Premature Twins and Breastfeeding

by Andrea
(Stanwood)

My twin daughters were born 10 weeks premature, or at 30 wks gestation. They spent 6 weeks in the NICU, all the while I was pumping religiously every 3 hrs to keep my supply up (even at night!), and giving it to the nurses in the NICU. I was not able to put them at the breast for full feedings until some time after we returned home, as u can imagine the trials and tribulations of feeding a premature baby, let alone 2, who cannot fully latch on or maintain alert enough to complete a good feeding. We are home now, they are 4 1/2 mo. old, and I have successfully returned to work while continuing to nurse them together, and on a decent schedule- with about 3 bottles during the day. I nurse them together for the most part, I hold one across with her feet towards my other breast, and the 2nd in a football hold with her head sort of lying on her sister's belly/feet. Thank goodness for Bobby pillows (No, I do not have a twin pillow).

We give them about 3 bottles a day of expressed breast milk with about a teaspoon of formula per 3 oz of milk for added calories (nutritionist/MD at NICU reccommends this). I will nurse them together most of the time, as it makes more sense to save time, but make it a point to feed them individually once for some singleton bonding time :) I leave for work by 7am, so I am nursing before around 6 or 630am. I always pump after the 1st feeding to enhance my supply and provide more milk for bottles. Daddy gives them a bottle around 930-1000am, then another around 1-130, and then I nurse them as soon as I return between 4-430. We stick to every 3 hours during the day, even if it means "holding them off" a little, where they might be a tad fussy for a short period. I don't make them go hungry for long, but I do believe they take more at one sitting with letting them actually feel hungry, which in return helps them get fuller bellys and stick to a good schedule. After their 430 feeding, I usually nurse around 7ish (we will fudge a half hour here and there, esp with straight nursing as it is metabolized quicker), and then they wait til 930-1000pm for our "nighttime" bottle, recently adding some cereal which they tolerate well. I realize I can nurse them before bed, but we feel this bottle ensures they are getting a large amount down, added to it some formula and cereal, which in return has had them sleeping 6-7+hrs at night since about 3 months old. Which of course makes for happier mommy and daddy :) I've been back full time at work for about a month, and my goal is to continue nursing at least the first year, or whatever is possible. I have a supply of frozen milk stocked into 1 1/2 deep freezers in my garage from my dedication while they were hospitalized, and am sooo thankful for that on those days my supply seems low. I highly recommend nursing your twins, in any situation is possible!