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> I would like to find out what guidelines/policies are set by your agency to provide information or teachings on breastfeeding to mothers with multiple newborns. How many nurses are lactation consultants at your agency? Are there guidelines for follow-up visits/calls and some tips or guidelines to help me support mothers in a hospital setting with multiple newborns to start or continue breastfeeding?
Hi Linda,

I'm an IBCLC involved in training health care professionals, but much 
more active as a La Leche League Leader, and even more so as a mother of 
two sets of twins.

I think that a mother of multiples, particularly of higher-order 
multiples, has the same needs as other mothers -- it's just that they 
are more intense. She has greater need of empathetic and encouraging 
rapport with her breastfeeding helpers, consistent information adapted 
to her own situation, coaching in practical skills, and practical as 
well as moral support from her informal networks (family and friends). 
Each one of these is even more precious to a mother of multiples, who 
runs a higher risk of postpartum depression and of dealing with more 
complex health situations. The right things are always right, though. 
Having a non-judgmental, encouraging, respectful, warm, empowering 
attitude towards the mothers we're helping never steers people in the 
wrong direction!

In my experience, I had better support from LLL Leaders who had never 
helped a mother of twins than I did from local twins' clubs, but that 
varies in different areas. Likewise, I've had tremendous help from some 
health care professionals and less from others. I think all health care 
professionals owe it to themselves to identify ways they can help and 
where their limits are in terms of helping mothers of multiples. 
Sometimes there's nothing like "been there done that" encouragement, and 
other times the helper doesn't "get" the wide variance in the situation 
and imposes her own sense of what's normal. Giving mothers a lot of 
information and encouraging them to try out different supports works 
well. There are often people in the community who are happy to accept 
referrals, and the virtual world is full of supportive discussions and 
informal consultations on issues relating to multiples. Pointing mothers 
to this kind of support is wonderful.

Jo-Anne Elder-Gomes, mother of 7, LLLL, IBCLC

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