners who latched well, I have decent breastfeeding nipples (not too big, not too flat), and milk supply was never an issue. But most importantly, I had knowledge beforehand. I knew what a good latch looked like. I knew how to position my babies. I knew that it shouldn't hurt. I knew early hunger cues and normal feeding patterns. I understood the supply/demand process of milk production. My only challenges were the nurses in the hospital who were pushing me to formula feed, to calm my fussing babies. But I knew that my babies needed to be on my breasts all night long, so that my body would kick into gear and make milk for them. I knew that the breastfeeding frenzy that takes place in those first few days was normal. Even though it feels like it could not possibly be normal, it is.
At home, I had my breastfeeding station on the couch with my pillow, my footstool (very important), my remote control, my phone, and my water. I knew I would be spending a lot of time there in the early days, but to be honest it wasn't that bad. Once my milk supply was established my girls became quite efficient little feeders. Ten minutes and they were happily drifting into milk comas. It was frequent, but fast. I loved it, because every time I was breastfeeding I was sitting down, watching TV, and I had two babies who were both cuddled and content at the same time. That didn't happen under any other circumstances when I was alone during the day.
At night, I had them in bassinets right beside my bed. I didn't step foot out of my bed for feedings. I reached over, brought them into bed, fed them, burped them, and put them back. Diaper changes required me to get up, but those were still done in my bedroom. It was often one baby initiating a feed (usually Miss M), so I would just wake the other up to feed (usually Miss A) to avoid waking up double. It did not take long for their feeding schedules to sync. We did this until it didn't work anymore (when I would wake up Miss A and she wouldn't eat), and then I went to feeding them separately at night.
Most people know there are plenty of benefits to breastfeeding. The benefits when breastfeeding twins, like most things, are multiplied. After peeing every 15 minutes while I was pregnant, I swear I peed twice a day while I was breastfeeding. It was awesome. Plus, breastfeeding twins was the best diet on the planet. I ate more when I was breastfeeding than when I was pregnant, I ate whatever I wanted, and the weight just kept coming off. I was skinnier breastfeeding than I was pre-pregnancy (I'm not anymore, but still). I never had to mix one bottle, measure one scoop of formula, sterilize water or bottles, pack feeding supplies, and I never had to fumble around in my kitchen half asleep at 3 a.m. For six months, wherever I went, as long as I had diapers and my breasts, I had everything I needed. In a word, simplicity.
Solids did come into the picture at the six month mark, so things did get a little more complicated and messy from that point on, but we continued to breastfeed for 13 months. The girls gradually weaned themselves, and when I returned to work at one year we were down to morning and bedtime feeds only. My husband and I went away for two nights at that point, and when we came back, the girls were done. I had one last good-bye session of breastfeeding with each of them, and that was it. Weaning was easy, because it was gradual and we were all ready. All in all, it was a wonderful experience for me. If the girls could remember, I'm sure they would agree.
No comments:
Post a Comment