Disclaimer: This post is about breast feeding. If you are not comfortable reading about this topic, feel free to close your browser right now – I will not be a bit offended! While this may not be relevant to a lot of you, I also know that there’s a handful of you who may appreciate learning about my experiences. When I was deciding how I would feed my babies, I was all ears to anything anyone who was willing to share, and simply want to pay it forward!
Okay, let’s begin…and you may want to grab yourself a cup of coffee…I have a lot to share!
I have three kids. My first pregnancy was a singleton, and I absolutely LOVED breast feeding him. He latched on perfectly moments after birth, it never hurt when I fed him, and there wasn’t even a minute when I second guessed my decision. It was the experience I had always hoped for. Each nursing session was full of precious bonding moments, when I would take my time and stare at how beautiful God had made him. He was such a content baby, and those nine months that I nursed him were absolute bliss (with the exception of when he got teeth and started biting! That’ll throw you for a loop!).
Seventeen short months after I had my son, my twin girls came into the world. Since my breast feeding experience with my son was wonderful, I honestly didn’t spend much time even thinking about what I’d do with them. I’d breast feed them, of course! I’m a stay-at-home mom. It should be no problem! I read a little bit about how to tandem feed, and thought that was the route I’d take. Minutes after Emersyn and Mckinley were born I advocated for them to nurse. I wanted them to learn to latch on from the get go. And they did. Even though they were so tiny (4.12 lbs and 4.6 lbs), they did a great job. For the next few weeks I kept tandem feeding, and while they latched on for the most part, it wasn’t as easy as it was with Baylen, and it started to just become too much for me. Instead of having this amazing bonding experience with them, I found myself stressed out by it. I was always looking back and forth, making sure they were both latched on, which took away the enjoyment for me. On top of that, since there were two of them, I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t have a big enough supply. They seemed full, but I would always wonder. In addition to that, I consider myself a pretty modest person, and there is just no way to discreetly nurse two babies at once at family gatherings, out in public, when friends are over, ect. And then of course there was my toddler who I had to constantly keep my eye on, and if he needed help it was quite the process to unlatch the babies, set them down, and then run over to help him, only to have to go back and repeat the whole process of making sure they were latched on again.
I then toyed with the idea of breast feeding them separately, one at a time. However, I decided that wouldn’t have been the best solution for my situation either. I would have been a constant feeding machine. With three kids under the age of two, I needed to be efficient. I wanted to have enough time to also give attention to my toddler, without a baby attached to my boob.
Logically, my mind then went to bottles. Since I had a good supply of breast milk, I decided I’d pump and bottle feed them. I reached out to a friend who had exclusively pumped for her twins, and her advice helped so much. She had a similar experience to me, where she just didn’t feel the whole bonding thing through breast feeding twins. What a blessing it was to not feel alone! She helped me to get rid of any mom guilt I felt about not wanting to breast feed. She had successfully pumped for her twins, and it was just the encouragement I needed to make the leap.
Since then I have been exclusively pumping and bottle feeding, and it has worked so well for our family. When I’m alone during the day I put the girls in their bouncy vibrator seats or prop them on breast feeding pillows and feed them at the same time. When I have help or when my husband is home, I feed one and he feeds the other, allowing me to get to spend one on one time with each of them. It also allows Jake to feel like he can be very involved. He gets up with me every night and we feed them together, which makes those wee hours in the morning seem much more manageable. Since they drink bottles faster than they breast feed, it cuts the time we’re up at night almost in half. When we’re finished, I pump and go back to sleep.
Bottle feeding also allows me to more easily take breaks when I need them, which I’ll admit I NEED more often these days! Jake and I have been able to go on dates without thinking twice. I can just take the pump with me and don’t have to rush back to feed. Pumping in the car is where it’s at!
So far, I’ve had more than enough milk and have been able to freeze quite a bit. Not all women are able to produce enough, so I feel like I have been given an amazing gift to be able to provide milk for both of them. I like that I know how much I’m pumping and know that they are getting full each time. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with them as they get bigger, but I’m just taking it a day at a time, and am thankful for the time that I’ve been able to provide breast milk for them so far. When the time comes, I have no problem going to formula (except that it’s so stinkin’ expensive!).
To expound upon that, I really am in no way against formula. I used formula for my singleton for three months and I’ve had several friends who have had great success with it from birth. I’m sure at some point I’ll go to formula for Emersyn and Mckinley. But for now breast milk is free, my girls are doing well on it, and I feel at peace sticking with it while I can. Don’t get me wrong, there are days when I want to throw my pump in the dumpster because I am SO sick of being suctioned to the dang thing, and have likely gotten interrupted at least five times per session by screaming babies or a clingy toddler, but all in all I count it a blessing to be able to exclusively pump for my sweethearts.
Now that I’ve been at it for three months, I’m at a point where I have a pretty smooth system down. Here’s a sneak peak into how I make it work.
How I Keep Up My Milk Supply
- I relax. If you’re gonna be a successful pumper, you HAVE to find a way to not hate it. Try to keep your mind off of it while pumping. Don’t stare into those bottles and constantly check how much you’re producing. Chill out. Find something to laugh at. When possible, I try to sit down in a comfortable position, and find something mindless to read or look at on my phone.
- I stay hydrated. I try to drink around 100 oz. of water each day, but that means I have to be intentional about it. I fill up a water bottle before I’m ready to pump and drink it while pumping. I get really thirsty when I start out, so it helps that I tend to crave water at that time too.
