Lisa Morasco wrote:

>BABYWISE is being promoted heavily for twin and multiple parenting as
>the only way to bring sanity into the home. In fact, a set of
>quintuplets in the L.A. area just turned one, and two of the media
>stories (one tv, one newspaper) contained the parent's enthusiastic
>testimony of how they couldn't have survived without the help they
>received from the book BABYWISE.

Scary, very scary.  Mothers of multiples (MOMs) need breastfeeding MORE
than mothers of singletons, not less.  And parent-directed feeding (or
whatever they call their way--can't say it hits me as coming from G-d) is
even MORE DANGEROUS when there's more than one baby.  Following their
advice is a sure way to compromise a MOM's milk supply from the very
beginning.

Now, G-d knows we don't have a monopoly on sanity around our house so I'm
no expert in that area.  I must say I would expect that it would be a
given that if you have five babies at once, things are going to be insane
more than not...But I DO have a rule of thumb I apply when people try to
give me advice (either face-to-face or in a book) when it comes to
raising multiples:  I always ask myself if this person has ever actually
HAD MULTIPLES.  Have they NURSED MULTIPLES?  Have they spent ANY TIME AT
ALL WITH MULTIPLES?  If they haven't, then it's time to get out the salt
because I'll probably need many grains to go along with their message,
especially a "there is only way and I know it" message.  Correct me if
I'm wrong but am I correct in saying that Gary Ezzo hasn't nursed any
multiples lately?

As you can guess, MOMs get even MORE stupid advice from drs and
well-meaning friends/family.  What few MOMs get to hear is that not only
is it possible to nurse multiples, they NEED to nurse to SAVE their
sanity (and their time and their money and and and).

>I see a need for an article or pamphlet on "How to Survive Twins
>and Mutiples"--- with emphasis on making breastfeeding work, words of
>wisdom on when and how scheduling may be beneficial, and perhaps also
>how to make demand feeding work and still get some rest...  It would be
>an excellent thing to place on the web, for starters, to show parents
>that there is more than "one" way to parent multiples and survive.

I know there are several MOMs on Lactnet who would be willing to share
their experience.  Contact me.  And if you've worked with a lot of MOMs,
let me know.  We'll get a page up.  Not that I know how to do that but
I'll contact someone who does (are you reading this Sue Ann?:-)

Stay well,
Kendall Cox, who is glad she's not suffering from ETBC (thanks for the
laugh Kathy D.)