How long did you breastfeed twins?

Michelle - posted on 07/02/2010

Managed for 12 and a half months with no supplements.....they weaned themselves then.....I found that if I did any type of exercise, my supply would just drop off, so had to stop that. Otherwise, apart from eating heaps, I had no problems!

Gina - posted on 07/02/2010

I have 18 mos twins and am still nursing; bottles were used only at daycare. I work full-time. My office was a couple blocks from daycare, so I could nurse at least once a day during the day. I was lucky enough to have a good supply of milk and didn't need to supplement. Now they have graduated to sippy cups/straws, but they still like to nurse at night and in the morning.

Tracy - posted on 07/01/2010

I also had to supplement. I nursed until my girls were 4.5 months but wished I stuck in there until 6 months. Since all all the other October twins moms in my twin group has switched to formula and their babies were sleeping so much longer than mine I thought that was what I needed to do. Guess I was desperate for sleep. It didn't work. My babies didn't sleep though the night until they started solids.

Jessica - posted on 07/01/2010

I breastfed my twin boys for 19 months without supplementing. They self-weaned.. I wasn't ready to stop! :P Like others said, eat and drink frequently and your supply will keep up based on their demand! Good luck, it does get easier!

Kathleen - posted on 07/01/2010

I nursed the twins until they self weaned at about 3 1/2 yrs. I worked full time ad had some trouble pumping enough and went through the freezer stash I had built before I returned to work. I would have the pump set up and ready to go and when I woke in the middle of the night I would pump. I would pump more if I felt my supply was down, even if they didn't need it, I would toss it in the freezer. The more you use the more you produce.

I would also take a "nursing holiday" from time to time. I would get the remote, some books, mags and some a pitcher of water. I would then sit or lay around nursing them all day getting up to pee, get something to eat and of course change the twins. The suckling helps signal the body to produce more. I was always able to produce enough or increase my production so I didn't have to supplement. I didn't start them on solids til they were ten months old. good luck.

Shirley - posted on 07/01/2010

I BF'd for one month (ran in to issues), then pumped exclusively until they were 8.5 months. I work full time outside of the home. I only produced 50% and gave formula for the other half. I was debating on going longer, but then my work schedule messed me up...so I ended up stopping.

Everyone's body is different (not everyone can produce enough - no matter what people say), folks respond differently to different pumps, kids feed differently, etc.

Do the best that you can for as long as you can (or can feasibly do it). I think BMilk is better, but, your kids will do fine on formula as well.

Good luck!!!!

Margaret - posted on 07/01/2010

I pumped through 3 months of allergic colitis when my twins were born and then continued to breastfeed for the next 2 years (me and the boys all living dairy/soy-free) while supplementing with dairy/soy-free formula as little as possible and moving into foods as well. According to the lactation specialist I worked with, even the littlest amount of breastmilk affords your babies a continued immune system boost they get via breast milk (where Mom's antibodies are present in the milk and help baby). Personally (and I'm not a La Leche mom or anything like that) I continued to breast feed until my twins were past 3 when they naturally weaned. My guys have special needs and I felt they could use every advantage I could provide. In the end, say the last year, they nursed very little -- only once a day at night so it was very private and no one needed to know that I was doing it... but, again, they continued to benefit from my immunities. I have very healthy 5-year-old boys now.

Bunni - posted on 06/30/2010

Here is the recipie for the 'increase milk supply fudge' also known as the 'wonder lactateing fudge'



1/4 CUp of melted Butter/oil (more if the mixture is too dry)
1 cup Coconut
2 tablespoons of Wheatgerm
3/4 cup of Powdered milk
1/4 cup Sunflower seeds (ground or whole will do)
2 Tablespoons Sesame seeds
1/2 cup nuts/pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of Honey
2 tablepons Brewers yeast
1/4 cup of carob powder (or cocoa if you dont like carob
1/4 cup of dried fruit

Mix it all together and press into a tray
Refrigereate. Eat Plenty

Bunni - posted on 06/30/2010

i breastfed my 15month old twin boys till 13months old.
when they were born they were in incubators for the first 4 weeks, so i had to express and they were fed through a nasal tube. but once they were able to, they were breastfed.
sometimes theyd have bottle top ups.(mostly durring growth spurts). and from time to time they would prefur a bottle from dad. so we just followed their cues. at about 12 months one of my sons just started pushing me away at every feed, but happily went onto a bottle, so that was the end of breastfeeding for him.
but my other son had to be weened off at 13 months, due to biteing (and laughing at me whenever id growl and say NO) i miss breastfeeding, and eventho i havent breastfed for almost 2 months now, my milk still hasnt dried up.
there are also lots of things you can do to increase your milk supply, such as... expressing, letting bubs feed for as long as they want (i no its hard n at one point i sat there for 19hours strait n my partner just kept handing me the hungry bub, n hed put the sleeping one back, n then the first one would be back up, and so on..after a day of this we gave them their first top up and they slept for 5 hours. but the next day my milk supply was huge from all that feeding, so it was back to breastfeeding)
there is also lots of foods you cn eat that help increase your milk supply.(includung an awesome 'increase milk supply fudge')
and remember to enjoy your time breastfeeding them.. get cumfy with lotsa pillows and relax, the more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your wee men will be!

