Hello Tiffany,

Here are some ideas about where to look for support for breastfeeding 
twins:

Karen's book, Mothering Multiples, is a must-have for anyone supporting 
a mom supporting multiples.
Here's her website:
http://www.karengromada.com

There's also a yahoo group to which you can direct mothers: apmultiples, 
which has lots of discussion on breastfeeding multiples.

One thing I would suggest is that multiples are individuals, and it is 
hard to offer general guidelines on schedules, milk production, 
positioning etc. Each baby might have a unique approach, and each one's 
condition / intake etc. may be different. For instance, many people will 
suggest *either* always nursing separately to ensure a good latch or 
always nursing together to "save time". Others suggest a modified 
schedule: feeding the first baby who wakes up on cue, and waking up the 
other at the same time or immediately afterwards. One of the assumptions 
is that you can get them both into the same pattern by waking one up 
when the other one wakes up. (I wonder about that idea: did that work 
for your singleton? Could you get him into a routine by waking him up at 
regular times? I couldn't!)

In reality, a mother who is breastfeeding multiples on cue is going to 
do a combination of those things, at different times of her babies' life 
and at different times of the day. Even so, sometimes the "needs" will 
contradict each other: Twin "A" may need to have the breast to himself 
in order to learn how to latch on, but Twin "B" may be ready to feed 
now. Twin "A" may like to have company and enjoy having help priming the 
letdown, but Twin "B" may not like to be positioned in a way that works 
simultaneously.

I personally have as much trouble with the statement: "Don't worry! 
You'll have lots of milk!" as "You won't have enough milk." After all, 
more mothers of multiples need to pump than mothers of singletons. And 
more mothers of multiples have to struggle, since one thing we *do* know 
is that mothers of multiples are very busy and are very conscious of the 
fact that each baby needs as much time as one does. The math often 
doesn't work out perfectly at the beginning. So it's good to have lots 
of help ready when the babies arrive, and to make sure the mother knows 
they are really there when she births.

Fortunately, breastfeeding does get easier and is always better... I 
just wouldn't spend a lot of energy on trying to predict what the 
mother's breastfeeding experience will look like until she's living it.

Jo-Anne

Having a range of supports -- in-person consultation, family, friends, 
LLL Group, neighbours etc. -- is very much appreciated. The extra hands 
can do lots -- cut up meat, peel potatoes, match socks, sweep floors, 
etc. None of those things is easy with two babies who are where they 
should be.

Jo-Anne

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