- I eat enough! I joke that I’m eating for three these days…because I am experiencing the hunger of my life! Breastfeeding is not a time to limit your calorie intake…so I eat pretty much whatever I want within reason. I eat a lot of oatmeal, which is supposed to increase your supply, and I also eat multigrain Cheerios. I also eat a lot healthy fats, such as the kind found in peanut butter, avocados, or hummus. I haven’t tried making lactation cookies yet, which contain all sorts of ingredients to help with supply, but I’m planning to give Courtney’s recipe a try within the next week! They look delicious!
- I take Fenugreek tablets. I didn’t notice a difference at first, but then was encouraged to increase the dosage, so I take three tablets three times a day and I noticed an increase after that.
- I try to get enough sleep. The more I sleep, the more I produce. Obviously its a little difficult to get excessive sleep right now, but I sneak it in where I can, and I notice an increase when I go to bed early or take a nap.
How I Make Time for Pumping
Perhaps my biggest struggle starting out was finding the time to pump with a toddler running around. It seemed like a marathon to feed, pump, and wash bottles, only to get finished and start the cycle over again. So, I try to pump at strategic points during the day between feedings, so it breaks up the time a little and I still have time to play with Baylen. Or I’ll pump while he’s occupied doing something else, like eating lunch or a snack, or while he’s napping.
I also pump hands free. In my opinion, an absolutely necessary item is a hands free pumping bra. I can multi-task no problem. I can pump and feed the girls at the same time. I can feed Baylen lunch and pump at the same time. I can even make dinner and pump at the same time (although that’s not my preference!). I have the Simple Wishes hands free bra, and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it. I basically live in that thing…I have even pumped in the car while driving because of its handiness! Ha! Someday I think I’ll look back and think I was a crazy person when I think of all my pumping adventures!
Washing bottles and pump parts takes time, but during the day I keep my pump parts in the fridge, and pull them out when I need to use them. It saves me a lot of time when I only need to thoroughly wash them once a day.
I don’t warm up my bottles. Breast milk is safe at room temperature for up to six hours, so I pump ahead for the next session, get the bottles ready on the counter, and then just grab them when I’m ready to feed.
What Kind of Pump I Use
I have a Medela Pump In Style Advanced, and if you are serious about pumping a lot, it is the only one I’d recommend. It has the two phase expression technology which mimics a newborn for the first two minutes, then slows down and pumps. It also has adjustable speeds. I can confidently say that without this pump I wouldn’t have as big of a milk supply. I actually had a very basic Medela that I got for free through my insurance company that didn’t have the two phase expression technology and I produced 2 oz. less per session. The Pump In Style Advanced is a bit of an investment, but if you are exclusively pumping it is definitely worth it.
How I Store Extra Breast Milk
I do not waste an ounce of milk! Anything extra I put in an 8 oz. bottle in the fridge. When the bottle is full I put it in a freezer bag and freeze it. Breast milk stays good in the freezer for up to 6 months and in the deep freeze for up to a year. If a day comes when I’m not able to keep up with my girls’ demand, I will supplement with frozen breast milk. Or, if Jake and I want to take a trip at some point I’ll have plenty to pull from!
How to Prevent Clogged Milk Ducts
Early on, I had lots of battles with clogged milk ducts. My lactation consultant said that some women have a thicker consistency of milk, so we are more likely to get clogged ducts. And since the pump doesn’t empty out the breasts as thoroughly as a baby, that’s another reason why its a bit more likely to happen when pumping. If you’ve had this happen before, you know it is painful and definitely not something you want to be a repetitive issue. I’d recommend doing the following if you want to prevent it from happening:
- Wearing a properly fitted bra. If your bra is too small, it will put too much pressure on your breasts and cause you to get backed up.
- Take Lecithin. My lactation consultant recommended this to me to thin out my milk, and I haven’t had any problems since taking it. I take a pill three times a day – its available OTC at any drugstore.
- Don’t sleep on your tummy. Again, putting pressure on your breasts could back them up. I have had this happy several times, even when sleeping on my side, so I need to be extra careful.
- Apply lanolin after each pumping session. It not only prevents you from getting sore, but also keeps the ends of the ducts open.
- I swear by homemade cloth nursing pads. It keeps everything feeling comfortable. My mom made some for me, but there are a lot for sale on Etsy.
That’s all I can think of for now. I’m sure after I post this I’ll think of something else, but if you’re in the midst of deciding whether or not to exclusively pump, for twins or for a singleton, I hope this gave you a glimpse into how it works for us. I truly think each mom needs to decide what is best for her and her kids. You are the only one who knows what your kids need…don’t let someone else guilt you into thinking it has to be done a certain way. You need to do what makes you a better mom, whether that’s breastfeeding, pumping, or formula feeding! There is no wrong decision. Follow your instincts, pray about it, be confident in the way you feel led, and the Lord will bless your choices.
If you have any questions about exclusively pumping, or have a tip to share that worked well for you, please feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email. I would love to talk with you!
If you’ve stuck with me this long, thanks for hanging in there…
Happy Pumping! 🙂
Amber
P.S. For more reflections on parenthood and life, follow us on Facebook (Hun Let’s Run) and on Instagram: @ambermariekuiper and @jakekuiper! We’d also love for you to subscribe to our Hun, Let’s Run Podcast! For more info about joining our fitness community as a customer or coach, please email us at amber@mommysmetime.com!
