Gloria posted about a mother of twins experiencing extreme hunger and back pain.
I hope others will address the sucking problem one baby exhibited.
It is normal for mothers nursing twins to be extremely hunger. One member
of our LLL group for mothers nursing multiples joked about eating 10
muffins that she had baked - with jam! If the mother you are helping is
finding it difficult to get time to feed herself well, here are some
suggestions other mothers have found helped them:
Have her husband make her a bag lunch when he prepares his own for work.
Leave hers in the frig. so she can just grab it when she needs it during
the day.
Never refuse any offer of help from friends and acquaintances. When people
ask what they can do, request meals. I find too many mothers of twins who
think they can do it all themselves. This just isn't realistic. Reassure
this mother that someday she will pay it all back by helping someone else
in need. She could call her church or other group and ask that someone
organize donation of meals for the next few weeks.
Make some easy-to-grab, nutritious snacks ahead and leave them in the frig:
cut up fruit, muffins, whole grain bread, chunks of cheese, hard-boiled
eggs, etc. This is easier than trying to start fixing something each time
she feels starving, when both babies are crying and the 2 year old is
clinging to her leg.
Have a water bottle by her side when she sits down to nurse. Can use fruit
juice or other healthy drink as well as water. So when she feels an
intense thirst with her letdown, and her arms are full of babies, she has
her drink right there within reach. It wouldn't hurt to have a healthy
snack there too.
One of the mothers I know invited various friends over on a specific night
on a weekly basis for the first year. One couple came every Monday
evening, another every Thursday, etc. They brought supper with them, or
sent out for pizza. They helped hold babies so the parents could spend
some time with the 3 year old sibling. They all ate together, and one
night one set of friends even tucked the exhausted parents into bed before
they left. The parents got to socialize a bit with their friends while
getting some help. At the end of a year, this family gave a super first
birthday party, with all the friends who had helped them survive the year
invited. Everyone felt good about it. (I was there!)
As for the back pain, I would check her positioning. A twin nursing
pillow, such as the "Nurse Mate" may be of help. (Available from Four Dee
Products, 13312 Redfish Ln, #104, Stafford, TX 77477 Tel. 1-800-526-2594).
Lift the babies up to her level, rather than leaning forward to reach them
while nursing.
We have talked about the effect of relaxin during pregnancy, which may be
more pronounced in multiple pregnancies, and can contribute to back pain in
the early postpartum period as well. Perhaps a PT consult might help if
the other measures don't work quickly.
Good luck.
Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC and LLL Leader in Madison, WI
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