2007GuideToTheFirstYear

THE TOP 10…Tips
for successfully breastfeeding twinfants
By Diana Tonova
5TRY TO STAY HOME with your twinfants as long as
possible before returning to work.
6STAND FIRM IN YOUR DECISION to breastfeed
your babies, even if you return to work. Nurse immediately
before leaving the house, and again immediately upon
returning home. Pump during any “missed” feeding times. Have
a good quality pump…I always recommend Medela’s ‘Pump in
Style’.
1FLOOD YOUR BRAIN with information about
the benefits of breastfeeding, before your babies are born.
Breastfeeding benefits your body, as well as your twinfants.
Share your information, and your convictions about the value of
breastfeeding, with everybody in your support network…husband,
family members, friends, everyone!
2
AVOID FREE-FORMULA OFFERS. Don’t put
your name on any of these lists offering free formula, or sign
any questionnaires about how you plan to feed your twinfants
while pregnant or during your OB/Gyn visits. These are just
the formula companies’ way of roping you into formula-feeding.
3DON’T HAVE FORMULA AT HOME or on-hand
in the hospital. When you’re tired or not able to communicate
well, a thoughtful husband or mother (in-law?) might
decide to spare you the effort and take it on themselves to formulafeed
your twinfant(s). Don’t create the temptation.
4NURSE ON DEMAND, even in the middle of the
night. Ignore people who brag about how their babies adapt
to a schedule quickly. None of it matters to you. “Easy”
babies are often those put on bottles of cow’s milk right away, which
is hard on their little digestive systems and doesn’t build immunities.
Breastmilk is “totally biocompatible” with babies’ bodies, and
is digested, assimilated and absorbed very quickly and efficiently, as
opposed to anything else.
7
PLAN TO BREASTFEED FOR ONE YEAR at
least. This is the current recommendation of the American
Academy of Pediatrics. The World Health Organization
suggests two years. Ignore the pressure to quit early. Some women
nurse their babies into toddlerhood, and that is fine. Do what
makes you and your babies healthy and happy. Babies are just
that—babies—for a long time.
8CREATE A SUPPORT NETWORK of like-minded
moms who believe in breastfeeding. For me, it was the
breastfeeding support group at the hospital. You might have
to scout a bit or recruit at the local park. Meet regularly.
9TRIM YOUR TWINFANTS’ FINGERNAILS
good and short, and frequently. This may sound silly, but
babies’ nails seem to grow at lightning speed; you may sometimes
feel as if you’re bonding with a baby raccoon or cheetah. I
learned to not be lazy with the clippers, enlisting my husband’s help
to clip as soon as I noticed nail growth anywhere near tips of tiny
fingers. There’s nothing more annoying than nursing a baby whose
long nails are digging into your aereola.
10
ASK FOR HELP if and when you need it. Don’t
be afraid or reluctant. Breastfeeding may be the best and
most natural way to feed your twinfants, but it doesn’t
always “come naturally.” Breastfeeding is a learned skill—getting a
baby to latch-on properly, dealing with inverted nipples, nipplepain,
and so on. It’s always something. You aren’t expected to suffer
in silence when it comes to nursing. Find a resource: LaLeche
League, other nursing mothers, your hospital, support groups,
online advisors, local lactation consultants.
Diana Tonova is is mom of four, including twin daughters. She owns and
operates Earthy Birthy Mama—natural products for mothers and babies
(cloth diapers, slings, breastfeeding support products toys, etc.) www.
EarthyBirthyMama.com
18 GUIDE TO THE FIRST YEAR © 2007 TWINS Magazine. To subscribe: call 1-888-55-TWINS or www.TwinsMagazine.com