Sarah - posted on 06/30/2010

I found that supplementing decreased my supply further, but that I really didn't have enough to avoid it completely. the best advice I can offer ( after now BFing 4 kids) is if you are comitted to BFing, feed them every time on the breast first. When they begin to get upset, bring in the bottle. In other words, never starta feeding with the bottle. I struggled and struggled for nine months with my boys. In the end, my mental health suffered so much that I feel it was counterproductive even for my children. If I had it to do over, I would have quit earlier rather than fight like I did. I really am a BF advocate, but in some situations you have to forgive yourself and recognize your own limits! By the way, since then each pregnancy has been easier supply wise and I am currently feeding my 6 week old with no supply problems whatsoever.

Leigh Ann - posted on 06/30/2010

I supplemented at first (after coming home from the NICU), then decided to BF full time as much as I could. It may mean more frequent feedings for a little while. I nursed for a little over a year, which was my goal, then they just kind of weaned themselves.

Erica - posted on 06/30/2010

I exclusively nursed them for 17/18 months and only ended because I was pregnant again and my milk supply dipped.

Althea - posted on 06/30/2010

My supply started to really decrease just before the 2 month mark. We were already giving them 'cocktail' bottles of half formula, half breastmilk, through all the nighttime feedings. So to keep my milk up, i pumped after every bottle. Since i'm stubborn, and unwilling to admit defeat so easily, i started taking lactation pills. Gaia liquid phyto caps lactation pills. I found that even though they're more expensive than other brands, they really did work the best. I was only able to find them at Whole Foods or on their website. When my babies turned 6months, just 3 short weeks ago, i began to wean. As of Sunday, they were completely weaned.
As a side note, I too highly recommend the EZ 2 Nurse Pillow.

Vicki - posted on 06/29/2010

I was lucky to be able to breastfeed my twin boys for 15 months. When they first came home from the hospital they were mostly getting bottles of milk that I pumped. They were in the NICU for 5 weeks so were very comfortable with bottle and breast, You can make enough milk for both but you will need to pump milk when you are giving them formula to increase your supply. Drink lots of fluids. For the first couple of months it felt like all I was doing was pumping or breastfeeding. It is worth it and so rewarding to be able to offer them only milk but don't feel guilty if it doesn't work out. GOOD LUCK

Tait - posted on 06/29/2010

I breastfed my twin girls 23 months, less a week. They were born Feb. 1, 1995, and stopped nursing Christmas Eve 1996. I already had 7 other children who had nursed anywhere from 14 months to 2 years. So I had experience. Drink plenty of liquids yourself, and let each twin feed as long as they can on breastmilk before offering the bottle. I usually switched sides as to which twin got which breast first, so the breasts would be even. I hope this encourages you to persevere.

Crystal - posted on 06/29/2010

My twins (now 20mths) were in NICU for 2wks so pumped and supplemented then but breastfed exclusively when I got home - it was painful & exhausting to begin with but after a couple of months we all got the hang of it! I had planned to go away for 4 days when they were 8mths old so started supplementing before (1 feed a day) so they would be ok while I was gone & expressed to keep the milk up but no luck when I got home - there wasn't anywhere near enough so I stopped - It worked well as the twins didn't mind & I didn't have to go through all the drying up process

Becky - posted on 06/28/2010

I have 2 sets of twins now 3 and 5. first set able to do 4 months. I increased my supply by pumping and freezing it. 2nd set was in NICU for 2 weeks so mainly pumped and bottle fed. but supply dropped down around 2 months. wanted to encourage you that its okay to stop breast feeding if you need to- I know i felt guilty at first. but when i decided i was much happier and so were my babes- they were more content.

Marieke - posted on 06/27/2010

I have two 1 yr old girls and I breast fed and supplemented with a bottle till about 4 1/2 months, I found by then they weren't getting much anyways! All the best!