77 Comments
Such an informative post! Thanks for sharing it. I try to pump just about every day for our baby (singleton) to have a bottle or two for my husband to give him. I have found that it makes my husband not feel as “left out” of the feeding process, since there have been countless times where he has said he wishes he could be of more help in that respect. It also helps with when I run an errand and don’t want to stop in the middle of, say, Target to breastfeed him – I just take a bottle and keep shopping happily without feeling rushed! By the way, I clicked over on the link for the pumping bra and it just cracked me up! I didn’t even know things like that existed but that’s great! 🙂
I think it is so awesome that you are pumping some to give your husband an opportunity to feed the baby. What an amazing gift that is to all of you! I totally agree that it is so nice to not feel rushed when you’re out and about! And yes, the pumping bra is pretty funny – not the sexiest thing alive, but very practical! 🙂
Thank you Amber!! I’ve been pumping for 10 weeks now & still learned a lot! Can you elaborate on how you freeze the leftover?
Thanks Emily! I updated the post to include information about freezing the leftovers! Good question! 🙂
thank you for posting this Amber! I am in the same boat with exclusively pumping for Cade because he was a poor nurser. It’s a big job to only pump, but worth it for us! Great advice… and it’s nice to know that I am not the only one continuously hooked up to a Medela 🙂
You are amazing. I hated pumping for my first, so didn’t with my second. But maybe I will try it out with my third – the hands-free bra is a great idea! Thanks for all the info!
Thanks Kayleigh! Yes, the hands free bra is the best thing ever! Makes it so much easier! Blessings to you as you prepare for your third! 🙂
Amber, this was so interesting for me! You are amazing and I really do pray that you would continue to have wisdom on all the choices that are best for you and your babies! And you will love the cookies!!
Thanks Courtney – you are so sweet! I bought some Brewer’s yeast yesterday and will be making the cookies sometime this week! 🙂
I’ve been reading your blog for awhile now and I enjoy it. Your kids are adorable. I have a 8.5 month old boy and I stopped nursing around 7 months but he made it to 8 months with what I froze. It was so disappointing when my supply stopped. I had over 40 bags frozen at one point and my husband left the freezer open when we went out of town. I was so upset. You can only do what you can and try your best. We’ve had good luck with the Target brand gentle formula. We were using gentleese for awhile but its expensive. My little one has a sensitive stomach but he’s been keeping it down.
Hi Angie! How awesome that you were able to nurse for 7 months and feed him breastmilk for 8! Wow, what a blessing. Bummer about the freezer being left open…I would have been mad too! I’m so glad you found a brand of formula that works well. I’ll have to look into the Target brand when we get to that point with the girls. Thanks so much for your comment and for reading my blog!
Amber- what a blessing to be able to pump for your sweet girls. 🙂 I remember with Bruxy feeling like I could conquer the world when I switched to a hands-free bra! Love it. What a very insightful post! 🙂 and you look so great in that picture! 🙂
Stumbled over ur blog from my SILs IG and have checked in a couple times…this was a great post. I pumped for 11 months with my first son and now am doing the same with my newborn…BF never came easy and I didn’t really enjoy it but wanted the health And cost Benifets of breast milk. I too had to deal with the “mom guilt” of not BFing but my hubby kept saying “same stuff diff package” haha it helped. Great blog!
I am almost in tears right now! My sister-in-law Laura Wifler and Madison both recommended that I talk to you and read your blog because I am having twins in December that will be 17 months apart from my son. In some ways I feel like a complete weirdo. Who has 3 kids under the age of 2?! I’m so encouraged that someone else has done it and IS doing it! You are alive and well! Also, breastfeeding has been one of the most stressful things for me to think about. I breastfed my son, and although it was a good experience, I really struggled to keep it up and I hated pumping. When I switched to formula at 5 months, I finally felt free and normal again. After I found out about the twins, and having first hand experience about how majorly expensive formula is, I had a little panic moment when I realized it isn’t financially wise for us to formula feed those little ones and I need to be committed to breastfeeding as long as possible. That trapped feeling came back, and I still feel confused about feeding, pumping, and keeping watch over a curious toddler all at the same time! THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this post because it really encouraged me and gave me practical ideas about how to feed my twins breast milk while still maintaining some normalcy. I had been toying with the idea of pumping exclusively after my supply was established, and this has given me the push I needed to research it more and purse this option more seriously when the time comes. Don’t be annoyed if I post more comments or questions in the future or email you (even though we are only loosely connected by acquaintances)…it’s so nice to know there is another Christian mommy out there trying to do life with lots of littles!
Hi Emily! I am SO excited you reached out! I think I may have too much to say for a comment, so I’ll be sending an email over your way shortly…SO excited to “meet you” and know someone who will be in the same boat as me!
How often did you pump?
thanks for this post, amber! i have felt pretty guilty for not really liking breastfeeding with my little one and my milk supply is dwindling. you have inspired me to dust off my pump and buy a sexy hands free bra to get my supply back up! thanks!
Props to you for pumping! Very early on with my son we would “nurse” and then I would pump and give him some more with a bottle. He wasn’t great at nursing and it took a long time for him to get the hang of it. I remember feeling like there was an endless parade of washing between pumping parts – bottles – etc. Keep up the GREAT work. Pumping takes true commitment.
Great site. Glad I came across it. I am exclusively pumping for my 4 week old. Great tips!
THank you so much for your post! It is very inspiring. My 3 kids are very similar to yours, my toddler was 19 months when my b/g twins were born. Now, they are 6 weeks and she is 20 months. I am exclusively breastfeeding and was like you, I tried bf, but they fell asleep at the boob and I could not feed both of them quick enough. I love the tips you suggest for helping. I do have a question—did you ever have the feeling that your breasts were so full and sore, even after pumping for 20 minutes. I have this feeling right now and they are so sore to touch and have blue veins on them and it feels like masses built up. It might be an infection, but not sure. Any advice or places to look for help? Thanks in advance.
