I dont have enough breastmilk to feed my twins. what should i do?

Question

I am a seventeen years old and i have given birth to twins. i dont have enough breastmilk to feed my babys. what should i do? why dont i hve enough breastmilk to feed my babys?

Answer 1

There are a few things that you can do to try to increase your milk supply. 1. Rent a hospital grade pump and pump as often as you can, milk works on a supply demand curve. 2. Drink Fenugreek seed supplements. These are available at Whole Foods or online 3. Drink mother love more milk plus supplements available online and sometimes at Whole Foods. 4. Drink mothers milk tea also available at Whole Foods. 5. Drink half or one bottle of dark beer that has malt in it, you can also by non-alcoholic beer, or drink malt shakes. You don’t have to do all of them, these are just some options that you can do to increase your milk supply. I found that Fenugreek seed works very well.
There is also a MilkShare group on yahoo where people ask and donate milk. You can ask for donated milk. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MilkShare/
Some reasons why you might not have enough breast milk: 1. Your babies are not latching on properly. Check to see if the end of your nipples is white after a feeding 2. They don’t empty the breasts completely causing your body to think that the demand is less and produce less milk. 3. You are over tired and stressed out (most likely). Ask your parents and friends to help out. The extra 5 minutes of relaxation can increase milk supply. 4. You are tensed when breastfeeding. Relax and enjoy the process, I know it’s hard but think about your wonderful babies and concentrate on them, not about finishing up chores. 5. Your babies might be going through a growth spurt and have the need to feed more often and longer. 6. You are not eating well enough or just plain enough. Try to eat high calorie foods, esp high protein ones, and drink plenty of fluids.

I really recommend renting/buying a hospital grade pump, some great ones are Ameda Egnell and Ameda Elite and they are not as expensive as other pumps on the market. They are good at increasing milk supply, I have used both of them and can vouch for my words. Another reason why you might think of getting a good pump is that you can pump milk and some one can feed one/both of the babies while you feed the other. It can also give you a chance to rest. I hope this is helpful good luck to you and your babies.

Answer 2

It really depends on how long you have been feeding for. My daughter didn't get reach her birthweight until she was four weeks old. By that time I had to start comping (giving her a small bottle after a breastfeed).

It also depends on how much you want to breastfeed. Some babies take the bottle and don't look back! A friend of mine had twins and she comp fed. At about three months she weaned them and they were fully formula fed. She was very lucky her husband was able to take two and a half months off work to help.

I persevered and eventually I started making enough milk (I was only feeding one baby and it seemed like ages before my little girl stopped taking the bottle). I enjoyed breastfeeding but now that I have weaned I am happy too!

Do you have a clinic nurse you can see? If it makes life easier for you you may want to add in some formula feeds. Do what feels right for you. Remember these are your babies. Do not let anyone pressure you to only breastfeed if that is not what you want to do!

Good luck and enjoy your precious little ones! They really don't stay little for long!!!

Also make sure you are drinking at least two litres of water. keep your calories up. I have noticed that some people have said to use a breast pump. I was warned to try not to pump too much milk as it can have an adverse effect (you might have pumped milk but then not enough for the baby).

Answer 3

How do you know that you don't have enough breastmilk? It might seem that your babies are hungry all the time- this is normal for newborns. They sometimes eat every hour, even more freqently. They nurse not only for nutrition, but also for comfort, so sometimes when they nurse it's just because they want to be held close and also because the sucking reflex calms them.

If it is just that your milk hasn't "come in yet" it is my understanding that there is no need to suppliment-the babies are getting valuable colustrum which is high in good fat and all they need for a few days.

I would encourage you to contact a La Leche League leader in your area, and see a lactation consultant before using formula. There is a possability that they will then refuse the breast and you want to take every precaution against this, since you have made the important decision to do what is best for them and breastfeed. A lactation consultant will weigh the babies before theyeat, and again after so they can tell exactly how much milk they are getting. They will also talk with you about the possability of pumping to increase your supply, if necessary.

Drinking lots of water can help with supply. Also eating oatmeal will help. It's important that you continue to eat as much- if not more- protein than you did when pregnant. Nursing uses a lot of calories and you need the food to keep up supply.

A call to a LLL leader is free, and if you gave birth in a hospital they should have a lactation consultant on staff. Also the websites below are a great resorce.

Good luck! And good for you for asking for help. What a great mama you are!

Answer 4

Well....how long has it been since you had them? If they are only a couple of days old then you might be pshyching yourself out!!

BUT...if you truly don't have enough breastmilk you are going to have to supplement with formula. Not having enough...when you have twins...may be a common occurance. Make sure you are drinking a lot of fluids and eating well. You should not be cutting back on calories, at all!! Until you have a breastfeeding regime down solidly....keep eating very well to make the breastmilk!

You need ot go to your doctor/pediatrician. If they aren't gaining weight this might be a more serious issue than Yahoo! Answers can assist you with. Schedule an appointment tomorrow....just in case, ya know?

Good luck and best wishes to you and your new family!

Answer 5

I have been doing alot of reading. I am having twins. Most of the articles and books I have read said most of the time you have to supplement with formula. You have two babies trying to feed on a system set up for one. Pumping while they are sleeping. Will help to produce more and then you can use the pumped milk instead of formula. I worry also. I breastfed my 4 boys and the thought that I might not be able to breastfeed the twins makes me want to cry. Drink plenty of fluids. Some women just do not make alot of milk. You are not crazy either. Every child is a blessing. I had my first son at 18. I was 5 mths pregnant when I graduated highschool. Soon I will have six and I am 31 now. I commend you for not aborting or giving them up. Especially breastfeeding. Most older women will not make the effort to breastfeed. Way to go! Lots of luck! God bless!

Answer 6

I would suggest that you feed your little ones as much breastmilk as you can and top it up with formula if you need to. This is what I was told to do by the midwives with my little one as I didn't produce enough milk to fully feed him. There could be several reasons why you are not producing enough milk to feed you babies, you could have a blocked milk duct or it could just be that you are under a bit of stress at the moment. Speak with a lactation consultant, they should be able to tell you why you aren't producing enough milk and they should be able to suggest ways to increase the milk flow.

Answer 7

Take fenugreek until you smell like maple syrup and drink water. Eat oatmeal and eat oatmeal cookies. I don't know if you have a pump but if you do you should pump one side at a time and use the free hand to squeeze. I almost ran out once and I brought it back by pumping on one side until I couldn't squeeze any more out, then doing the same on the other side, and back to the first one, and so on and so forth. You may not have much time for this with twins, but if you can sqeeze it in it you should notice a boost in supply

Answer 8

Make sure you are drowning yourself with water (not really drowning just drinking so much that you may feel like it LOL). Also try pumping when you are not feeding them and supliment with formila every other feeding and pump on the off feeding that way it will stimulate more milk to come in and your babies will be getting your milk still which is good. I hope this helps and good luck really.

Answer 9

Wow, twins, I can imagine you are anything but overwhelmed. They do say that if you are stressed it could affect your milk flow. It just so happens that some women, no matter how big or small their breasts are just don't produce that much. You might want to switch to a formula and keep the babies sucking on your nipple so you don't try up completely. You also might want to use a pump w hen you are more relaxed save the breast milk or freeze it. You will see , the twins will get bigger before you know it and it will get easier. I have two kids 14 months apart.

Answer 10

A few things you can do- try pumping to stimulate more milk production and/or nurse your babies more often (supply and demand), drink a ton of water and eat healthy big meals (watch your calorie intake- you have to eat/drink enough to be able to provide enough milk for your kids), and supplement with formula after feedings if you need to.