DT Health: Breastfeeding multiple children? Here are tips and strategies
A common question that arises among women expecting multiple children is whether they can breastfeed enough. Nursing on demand, rather than on a strict schedule, can help ensure your body produces enough milk for the babies.
CHENNAI: Breastfeeding is a beautiful way for a mother and child to establish a bond. However, this can be problematic when the mother has to feed twins, triplets and more. Having a positive mindset and the use of appropriate tactics are crucial to handle this situation.
A common question that arises among women expecting multiple children is whether they can breastfeed enough. Nursing on demand, rather than on a strict schedule, can help ensure your body produces enough milk for the babies. To ensure the production and continuation of a good milk supply, try to breastfeed your child at least 8-12 times within twenty hours. This frequent nursing is good for demand stimulation since it assists in creating milk production. Also, pumping increases your milk supply as needed and can be done between feedings.
Finding the right position: The position of the baby during nursing is critical when feeding multiples. Double football hold enables feeding two babies together and having some of your hands relatively free.
Keep cradles handy for feeding the babies at night. Using it, mothers can feed one baby at a time while the others are sleeping. Side-lying positions can be comfortable for night feedings, allowing mothers to nurse one baby at a time while resting. Try various positions to determine what feels most comfortable to you and the babies. To ensure the comfort of the babies mothers can use pillows for extra support.
Breastfeeding two babies together can be beneficial as it saves time and ensures that both babies have taken enough milk. However, it is also common to feed one baby at a time, particularly at the initial stage when the baby and mother are getting used to each other. It is advisable to get a breastfeeding pillow designed for feeding twins or more as it supports the babies in the right position.
In the early weeks, especially for first-time mothers, it can be challenging to have the baby latch on and continue to feed appropriately, as it requires patience. One of the most common challenges faced by new mothers who have twins or more is sleep deprivation. To manage this effectively, they should take enough breaks from work and get adequate sleep.