Hi Heather! Congratulations on your twins! Wow, we do have similar situations with the toddler and infant twins! From my experience, it sounds like you might be experiencing clogged ducts. Is it in one breast or both of them? What worked for me when this happened was to stand under a hot shower and express until milk came squirting out, and then I would pump the rest out. Also, I’m not sure what type of breast pump you have, but make sure the flanges are big enough. I have a Medela and had to go up to a bigger size because my breasts weren’t draining properly, and after I did that it made a world of difference. I also had to start taking lecithin to thin out my milk because I kept getting clogged ducts and that helped too. My lactation consultant said some women are prone to have really fatty milk which can cause clogged ducts. Putting a cabbage leaf on the tender breast also helped to ease the discomfort. I’m so sorry, I know it can be discouraging when that kind of things happens. Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions! Keep up the great work – you can do it momma!
Hi Amber. How many ounces do you pump in one session? How long do you pump for each session? I am currently bfing and pumping since I returned to work. My little one is almost 5 months old and I want to make sure I am producing enough. If not I might have to try fenugreek.
Hi Krystal! I would pump between 8 – 10 ounces per session, but I was pumping for two babies. I would pump for about 15 – 20 minutes or until I had about two let downs. Fenugreek worked for me, as did Cheerios! Good luck to you!
Hi! I just gave birth to twins 6 days ago. They are unable to latch properly and this blog is the answer to my prayers. I may have missed it in the reading but how often did you pump, every how many hours and for how long?
Thank you so much!
Hi Katie! Congratulations on your twins! Thanks for stopping by my blog…I’m so glad it was helpful! I would pump every three hours for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until I had two let downs. I would say as much as you can pump in the beginning the better until your milk supply is established. Sometimes I would pump for 25 – 30 minutes if I had the time (which I know oftentimes you don’t). You will do GREAT! So proud of you…keep up the GREAT work!
Hi Krystal,
How many ounces would your babies eat? Seems like you had enough to freeze which is great! Did you ever re-feed left over breast milk at the next feeding? Sometimes my daughters don’t finish all their milk and I hate dumping it!! If yes, how did you handle the milk?
Also how can you tell whether the flanges are to small or to big?
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Sophie! Sorry it’s taken me a bit to get back to you! It seemed like my daughters ate around 4 oz each for a while, and yes, sometimes they wouldn’t drink it all and I would reuse it. I know some people say not to reuse it, but this is what I did: Any leftover fresh milk I would put in an 8 oz bottle in the fridge. Then if I was ever short at a feeding I would supplement with that. If I didn’t need to use it and it would reach 8 oz, I would freeze it.
If the flanges fit well they should be comfortable and shouldn’t feel like they pinch at all. I was told that your nipples shouldn’t get stuck when you’re pumping. Good luck!
Hi Amber, sorry the above post is for you..I read Krystals post last and her name stuck!!
Amber, I cannot thank you enough for such a genuine, detailed, heart felt post. I truly feel that The Lord led me to it, as it was exactly what I needed to hear. I have 10 day old twin boys and a 2 1/2 year old toddler. My experience with breastfeeding my son was exactly the same as yours…I loved every second of it and was blessed enough to do it for a full year. I thought it would be the exact same with the twins, but they have been struggling with latching on, and usually our nursing sessions end in tears after an hour and a half. I feel like I am neglecting my older son and I feel guilty for not having the same feelings about breastfeeding the twins as I did with him. I have good milk and have contemplated exclusively pumping, since I am basically doing that now anyways, but I have such mommy guilt about it, and I’m not sure why. I am letting the guilt of not breastfeeding take away from the joy of my precious new babies. I just wanted you to know how encouraging your post was to me. I was wondering about your pumping schedule…since I am in the beginning I am pumping every 3 hours for 15mins, but I wanted to know if you kept doing 3 hours or if you eventually can pump less than that? Also, right now I’m getting about 3 oz out of each breast, but they are so tiny they only eat about 2 oz per feeding…once they require more milk though, does your body just start producing more? As far as the pumping itself goes, I have a Medela PISA and was wondering if you ever used the button to go in and out of the two suction modes? Or did you just turn it on and let it run it’s cycle? Did you try and pump on the strongest setting? Thank you so much again for this post and your encouragement! I feel so much better in knowing I am not alone.
Hi Karis
Just wanted to send you a link that I think will help you a lot!! Let me know if you have questions
http://community.babycenter.com/post/a31446073/top_10_frequently_asked_questions_about_exclusively_pumping_and_other_tips_-_updated
Hi Karis! Congratulations on your twins! I’m so glad you found this post. It sounds like we had very similar experiences. I exclusively pumped until my girls were six months, then I switched to formula, but up until I quit I was still pumping every three hours. And actually they still eat every three hours. They are still pretty tiny for their age so I’m guessing their tummies may not be big enough yet to go longer. I did gradually start producing more, although I’d say my milk production seemed to level off after the first three months or so. At my peak I was pumping 8 – 10 ounces per session. I did use the button on the Medela to go in and out. And yes, I usually used the strongest setting. I would start out on a lower suction while it was going fast, then when it slowed down I would turn it up full suction. Blessings to you and your sweethearts. If you are interested, I’d love to invite you to join a twin mom support group I’m on on Facebook. If you’re interested shoot me an email to ambermkuiper@gmail.com and I’ll send you more info! 🙂
Hi Amber, I’m currently pumping for my twin girls. They are 8 months old and only have formula when they wake for a 4am bottle. Warming milk up isn’t fast enough at that time. I am interested in having my time back, and was curious if you just stopped pumping or if your supply demenished? I have a decent supply, but feel like the girls would do fine on formula. I am just ready to have a normal routine again. Any suggestions?
