Alexandra,
I would urge you to suggest to your course instructor and your nursing
program library that they get a copy of Karen Gromada's book, "Mothering
Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More!" I feel that this is
essential reading for mothers of multiples and those who want to help them
breastfeed. A new 2006 edition should be available now or very soon. It
can be ordered through La Leche League at www.lalecheleague.org Karen will
be speaking on Breastfeeding Multiples: Integrating Research and Clinical
Anecdote" at the ILCA conference in Philadelphia, PA, USA in July. She is
on Lactnet and will possibly reply to your question as well. She has a web
site at http://www.karengromada.com/
Another excellent resource for breastfeeding premie multiples is the video,
"A Premie Needs His Mother." There are some lovely segments of mother
nursing her twins and expressing her feelings about it. I would encourage
your nursing program to have this video on hand for students to use as well.
It is made for parents, but I think it is an important and effective tool
for teaching staff how to support breastfeeding in premies as well. It has
a wonderful segment on kangaroo care of twins in a Latin American family.
Mother hangs the laundry out with one baby skin to skin. Dad vacuums while
holding the other. Both eat at the family dining room table while providing
kangaroo care of the babies. There is also excellent information on
pumping. Some hospitals own this set of videos and others balk at
purchasing it because it is somewhat expensive. I think it is worth the
price. I've watched it many times and always learn from it.
A Premie Needs His Mother: First Steps to Breastfeeding Your Premature Baby.
Two companion videotapes produced by Jane Morton, MD. 2002. Also available
in DVD. To order, go to www.breastmilksolutions.com or www.drjanemorton.com
Or call 1 888-JMORTON
Part 1: 35 minutes, intended for mothers who are about to or have just
delivered a premie
Part 2: 21 minutes, intended for viewing as soon as the baby is ready to be
held
I myself am the leader of a La Leche League group of mothers all nursing
twins and triplets. We see just as many mothers struggling to cope with
issues of milk oversupply as with undersupply. Possibly because they have
been pumping for premie babies in the NICU, and it is hard to let go of the
fear that they will run out of milk at some point. Breastfeeding, pumping
and supplementing multiple babies is extremely time consuming and difficult.
The biggest challenge, I believe, is getting enough help in the early weeks.
Many of today's mothers of multiples have been successful career women, good
at their jobs, used to organizing and directing things and helping others.
It is hard for them to be on the receiving end of help and to cope with the
feeling that their lives are spinning out of control. They frequently
underestimate how much help will be needed, how busy and tired they will be.
Mothering a group of new babies, often born early, is a humbling experience.
And I find many mothers returning to outside employment within a few weeks
or months, which complicates things even further. Sometimes the family's
health insurance is tied to the mother's job. (This is a problem specific
to the USA.)
One of our local hospitals has a nurse and IBCLC who works with mothers of
multiples who are being cared for in the NICU. She has supported mothers of
twins, triplets and quadruplets in getting started with breastfeeding. She
herself is a mother of twins and a graduate of our LLL group. I think that
many hospitals' support of breastfeeding mothers of multiples depends on
having just such a knowlegeable and interested person, and not all do.
Other resources you might want to explore:
M.OS.T. (Mothers of SuperTwins). A national, nonprofit network for
resources, support and information for families with triplets and more.
Quarterly newsletter. P.O. Box 306, East Islip, NY 11730
(631)859-1110 email: [log in to unmask] Website: www.mostonline.org
The Triplet Connection. A nonprofit organization providing support to
families of triplets, quadruplets or more. Provides information on
prevention of preterm births, practical health tips. Quarterly newsletter,
informational packets, annual convention. PO Box 429, spring City, Utah
84662. (435)851-1105
FAX: (435)462-7466 Website: http://www.tripletconnection.org/
Twin Services Consulting. P.O. Box 10066, Berkeley, CA 94709
Email: [log in to unmask] Website information: http://twinservices.org
Outgrowth of the former Twin Services, which closed in 2000. Resources,
articles and help for parents and professionals dealing with multiples in
pregnancy, infancy, and later. (Good articles on preventing preterm birth,
individuality, limit setting, etc., though not much detail on breastfeeding
on their web site)
Marvelous Multiples. Information and resources for multiples pregnancy and
birth. P.O. Box 381164, Birmingham, AL 35238 (205)437-3575 Fax
(205)437-3574
Email: [log in to unmask] Website: http://www.marvelousmultiples.com/
CLIMB (Center for Loss in Multiple Birth) Resource and support for loss of
one or more multiples: http://www.climb-support.org/
Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC, LLLL in Madison, WI
> Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 22:57:40 -0600
> From: Alexandra Fowler <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: breastfeeding multiples
>
> Hi my name is Alexandra and I am a nursing student at the University of =
> North Dakota looking for information from practicing nurses to enhance m=
> y research=2E I have always been interested in breastfeeding multiples =
> due to the fact that my sister-in-law has quadruplets=2E She unfortunat=
> ely was unable to breast feed because she was unable to pump enough milk=
> =2E I thought that this was a common problem regarding breastfeeding mu=
> ltiples and it was impossible to breastfeed multiples=2E I was wrong! =
>
>
> Encouragement to breastfeed is an important factor that influences nurs=
> es at work on OB and pediatric floors=2E Do you think there is there en=
> ough encouragement for those mothers of multiples to breastfeed=3F Pare=
> nts of multiples rely greatly on the experience of health care professio=
> nals to support them with their breastfeeding needs (Leonard=2C 2002)=2E=
> So we as health care professionals need to find a way to support these=
> parents and their babies
>
> Do you think there many hospitals that promote breastfeeding of multiple=
> s=3F If so what are the support systems they have in place at those hos=
> pitals
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