Welcome to Season One, Episode 11 of Double Happiness Multiplied, I’m Sally Barker.
Coming up on this episode, we talk about breast and bottle feeding.
Lactation Consultant Judy Adams, who is also a twin mum, gives us advice about breastfeeding multiples and also shares her story of the pressure she felt to exclusively breastfeed her boys.
Twin mum Rebecca Perrie and mum of Quadruplets Jannelle Snaddon also join us to talk about supplementing with formula to get some rest.
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Lactation Consultant Judy Adams from King Edward Memorial Hospital in Western Australia tells us, the business of breastfeeding multiples isn’t easy and many women feel enormous pressure to exclusively breastfeed their babies, which is often an incredible emotional upheaval especially if the babies are born preterm.
When you have three babies, breastfeeding is another story. Judy explains that in this situation, some mums often choose to twin feed and then give expressed breast milk to the third baby, while other mums choose to do replacement feeds with expressed breast milk.
Is it important to introduce the bottle as well as the breast?
Judy says she tries to be very open-minded about it, and part of being a preterm baby means that you have to have bottles, you can’t go home unless you can suck all of your feeds. However, creating an individualised plan with the mum as to what the maximum amount of breastfeeding she can do is the best strategy.
If the babies are still in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at 37-weeks’ gestation, Judy says specialised teats are used to help make the baby suck.
Supplementing with formula
The baby has to be able to grow, that’s the bottom line. So, if mum hasn’t got enough breast milk then you don’t have any option and formula is a necessity. And, if the baby isn’t thriving then you’re running into all sorts of other problem, explains Judy. 
“As hard as it is, I know very well myself, I burst into tears when I first bought formula, and I ended up throwing it out anyway,”
“But it’s very emotional, you’re in the supermarket and you reach for it, and then you put it back, and then you reach for it again, and I thought I better have some just in case,” says Judy.
Some mums don’t have a choice. Whether for health reasons or some other complication, some mums can’t provide milk for their baby, and they shouldn’t feel guilty that they’re giving their babies formula.
We’ve spoken about nutrition during your pregnancy on Episode Three of this season, but Judy tells us it’s just as important to monitor your diet while you’re breastfeeding.
Water is incredibly important when you’re breastfeeding and the best guide is to drink to your thirst, however, if you’re not someone who gets thirsty you should aim for about two-litres of water per day.
Foods to avoid
There are all sorts of myths about fried onions and broccoli and all sorts of things but Judy says you should eat a normal diet, in moderation.
So,  if you love chocolate, Judy says it’s okay to have a bit but just don’t eat the entire bar in one sitting.
The rule of thumb is to stick to your normal triangle of fruit, veg, and cereals.
And remember, if it upsets you it’ll probably upset the babies.
Rebecca’s Story
Rebecca Perrie says having gestational diabetes during her twin pregnancy meant her girls needed some nutritional support after they were born. She admits that after breastfeeding her daughter two years earlier, attempting to breastfeed two babies at once was a whole different story.
“They were tube fed on the first day even because their sugars dropped a little bit. So, we always had formula there as part of their lives from the very beginning,”
“I breastfed with my first child until she was four-months but she lost quite a bit of weight and I hadn’t noticed, so we also introduced formula to my eldest one...