Rachel - posted on 06/27/2010

17 months and still going but they have 3 boob feeds aday and 1 bottle of 150mls before bed, i think it just a habit and they dont realy need it

Jen - posted on 06/27/2010

I breastfed my girls until 13 months with no formula supplementing. It was difficult at first, but by the time they weaned themselves at 13 months, I was really sad to have to stop. I know my friends that started out supplementing didn't go for as long. Just go as long as you can, but don't feel bad if you need to stop. Doing what's best for your child does include breastfeeding (which you're doing now!) but it also includes not having a mommy that's stressed and frustrated all the time. You might increase your supply, but if you try and it doesn't work out, don't let it get you down - even the amount of BF you've already done will be of great benefit to your child!

Rebecca - posted on 06/27/2010

I started out BF and supplementing with a supplemental nurser (since it took over two weeks for my milk to come in). I was able to BF almost exclusively for about one or two months, then I needed to add one bottle of formula a day, then it went to two a day, etc. as the boys got bigger. I ended up breastfeeding until 6 months, but by the end they were about 50/50 BF and formula. Supply issues are tough -- I tried everything to increase my milk supply (Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, BF then pumping 10+ times a day, Reglan, etc. -- nothing helped). The LC's finally just said not everyone could produce enough milk for twins and that they see it often. It's really tough to have your body fail you like that, particularly when it's something you really want to do. I tortured myself for 6 months to BF as long as I could, but by 6 months I was physically and mentally exhausted and just couldn't do it anymore. It was such a RELIEF to finally stop the nonsense of endless feedings and pumping in attempts to produce more milk. Plus, it wasn't all me all the time after that point -- my husband and others could help. My advice to moms with twins is to just make peace with the fact that not everyone can exclusively BF twins. It's great if you can, but not everyone can. Your babies need you to be a happy mom, not just a breastfeeding mom. If it's killing you to continue breastfeeding, just stop. Or, just drop down to a certain number of feedings a day, e.g., am is BF and before bed is BF but the rest of the time is formula time. I say some breastmilk is better than none, so do what you can do for as long as you want to. Your babies will be fine either way!

Mindy - posted on 06/26/2010

i breastfed mine until they were about 2 1/2 months old then I went back to work where it was to hard to keep doing it.

Nicole - posted on 06/26/2010

hi Sharon i have 6 month old twins b/g and i fully breast feed them the time it took to breast feed then the bottle made feeding time a 2 hour job then 1 hour later i had to start all over again so when i got home from hospital i just expressed and added formula to that as they ended up having different routines my husband got up to our boy and me too the girl don't tell him that our girl started sleeping in earlier lol in the end when they were 6 weeks i couldn't look at a breast pump without feeling sick and i put them onto formula full time i just couldn't keep up as i'm not a big milk maker, i felt guilt and anxiety after making the decision but after a few .restful nights as not having to get up and express i felt great!

Shannan - posted on 06/25/2010

BF my twins for 12 months with no supplementing.

Danielle - posted on 06/25/2010

I have four months twin girls who i have BF since they were born, but i feed them on demand. I plan on BFing for as long as they would like to. try to let them nursing as much as they want will bring up your milk supply. i know schedules are a great but sometimes schedules dont help your milk. good luck with your boys!!!

Lisa - posted on 06/24/2010

I went 22 months. Had learned from my first to take care of myself to support supply and didn't supplement. Temporary supply drops are common, and when those happen, take extra care of yourself. Lots of water, lots of little snacks, lots of sleep. Take good care of yourself, and good luck breastfeeding for as long as you like!

Pip - posted on 06/24/2010

I had to start supplementing when mine were around 12 weeks, then by time they were about 20 weeks I stopped breast feeding. I found I couldn't keep up, mind you I have 4 other kids and I was drained. I fed all my singltons for a year or more but couldn't manage it with the twins. I still feel a little guilty but you can only do your best and what works for you.

Khadijah - posted on 06/24/2010

I breastfeed my girls full-time (no formula) for the first 3 months, then my supply started slow so I started supplementing (only using about 30% formula). I kept that going for another 3 months, for a total of 6 months. I would have kept it going for the first year if I could have but my milk supply demenished rapidly after that. I was so grateful to have those 6 months because I know it helped them beyond measure.

Celeste - posted on 06/24/2010

I nursed my twins the first year and then into toddlerhood. I have a "Breastfeeding Multiples" group, feel free to check it out!

Suzi - posted on 06/24/2010

Hi Sharon,



I started out supplementing 50/50, and then all of a sudden started making more milk and not supplementing until about a month or two ago where I started using formula again. My girls are almost 7 months and we are still breastfeeding as much as we can. I hope to BF for at least the first year. Hope that helps! Are you tandem feeding or individually nursing? I would recomend tandem feeding using the big EZ 2 Nurse pillow (a MUST have!) and pumping after each feeding, even if nothing comes out. If you pump every 3 hours (total 8 times per day) for the first few months, it will really help amp up your supply.



Good luck!