rant plus need help (long - sorry)

Ellie-

I feel for you. My girls did the same thing when they were infants and I
received absolutly zero support from everyone while I was BFing them. My mother
actually criticized me almost constantly for BFing. She told me I was
"starving" my children by not giving them formula and cereal when they were
newborns......sigh. It was very discouraging. My goal was to b/f until my
girls were a year old, but I only made it to 7 months and it was largely due to
the lack of support. Now I really regret it and wish that I had nursed them
for a full year.

B/fing got easier for me after 6 weeks. Your twins may be going through a
growth spurt. Have you tried keeping them awake so that they nurse longer? My
girls would nurse for a couple minutes and then fall asleep and nothing I did
would wake them up enough, unless I put them in their bed...then they were wide
awake and screaming to nurse again. It was so frustrating.

I doubt that anything I've said has provided you with any answers, but I just
wanted to let you know that you're not alone. I've been through what you're
going through and just try to hang in there. It *does* get easier. You may
even notice a big difference in another week (which may sound like a long time
right now, but it really does fly by).

Andrea
twin girls-Madison & Jordan
3/22/00


Hello everyone hope someone can help

I have 5 week old twins born 4 1/2 weks early and I'm breastfeeding. The
problem is that from midnight to 7 or 8 am they want to be feeding
constantly and then sleep all morning. I am wondering if it is possible to
change their behaviour to sleeping a little more at night and feeding more
during the day, however everything I've tried so far has been a complete
failure. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not wanting 5 wk old babes to sleep
through the night, but even if they went just 1 - 2 hours between feeds it
would be easier than what's happening at the moment. For a while I worried
that I wasn't producing enough milk and they weren't satisfied but they are
putting on weight brilliantly so I am assured by the midwife/health visitor
that this is not the problem.

The health professionals only advice has been to give formula but I really
want to breastfeed. They just say "oh, you've done well to breast feed
premature babies for 5 weeks ...." etc but surely I can't be the only person
b/feeding twins, they are making me feel like some king of freak for wanting
to b/f twins in the first place. I really feel like I'm banging my head
against a brick wall with them at the moment.

Nobody in the family can give me any advice as these are the first
grandchildren for both my family and my DH, and both my mother and MIL
formula fed. Nor am I saying formula feeding is wrong, I just don't want to
give up breastfeeding for the sake of my sleep when the babies are obviously
doing well on it. They seem to feed, fall asleep and then the minute you
try and put them in a cot or moses basket or crib they wake, start screaming
and want feeding again.

Is this something that I just have to ride out or does anybody know how I
can try and change it.

Sorry this is so long but I really don't know where else to turn (having
said that I feel better just getting it off my chest!).

Ellie

Have you tried keeping them awake so that they nurse longer? My
girls would nurse for a couple minutes and then fall asleep and nothing I
did
would wake them up enough, unless I put them in their bed...then they were
wide
awake and screaming to nurse again.

This made me remember that aspect of bf'ing. They'd be so comfortable they'd
fall asleep without eating much, only to be ready again very soon. I used to
unswaddle them, take their socks or booties off and kind of tickle their
feet to keep them awake and alert. One of the nurses had shown me that at
the hospital when they were born. It did help them get a little more down so
they could last a little longer.


--
Leslie
Alex and Jordan, 06 May 2000

Have you tried keeping them awake so that they nurse longer? My
girls would nurse for a couple minutes and then fall asleep and nothing I
did
would wake them up enough, unless I put them in their bed...then they were
wide
awake and screaming to nurse again.

This made me remember that aspect of bf'ing. They'd be so comfortable they'd
fall asleep without eating much, only to be ready again very soon. I used to
unswaddle them, take their socks or booties off and kind of tickle their
feet to keep them awake and alert. One of the nurses had shown me that at
the hospital when they were born. It did help them get a little more down so
they could last a little longer.


--
Leslie
Alex and Jordan, 06 May 2000

Gosh, Paula, it's nice to *see* you. :-) How is everything going?

--
Brigitte aa #2145
edd #3 February 15, 2004
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/joshuaandkaterina/

"Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare."
~ Harriet Martineau

Gosh, Paula, it's nice to *see* you. :-) How is everything going?

--
Brigitte aa #2145
edd #3 February 15, 2004
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/joshuaandkaterina/

"Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare."
~ Harriet Martineau

Ellie wrote:

Hello everyone hope someone can help

I have 5 week old twins born 4 1/2 weks early and I'm breastfeeding. The
problem is that from midnight to 7 or 8 am they want to be feeding
constantly and then sleep all morning. I am wondering if it is possible to
change their behaviour to sleeping a little more at night and feeding more
during the day, however everything I've tried so far has been a complete
failure. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not wanting 5 wk old babes to sleep
through the night, but even if they went just 1 - 2 hours between feeds it
would be easier than what's happening at the moment. For a while I worried
that I wasn't producing enough milk and they weren't satisfied but they are
putting on weight brilliantly so I am assured by the midwife/health visitor
that this is not the problem.

BTDT -- please email me to chat about solutions. :-) (I haven't got
time or connections to Usenet regularly but can email.)

In the meantime, I'd suggest visiting the breastfeeding newsgroup,
misc.kids.breastfeeding (could be misc.kids.parenting.breastfeeding?
haven't been there in a while....) I know there are regulars there who
have successfully breastfed twins, and it's a great group for bf support
and advice.

My girls C&J are coming up to their first birthday, and still nursing
strong. You *can* do this, and between this group and a pop 'round to
misc.kids.breastfeeding, I'm sure you'll get the support and information
to make it happen.

Cheers,
Barbara

Ellie wrote:

Hello everyone hope someone can help

I have 5 week old twins born 4 1/2 weks early and I'm breastfeeding. The
problem is that from midnight to 7 or 8 am they want to be feeding
constantly and then sleep all morning. I am wondering if it is possible to
change their behaviour to sleeping a little more at night and feeding more
during the day, however everything I've tried so far has been a complete
failure. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not wanting 5 wk old babes to sleep
through the night, but even if they went just 1 - 2 hours between feeds it
would be easier than what's happening at the moment. For a while I worried
that I wasn't producing enough milk and they weren't satisfied but they are
putting on weight brilliantly so I am assured by the midwife/health visitor
that this is not the problem.

BTDT -- please email me to chat about solutions. :-) (I haven't got
time or connections to Usenet regularly but can email.)

In the meantime, I'd suggest visiting the breastfeeding newsgroup,
misc.kids.breastfeeding (could be misc.kids.parenting.breastfeeding?
haven't been there in a while....) I know there are regulars there who
have successfully breastfed twins, and it's a great group for bf support
and advice.

My girls C&J are coming up to their first birthday, and still nursing
strong. You *can* do this, and between this group and a pop 'round to
misc.kids.breastfeeding, I'm sure you'll get the support and information
to make it happen.

Cheers,
Barbara