Thank you so much for this amazing information! I just gave birth to b/g in December and also have 2 year old daughter running around so I can totally relate. I breastfed both babies at the same time for the first 4 weeks, but it was no easy task. Each feeding took up to an hour and my son had such a difficult time latching. It became stressful and exhausting every time that I dreaded feeding. I came across your website and immediately decided to do try exclusively pumping. It has worked so well for our family! Thanks again! Look forward to more posts about your family! 🙂
Hi! I know this is an old post but hope you see this comment! My twin boys are 6 weeks old, and I’ve been pumping since they’ve been one week due to them needing supplementing and my supply not being enough… As well as them
Having difficult times latching. I’m really done with this pumping thing though!!! I can’t imagine having a toddler too. Are you still pumping–or how long did you pump for? I feel guilty about stopping if I do, but I also don’t even have enough milk still for the two of them. They get half BM half formula anyway. We’re still praying about it all, but I just wanted to hear how long you lasted. (Although I know if doesn’t help to compare!! I just like to hear peoples’ experiences.) thanks so much!
Emily
Hi Emily! Congratulations on your twins! I pumped until my girls were six months and then I had to stop, it was just too much! What I’ve learned throughout this whole process of having twins is to really listen to your body and do what you need to do to take care of yourself. If you are feeling good, you are able to take care of those babies so much better! Do NOT feel guilty if you choose to stop pumping. Formula is such a great option too. My girls did great on it when I stopped pumping. I think there are so many variables and each family is so different. You’re mommy and you know what’s best for you and your family – listen to your heart and everything will be great! Thinking of you during those early weeks. I know it’s so exhausting – hang in there. I promise it gets better! You can do it!!!
Do you have a set schedule with aprox times like hours between pumpings? Do you pump in middle of night?
I just came home with twins a few days ago and think pumping is way to go, as back to back breastfeeding takes lots of more time. Thank you for this as it has given me hope to maintain same feeding times.
Hi Layne! Congratulations on your twins! I pumped every three hours and fed my girls every three hours. I did pump in the middle of the night for the first few months. Eventually I cut out a pumping session in the middle of the night, but for a while I pumped around the clock to make sure I had enough milk. Good luck!
Fabulous post! My little guy is eight weeks old and we had a terrible time breast feeding! I had trouble with bleeding and bruising and my baby was demand feeding every thirty minutes. After only three days I gave up and switched to formula. I had prior, however, purchased the Madela pump in style advanced as I intended to pump when I went back to work. I was so guilty! A lactation consultant even told me not to pump because it interrupts “Mother Nature’s grand design and breaks the bond I share with my baby.” Needless to say, it was our LAST conversation!
After a week of formula I decided to start pumping! My first sessions yielded only drops of breast milk and I felt so discouraged. Over time, however, my supply picked up and I learned how to successfully pump 4-6 oz a session. My son now takes bottles mixed with two oz formula and three-four oz breast milk. He’s growing like a weed and his doctor is super happy. Your article is so great because it really addresses life pumping (hands free is fabulous) and shows woman that any choice you make in feeding your baby is a good one! After reading this I realize I definitely need more water!! In a world filled with mommy guilt, thank you for taking time to empower us!
Thank you for this post! My son will be 17 months when my twin girls arrive in October! It is so nice reading about other people who are in the same boat as me and seeing them succeed! I have been trying to figure out the best way to feed these two, and pumping really does seem like the best route. I have a great pump, I just hate the task but I know it will be worth it! Boo for expensive formula!!
Congratulations on your twins! You will LOVE being a twin mommy! It took me a bit to love pumping, but eventually it was like a nice little break I could escape to when I had help around when I could just mindlessly surf my phone for a 15 – 20 minutes! 🙂
I think I actually had a better milk supply with exclusively pumping than with nursing. My first was a preemie and wasn’t able to nurse so pumping was what I got used to and just stuck with for the next four. I definitely had it down to a science. At peak production I was pumping enough to freeze three extra bags of milk a day. Now with my sixth baby in less than six years (all singles) I decided to nurse thinking it would be a big time saver. So far it hasn’t really been. He nurses longer and more frequently than it took me to pump and feed his siblings. I still pump twice a day to empty out too and only freeze one bag of milk a day. However, the cuddle time is definitely a bonus. And I love having an excuse to sit on the couch doing nothing and not feeling guilty about it. Plus, since I’m pumping a bit too I’m not exclusively tied to either the pump or baby. The regimented pumping routine sure can get tedious. But this way I get the best of both worlds. I can just nurse when it’s more convenient than pumping or hand a bottle off to someone else when I just need a break.
Haylee thank you so much for sharing this! I’m trying to think about what will work best for my fourth baby and this option sounds like it really is the best of both worlds! I’m glad to know you had a better milk supply while pumping too! Blessings to you!!!
Thank you so much for this post. My daughter never latched and I spent a year pumping exclusively to feed her. And we are now expecting twins. I am hoping they latch, but if they don’t your post gives me hope that pumping can definitely happen!
