> I have a client/friend who has 6 month old triplets. She is exclusively
> breastfeeding them. (yay!)
>
> They are waking to feed every 2 hours through the night every
> night and she is
> getting to the end of her rope. She is very committed to
> breastfeeding them and
> could use some practical advice on how to perhaps stretch their
> feedings at
> night. I talked with her about perhaps increasing feeds during
> the day. They
> have started solids as well. Dad is willing to do his part in
> getting these
> little darlings to sleep more at night :)
>
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
> Shannon Hill RNC, IBCLC
Hi Shannon,
I have a few thoughts. You mentioned that the triplets are 6 months old. Is
that their chronological age or has it been corrected for prematurity? The
mean gestational age at delivery for triplets is about 34 weeks, so 6 month
old triplets born at 34 weeks behave more like 4-1/2 month olds, rather than
6 month olds.
Is she trying to keep them on a schedule or they being demand fed? Often
times parents are encouraged to put multiples on a schedule. I find that
some of these kids eat less during the day because they are being fed by the
clock, not by their hunger. They then need to eat at night to make up for
it.
Is she eating and drinking enough? She's got a substantial amount of milk to
produce and a very hectic day. She will be quite fatigued if she is missing
out on needed calories and fluid.
Is she getting enough rest during the day? What kind of help does she have?
How often does she have help? Well-meaning people often offer come in to
help out, but end up wanting to play with the triplets instead of helping
with the cooking or cleaning. If she needs some assistance, she might see
about getting a dependable middle- or high-school-age teenager to come over
and watch the kids in her house so she can get some rest.
Is she in touch with other triplet moms? She can get great ideas and support
from other moms who have been in her shoes. There are several excellent
non-profit groups and a very active list-serv for triplet families. Feel
free to email me directly if she would like some referrals in her area.
Increasing the day feeds may help, but increased involvement by Dad is also
key. We kept our triplets co-bedded in our room until they were sleeping
through the night. When one woke up to nurse, my husband changed him or her,
and brought the baby over to me with a big glass of water. I would start to
nurse and doze off. When the next one was ready to eat, my husband would
change that one, bring him/her over with a fresh glass of water and bring
the baby I had already fed back to the crib. It worked great! He was up
constantly, but only for a few minutes at a time. I would only need to wake
up long enough to help the baby latch on, then baby and I would both doze
off. It wouldn't work for everybody, but it worked great for us and the
extra rest at night made a very big difference in my milk supply.
Please congratulate your client for me! Because so many people are convinced
that the babies will not be able to get enough breast milk to thrive, the
pressure on moms of multiples to feed their babies formula is intense. She's
doing a fabulous job for these kids.
Best of luck,
Kate
Kate Sullivan Collopy, Ph.D., RN, CCNS
Director of Research
MOST (Mothers of Supertwins)
A support network of families who have or are expecting triplets,
quadruplets or more
P.O. Box 951
Brentwood NY 11717-0627
631-859-1110
www.mostonline.org
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