Struggling to breastfeed twins!

[Blueflower]

My twins are 4 weeks old & I am combination feeding as advised to keep their weights up.
When breastfeeding is it normal for them to be hungry again after only an hour, then half an hour, then go from just fed to completely inconsolable when I go to get ready for bed?
It's making me want to give them an extra formula feed in the evening for everyone's sanity and to make sure they are getting enough.

 

[Papermoon]

Oh wow sorry that's happening. I know it must be hard. Some breast milk is better than none. If I had twins I would give formula feed to fill in if it seems like they are not getting enough. I'm watching to see if T.J. seems to be getting enough and if not I will top him off with formula too. I want to make sure he's getting enough so he can grow.

 

[Blueclass]

Hi this is normal, breast milk digests alot faster than formula and I won't lie it does not get easier till after 3months. I had a c section but only one baby but I had to give formula as she was jaundice and my milk didn't come in. I then weaned her of formula which was so so so so so difficult. She was on me all the time trying to build up my supply and was hungry as I'd taken the formula away. It was hard work and I cried all the time as I really wanted to bf. My bubba is now 7.5 months and im going to start weaning her on to formula as she has no routine and still feeds alot but mainly because I'm going to work soon and I want to know she is happy and content.
Babies feed so much as they trying to build your supply and if you top up your milk won't supply wont get enough and your have the problem I did if you wanted to solely bf. I did keep one bottle of formula when I took her of it just so she never refused a bottle. Bf is hard work but you need to tell your self your sitting on the sofa this weekend with them on your boobs. Get a good box set going and a drink next to you. Once you resign your self to this you will feel better but honesty fb is tough and takes months to get baby to a point where she dont need to feed all the time. Bf is wonderful and cheap lol im gutted im going to stop but it's completely up to you. I struggle with one so how you manage two I don't know ow, well done!! Xx

 

[Papermoon]

I think boys have a bigger appetite too don't they?

 

[Blueflower]

Thanks Blueclass! What did you do about visitors if you were constantly breastfeeding?! Or going to appointments such as birth registration and baby Dr appointments?

 

[Blueclass]

Some places have rooms where you can feed or i wore a breast feeding top with the bra bit in it from h&m (much cheaper and good quality) then wear a top over that. I just pull my top up and feed you can't see anything. I used to have a apron but it's too much bother. Have a weekend or so where you just stay in and feed feed feed that will get your milk supply up you can take fenugreek that helped me aswell. Bf is hard but it's so wonderful and easy, once your milk supple is up x

 

[Rose83]

My second fed every hour to 1.5 hours until he was 7 months. I just fed when I needed to, I wore feeding tops all the time, would sit in the car outside places if I knew there wasn't a room inside to do it etc. I definitely had no problem feeding with the health visitor there - they must be used to it! X

 

[Rose83]

I've actually just remembered that I had to sit and feed my son in with the registrar while she registered him! That had totally slipped my mind! X

 

[Blueclass]

I did that too.x

 

[Blueflower]

Health visitor is fine, got a very kindly male colleague coming to meet the twins in a couple of weeks though! And my mum watches which makes me feel uncomfortable and puts me off!

 

[Blueclass]

Ask your mum not to or leave the room. My parents look the other way I think they feel awkward. Or if you can leave the room do that. Just explain that it puts you of and you want to do it in private. X

 

[Blueflower]

I asked her to leave the room on Tuesday and she seemed offended and stayed again on Thursday! So I asked her to wash the bottles which she did but then came back and watched!! Makes me not want to have her round! You would think she would look.away but she is quite unboundaried.
Don't see why I should leave the room in my own house! I will when my colleague comes though! Maybe I'll just tell her an audience puts me off. Its hard enough without having to worry about her too!

 

[Rose83]

That's very rude of people not to give you privacy. I've mainly always fed in front of people (well the female members of the family, I tended to be a bit more shy with males) and they would all just carry on like nothing was happening an definitely wouldn't watch!! One of my friend's mother disapproves of breast feeding and whenever she was round at my friend's house would ask her 'when she was going to start feeding him properly' meaning with a bottle and formula. And did crazy stuff like throw out expressed milk when she was watching the boy as she decided it smelt off (of course it wasn't) just so she could try and get her to stop! People are strange!
You definitely shouldn't feel like you need to leave the room in your own house x

 

[Papermoon]

Wow Rose, that is so messed up what your friend's mom did! How does she think people fed their babies before modern technology and before formula? People are strange. I feel comfortable breastfeeding around females I know but not males except my honey bunny.

 

[Blueflower]

That's terrible Rose! 'Properly' how ridiculous! Yes and women in countries where they can't afford formula.
I was ok with my MIL and even my female neighbour, it's just my mum. She was very weird about boobs and development and stuff when I was growing up, it was as if she expected me to be a freak and I often felt humiliated, and now she expects me to put up with her watching feels like an extension of that! Does that sound messed up?!

 

[Rose83]

Yep her mum is very odd. With her first child she once left him with her mum at 7 months old and she'd already started weaning him so left expressed milk and all the food she would give him for the day and when she picked him up he was crying and really upset. When she looked in her bag all the food was still there and it transpired that her mum had taken it upon herself to just give him two pieces of jam and toast throughout the whole day and some tea in a beaker. Tea!!! I don't care if she was my mother or not I'd never be leaving him alone again! X

 

[Papermoon]

Yep her mum is very odd. With her first child she once left him with her mum at 7 months old and she'd already started weaning him so left expressed milk and all the food she would give him for the day and when she picked him up he was crying and really upset. When she looked in her bag all the food was still there and it transpired that her mum had taken it upon herself to just give him two pieces of jam and toast throughout the whole day and some tea in a beaker. Tea!!! I don't care if she was my mother or not I'd never be leaving him alone again! X

Oh my goodness Rose! No I would not leave him with my mom either if she did something like that! That is very odd!

 

[Eryinera]

Lol my son's first drink that wasn't me was coffee. He just wouldn't take anything else we tried fruit juice water cordial cows milk formula even expressed milk... we tried coke and Fanta and he point blank refused everything we tried in bottles bottles for bf sippy cups normal cups spoons straws nothing. We tried ne feeding him my partner feeding him even my mum and dad feeding him... nothing.... then one day he drank my cold coffee and I immediately phone my hv and was like "he drank something!!!!!!!!! But it was coffee........" she told me to run with it and finally he started drinking other things lol but it was cute in his first day home from nursery when he got in he flopped on the sofa and said "I could do with a brew mummy"

 

[Papermoon]

Lol my son's first drink that wasn't me was coffee. He just wouldn't take anything else we tried fruit juice water cordial cows milk formula even expressed milk... we tried coke and Fanta and he point blank refused everything we tried in bottles bottles for bf sippy cups normal cups spoons straws nothing. We tried ne feeding him my partner feeding him even my mum and dad feeding him... nothing.... then one day he drank my cold coffee and I immediately phone my hv and was like "he drank something!!!!!!!!! But it was coffee........" she told me to run with it and finally he started drinking other things lol but it was cute in his first day home from nursery when he got in he flopped on the sofa and said "I could do with a brew mummy"

LOL!! Really?? Coffee?

 

[millielaura]

Could they be having a growth spurt? Imogen has been doing this last few days and she's just formula fed lol. Xx