My children will be barely 2 years apart! Fingers crossed all works well! 🙂
Wonderful post! I am in the same situation right now! I have a 21 month old son and we have twin girls on the way! We are excited but the thought of two more is definitely overwhelming. I plan to breast feed initially but roll over to bottle feeding exclusively, just seems to make the world a more peaceful place 🙂 My question to you is regarding the milk you would pump then freeze….so you would pump for the next session fill the twin bottles with whatever they would need then whatever was left over you would combine into an 8 oz bottle? I think this is a great method!! Is there any issues with combining milk from different pumping sessions? I really might use this approach! I am very blessed to have been able to pump a RIDICULOUS amount of milk with my first so I can’t even imagine what these two will bring! Thank you for this post!! 🙂
Thank you SO much for this post. I’m 8 weeks pregnant with twins. I’m scared out of my mind about everything! How big I’m going to get, babies in NICU, money, breastfeeding, etc. We spent over $80k making these babies with IVF, so our financial situation is far from ideal. One of my biggest concerns is breastfeeding bad that if I couldn’t make it work that we would be spending thousands on formula. Well, it was one of my biggest concerns. This post has made me feel much more optimistic about it!! Thank you again for sharing with us.
Hello! Wow, congratulations on your twins!!! Amazing! I hope you’re feeling okay and hanging in there – twin pregnancies are certainly a lot of work! What a blessing that you have miracle babies! Wow, what a lot to invest but I’m sure now you feel it is totally worth it! 🙂 I really think you’ll do great with everything. Exclusively pumping is certainly a big job, but it really does save a lot of money. If you end up needing to supplement with formula at all, we opted for using the Costco brand formula which was way cheaper than other name brands. Blessings to you as you persevere through this pregnancy! You are going to be an amazing mom!
*and
Hi – thank you for writing this article. What a way to pay forward!!!
Just like you, my 3rd and my 4th babies are 17 months apart. I don’t have twins, but I am trying to nurse my 3rd and 4th babies at the same time. My 3rd child like mommy’s milk. I have successfully switched her from formula, but she would only bottle feed now, and giggles when I offer her my breasts, but refuses to latch. I am having a hard time keeping my supply up to nurse 2. I did not think of nursing both (I initially thought I could not have enough to nurse both babies) until my 4th baby was 3 months old. I am pumping now every 2-3 hours, but am also working full time so I do this while at work. I try to get up in the middle of the night just to pump, but it has been tough to get up! Having older kids naturally forces me to stay up later (after checking their homework, preparing their lunch, etc) so it’s been hard to get up at 3am to pump.
When I get home I empty out my breasts by pumping, and then i nurse my baby (am thinking this will help build up my supply as well, pumping BEFORE nursing).
Do you have any advide for me? I currently pump about 3-4 ounces every 2 hours. I have frozen quite a bit of milk when nursing only my 4th child, but am now quickly depleting my frozen milk supply since nursing 2.
I would definitely try out the hands free bra, but probably won’t be brave enough as you to to drive while pumping. LOL!!! Thanks so much for being selfless and sharing your experiences!!! You’ve been more help to me than my lactation consultant!!
Hi – thank you for writing this article. What a way to pay forward!!!
Just like you, my 3rd and my 4th babies are 17 months apart. I don’t have twins, but I am trying to nurse my 3rd and 4th babies at the same time. My 3rd child like mommy’s milk. I have successfully switched her from formula, but she would only bottle feed now, and giggles when I offer her my breasts, but refuses to latch. I am having a hard time keeping my supply up to nurse 2. I did not think of nursing both (I initially thought I could not have enough to nurse both babies) until my 4th baby was 3 months old. I am pumping now every 2-3 hours, but am also working full time so I do this while at work. I try to get up in the middle of the night just to pump, but it has been tough to get up! Having older kids naturally forces me to stay up later (after checking their homework, preparing their lunch, etc) so it’s been hard to get up at 3am to pump.
When I get home I empty out my breasts by pumping, and then i nurse my baby (am thinking this will help build up my supply as well, pumping BEFORE nursing).
Do you have any advide for me? I currently pump about 3-4 ounces every 2 hours. I have frozen quite a bit of milk when nursing only my 4th child, but am now quickly depleting my frozen milk supply since nursing 2.
I would definitely try out the hands free bra, but probably won’t be brave enough as you to to drive while pumping. LOL!!! Thanks so much for being selfless and sharing your experiences!!! You’ve been more help to me than my lactation consultant!!
God bless!!!
Hi Catherine! Wow! You are amazing! Especially to do all this while working outside the home! I agree with you that I think it’s awesome that you’re pumping before you nurse. I imagine that would only help you to produce more! The hands free bra is totally amazing. I don’t know what i would’ve done with out it! Drinking LOTS and LOTS of water always made a huge difference for me, along with a lot of oatmeal and other foods that help with milk supply. Other than that, I’m afraid I shared all my tips in the post! I’ll be breastfeeding again here in a month or so, so if I think of anything else I’ll let you know! Good luck to you friend! God bless you too! Sending lots of hugs your way! 🙂
Thanks!!! By the way – my good friend is having quadruplets!!! I have no idea how she is going to manage it, and I am not even sure if she can nurse all 4, she would like to but not sure if she would have enough. God bless!!
Hi! I have 7.5 month old twin boys. Im beyond impressed that you were able to exclusively pump for you little ones!! My question is how much were they eating in each feeding at 7.5 months? I have the same pump as you, but when i pump im only getting approximently 4 oz out of each side. My biggest boy(Bradlee) eats 7 oz in a bottle and my smaller boy (Brentlee) eats 9 oz. Im only able to pump just enough for their cereal each day, any advice?
Thank you so much in advance!
Sincerely,
Ashley
I have exclusively pumped for my twin boys for five months. I pumped ever three hours for the first three months and now I continue to do every three hours during the day but can go every 4 hours during the night. I have a strong supply and want to keep it up until they are 12 months… I have 2 questions. 1. when you say you pumped every 3 hours are you counting it from beginning of the pump cycle to the beginning of the next pump cycle? 2. When were you able to go to pumping every 4 hours?
Thank you and happy pumping!
[…] I wanted to try exclusively pumping. First let me share this blog I found by Mommy Me Time on Exclusively Pumping for Twins. I found this blog during a late night nursing session and it made me think…why not try […]
Thank you for this post! I am 12 weeks pregnant with twins, and still nursing my 6mo girl 5x per day. She’ll be a year when the twins arrive! Ah! My BF journey with her was such a rocky, tearful start…but I am so thankful that between supportive family members, pure stubbornness from me and my double electric pump, we got through and have an incredible BF relationship now. I’ve been researching exclusive pumping, because with two infants and possibly intermittent toddler-nursling, it may be the only way to maintain BFing and staying sane. Also, just like you said, when help is around, bonding over 1-on-1 twin time can be so special. Thanks for the detailed article. I’ll be going hands-free and have bottles ready when they show up in April! And beyond that, trust God for wisdom everyday to make sure what we do is right for all 3 babes and me.
Hi Lisa! OH MY WORD! A one year old and twins! WOW!!!! You are amazing! It will be crazy but you will do so great! I truly hope you find a pumping/bfeeding system that works great for you! Blessings to you as you finish out your pregnancy while taking care of your other baby! You can do it! Hugs to you!
Thanks for sharing your tips! I am in the same boat with a singleton 2 years older than my now 5 month old twins and I have found that exclusively pumping is the best solution for us. There are times when I miss nursing, but I agree that it was too overwhelming to tandem nurse with a toddler running around!
Thank you so much for this post!! So much information and i appreciate it very much!! Im a new mommy of 1 little girl who will be 3 months on the 8th i work full time and so i need to send my baby sitter with milk while im at work my husband also works full time. And i pump as much as i can and work is very good about lettin me pump every 2 hours….. but i only have about 6 bags in the freezer and she eats about 2 bags while im working….. i know every child is different but i was wondering how much milk do you put into each bag??
Hi Brittany! Congratulations on your sweet baby girl! When figuring out how much to put in a bag, I usually pump and see how much I get and then feed the bottle and see how much the baby eats of it. My little guy at 3 months is drinking about 5 – 6 oz, so I usually put 6 oz in each bag, but like you said every baby is so different! Good luck with figuring it all out! I’m sure you’ll become a pro in no time! 🙂
This has to be the most relieving post I’ve read this far about pumping and bottle feeding twins. I like you had a nineteen month old daughter when my boy girl twins were born this past July. I too breastfed my first and feel like I have mirrored what you have done comparably. However I’ve had a difficult time making enough milk and pumping and therefore have had to supplement with formula very early. The twins are now five months and I’ve found my supply dipping even lower any suggestions on how many times a day to pump and if you pump after breastfeeding? Assuming you breastfeed at some points with your twins.
Thanks again for this wonderfully helpful post. How long did you make it pumping with the twins?
This post was awesome and gave me the encouragement I was doing the right thing for us. I could have written the same blog (just nowhere as awesome as you did). I have a toddler boy turning 3 in jan and our twins girls will be 2 ,months then. BFing him was great bfing them has been extremely challenging and a world different and then added stress of mine not gaining as well which just added to the stress on top of taking care of all of them.
Last week (5wks) I made decision to just EP and feed them bottled breast milk to keep my sanity but still try and provide my goodness as long as I can. Thanks for putting it out there how and what you did this is great encouragement!!! I just happened to stumble upon this post from Google search and so glad I did!!
Hi there..I’m due to have my baby soon and am stressing about the whole breast feeding thing, how soon after your babies were born did you start pumping? How often? TIA!!!!
This post is so encouraging and helpful! I have a 21 month old daughter and I just had identical twin girls a month ago. Nursing just wasn’t taking off and to be honest, I wasn’t up to investing the time into trying to get it to work because I felt like I needed to have more time for my toddler. Thank you so much for sharing! How long were you able to exclusively pump and supply enough for your twins?
Hi Amber! I have a 20 month old daughter and 2 1/2 week old twin girls! They were born at 36 weeks and were in the nicu for a week after birth. During that time, I was only able to breastfeed them a handful of times and pumping was my only option (aside from formula). I feel like I have pretty good supply but I still have to supplement with formula. Do you remember how much you were able to pump in the early days? Did your supply increase on it’s own when your girls started taking more or was that when you made the decision to take Fenugreek? Any answers and advice you have would be helpful! It is so encouraging to know that I’m not the only one thinking about exclusively pumping for my twins! 🙂
Great article! My twins are 6 months old and I still pump every 2.5-3 hours around the clock. When is it safe to drop a pump? I’m hoping for a night pump to drop now that they’re only waking up once or twice to eat, but I’m nervous it will impact my supply. I’ve never been able to save so any dip would be detrimental. I plan to EP for at least a year.
Thanks!
Would it be possible to e-mail you? I have twin girls 11 days old, arrived 7 wreks early and i am in need of advice about pumping…i dont want to breats feed but feel so all over the place in making a decision on pumping and am finding it very hard, i am not making enough milk and worried it wont happen, so they are both getting formula now as well! Any advice is badly needed!!
Thanks katrina
Hi Katrina! I’m so sorry I’m just seeing this now! YES! Please feel free to email me at amber@mommysmetime.com! Congratulations! Thinking of you!
I am a married mother of 5. I have an 8th grader with a crazy schedule, a 4 year old and 3 year old son (16 months apart), and have 1 month old twin boy and girl. I am getting to the point where I am not enjoying the breastfeeding process. I constantly wonder how much they are getting. They do not seem to be handling the formula too well. So far. since I have left the hospital, my number one goal was to build up my supply. I would like to make what each twin needs during my pumping sessions. Right now I am making only what one twin needs during the pumping sessions. However. I do increase every time I pumped just by 1/2 oz. i really want this to work. but I know I will always need to have a stash. Please help me directly (a typical schedule and how to increase my supply and build it and use it at the same time). Thank you in advance for your help in my journey to successfully exclusively pump as well
Thanks Amber! GREAT post! You are a wonderful mom 🙂 I have a very similar experience Im pumping fir my twin boys using the Medela Lactina (hospital grade) pump which I’m renting… I’m also using the Best Wishes bra which is a must have! I do supplement with formula however and am hoping to one day build enough supply to exclusively feed bm. I was wonding how many times do you pump each day and for how long each time? My lactation consultant recommended at least 8 times but I can never get to that number! I feel it’s unrealistic! Any advice? Thanks God bless you
This was exactly what I needed to read. I do have a question; do you keep the milk from the bottle after one of your twins is done drjnking? My twins often don’t finish a bottle and I’d love to add it to a bottle in the fridge to freeze. I’m such a novice though. Is that what you do?
Thanks!!
Hi! I had premie twins 6 weeks ago and have been breastfeeding them until recently when one got a cold and I switched to bottles to monitor his intake. Now I feel just like you that it is actually more relaxing and better for all of us if I pump & bottle feed. I’m now trying to figure out how often and how much to pump as well as how to time manage all the feeding with the pumping and taking care of my 3 year old. I’d love to hear more about your schedule and how to do it all by yourself. Thanks for posting!
Hi Amber- thank you for the post. It was very helpful! I am a exclusively breast pumping mom of twins also (6 weeks into the process) and stumbled across your blog as I was researching the topic. I have a couple of questions that hopefully you can help with (I know it’s probably been a while as your blog post was from 2013) but any insight would be greatly appreciated. I also have the same pump you do.
1. For twins, at what point (how many weeks/months) were you consistently pumping 6-8 oz per session? My concern is not being able to pump enough for both babies.
2. Any tips/secrets when it comes to pumping in the car?
Thanks again in advance for any insight- hope all is well with your family.
Thank you very much for this post!! I have 3 week old twin girls and am at my wits’ end trying to direct feed and pump at the same time. I feel like I can never produce enough milk for their demands and also find time to,express very difficult. I can only produce at most 2oz per session and that’s only good for one twin! Do you have a set schedule for feeding and expressing? Like, 6am feeding 7am and 8am express; 9am feeding 10am and 11am express, and so on? I want to exclusively bottle feed now because my nipples are so sore, that it hurts very much upon latch and even while they’re sucking! 🙁
Thanks for this post! I’m living your same life with a boy first and then twin girls. I also had such an easy time breastfeeding my son, but when it came to the girls it was such a different story. I also wanted to feed the girls at the same time,but tandem breastfeeding was just crazy for me. Heads and arms and milk flying everywhere with two babes crying. It was all more than I could handle with two newborns and a toddler. I found pumping and bottle feeding to be a way to spread responsibility off of me and allow others to help. One of the best things about having twins is that everyone wants to help and handing off a baby and a bottle was a huge load off of my shoulders. Since the girls were a week old, I’ve been pumping their next feeding while feeding them and it’s been working very well. All of your tips were super helpful and I would just add to twin mommas, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You have to cut yourself some slack if everything doesn’t happen the same way as it did with your other kids or for your friend’s kids. Having twins is different. It just is. It’s wild and wonderful and exclusively pumping is a great option.
I have never posted on a blog before, but I just had to comment here…I feel like I just read a snippet of my own life. I have a 23 month old girl and 2 week old twin boys. So far I’ve been able to exclusively pump, with an occasional formula feed if they’ve seemed super hungry and I didn’t pump enough. I had the exact same wonderful experience breastfeeding my first and thought I’d tandem feed the twins as well! But it IS a different experience. I still try and nurse occasionally to hopefully keep up my supply. I have a question though, how did you know how much breastmilk to give them each feed? Did you just fill the bottle and see how much they drank? Was it a trial and error thing? I’m kinda going with trial and error over here…they seem to be getting hungry sooner and growing like crazy, so I’ve upped the amount each feeding. We will see how it goes!
Thanks for your post. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this crazy toddler with twins season of my life!
I just had twins 5 weeks ago. They were In the nicu and we could breastfeed. I’ve tried since but they are just not strong suckers and honestly it seems more stressful to struggle trying to figure it out. I’m EPing right now and couldn’t find a lot of articles in EPing for twins. I am curious how often you pump and for how long. I’m not sure if I should do what other reccomend or if I need to more often for longer. Right now I’m doing about 6-7 times a day for 15 min. Right now I’m making enough for my 5week olds but I know they will be eating a lot more as they get older. I really don’t want to have to use formula especially since one of my boys is allergic to dairy and formula for him alone would be 300 a month!!!
Any tips would be great. Thanks for the post
So I’m having a low supply. I can barely pump an ounce these days. My twins are only 2 1/2 months! I started out with a good supply but my grandpa had health issues that I took charge of and never pumped or breastfed consistently. What would be your suggestion to bring supply back? I just returned to work and I really want my boys to get some breastmilk for at least the first 6 months.