Hi Ladies,
Just wondering what all the mums who breastfed used to sit in? I am thinking either a rocker/glider or a lounge recliner. I don't really know what is good/bad features and would love to hear what worked for other mums. This is the last big item that I need to get sorted. Also, did anyone use pillows or any of the special milkbar cushions? And also, did many mums breastfeed both at the same time?
Lots of questions, but you ladies are the experts at this stuff. Thanks heaps for any help you can offer.

Mel

Me 27 DH 28
TTC #1 since 02, MF
FET Aug,EDD 19/5

Hi Mel,

I was about to post the same questions (except not about the chair - I have a rocker and a lounge recliner)! Wanted to know about pillows and positions etc! Thanks, you read my mind.....

Hope you are going well with your pregnancy!
Look forward to reading some replies as they appear..

Hi, I just used our sofa, in hospital after having the girls perched on the arms of chairs I was sooo glad to have my three seater sofa I hardly moved off it! I found that it was alot easier to have the sofa to feed on as there was room either side to put pillows and arrange babies on it while I got ready to feed, plus you get to watch the telly while you do the endless hours of feeding! Enjoy it though, soon you don't have time to watch the telly!

I breastfed both at the same time using four standard pillows, i did hire a pillow from the AMBA but couldn't get on with it and had an awful moment when Charlotte nearly fell onto the floor, but other mums love them I guess it's just personal preference, you just try everything til you find something that works!

Heather



This message was edited by Heather on Wednesday, 9 March 2005 @ 11:35 PM

Hi,

Like Heather I too fed my girls on the sofa (3 seater), there was just not enough room on a smaller chair for all the pillows and babies!! I twin fed them until they were about 2 or 3 months old, but then I found they just got too big and their heads kept bumping together plus I found that with both of them feeding my milk come down so fast that it was more than they could cope with so it was more comfortable to feed them separately for the next 7 months. I used one of the U-shaped pillows, not a special breast feeding pillow, plus several normal pillows. When they were 5 months old went flew to the UK so I had to feed them on an economy size plane seat.....I can tell you after that the more room the better!!!

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
Beth

The best chair ever is the Ikea Poang for $149. Lots of colours and woods to choose from. This was recommended to me by two other mums.

It even rocks gently......loads cheaper than the proper feeding chairs and looks good in situ. The only down side is I couldn't use it at the very beginning as I ended up with a caeser and it was too difficult for me to get in and out of but after about 8 weeks I have lived in it! Everyone fights over that chair in our living room as its so comfortable. The arms are low enough not to get in the way. I can feed without cushions now but earlier I had a continental at my back and used a feather pillow on my knee as it easily moulded to my body.

Good luck!

ME (32)
DH (35)
DS (Still Little)
DDOG1 (3)
DDOG2 (2)
DCAT (7)


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It will definitely need to be a BIG chair if you are planning to twin feed!!!! lol I found our sofa was the best place, I can reach the girls to pick them up from the floor, (or rockers when they used them), now they just take off!!!!! I can still manage to feed mine at the same time, use lots of pillows/cushions, I didn't use a feeding pillow as such, just one of those tripillows, and you get somewhat skilled at juggling to wriggling bundles!!!! It takes some working out, but if you keep going you'll find a position or method that suits you!

Sharyn
Mum to Meg14/4/99
Hannah & Josie 22/3/04 (33 wks)
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Hi ladies,

Was wondering if any of you started out by feeding only one baby at a time, rather than both? I have spoken to the midwives here and they encourage both at the same time, and I realise that the time it takes to feed them it would be easier to do it at once. Its all very daunting at this stage.
I suppose its as good time as any to learn doing 2 things at once! LOL


Haylie ~ 25
DH (Phil) ~ 38
DSD (Ebony) ~ 15
Our Family is soon to be 5 when our twins arrive......
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Hi Found the lounge the best. Plenty of room to keep the twins safely tucked in. I used normal pillows and lounge cushions. You'll work out whats best for you. Found the boomerang pillows a bit too fluffy. Also you'll need room at your feet for rockers so you can safely put the bubs down.

i fed them together until around 5 months when they got a bit too big and started rolling off the pillows and found it so awkward to feed a single bub!! If DP was home would feed them together as I had an extra pair of hands.

Learn to feed them together or you wont get anytime to do anything else. Mine fed roughly 8 feeds a day and took around an hour+ so you already will be spending plenty of time feeding as it is.

Probably my biggest tip would be to get into a routine as early as you can manage so that both bubs are feeding, sleeping etc at the same time.It'll really help you cope during not so good days when they are feeding more and sleeping less..

Good luck

Hi Mel & Haylie,

I tandem breast fed my guys in the "football hold" so I used a breast feeding pillow. It was called "my brest friend" and it really helped me with positioning etc. You can have a look at it at this website if you want. www.mybrestfriend.com I bought it from one of the baby stores here in Vic.

My DH bought me a fantastic rocker/glider chair. It's a wider one, made with leather cushioning and it can recline so I could get into a very comfortable position and there was plenty of room for me, the feeding pillow and the babies. It lives in our lounge room and it's so comfortable everyone that comes to visit likes to sit in it! For some reason I just couldn't get it together sitting on the lounge.

Hope that helps.

I tandem fed, in a football hold also. And I used a breast feeding pillow (the "milk bar" as it was known in our house). This meant that I needed at least a 2 seater lounge, ours was a 2.5 seater and was great. I certainly would not go out and spend money on a specific chair to feed in if expecting twins - you have all the room you need on a lounge. I found I propped a big square European pillow behind me and I was comfortable. I had a footstool in front of me - not so much for feet but for extras and in the early days I had it set up with everything for a mid-feed nappy change - so I did not get off the lounge to feed/change.

Hi

I still twin feed my girls when they will let me!

When they were little I usually fed on the bed or the couch - I needed somewhere safe to lie each baby while I got organised etc as I was usually on my own. But while the girls where in hospital I feed in a recliner like Nee has and wow they are great! sooooo comfy!

I used the same pillow as Nees which I got secondhand from another lovely EB twin Mum (such a bargain I am forever grateful!). It's not exactly the same as the new model but almost and was great. My girl's have taken an intense dislike to it now so I just use a regular pillow each.

For some reason I've been resisting getting rid of my feeding pillow but I guess we neve use it anymore and since we are moving it might be time to pass it on. So if anyone is interested PM me and we can talk details.

Kate

Mel
I don't want to put a dampener on things...but I had every intention of breastfeeding. Unfortunately, nature had other plans for me, despite the midwives spending countless hours teaching me to feed them at the same time using the football hold. I just couldn't produce enough milk and found the process very painful.

I guess my advice would be that, although you might have one idea of how things might be & organise everything you need (I had a breastfeeding pillow all ready to go), be prepared for any eventuality!

I take my hat off to everyone who is/was able to successfully breastfeed twins and hope you are able to.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!


Lisa
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I fed my girls one at a time to start with. Firstly because one was still being tube fed longer than the other, and I just felt that they were so tiny. If you haven't brestfed before I would learn by feeding one at a time first, but ask them to show you how to tandem feed, but gradually build up to it. Wait until you feel comfortable with your positioning and latching on, if the baby doesn't latch on well or is having trouble sucking, it is sometimes easier to deal with this one at a time. You can still use the football hold to feed one, and this will also help you get used to this postition. It feels awkward for me to use anything other than the football hold now. It certainly is a timesaver to feed tandem style, and so far my girls still allow it!=

Sharyn
Mum to Meg14/4/99
Hannah & Josie 22/3/04 (33 wks)
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Smile... and the world smiles with you!

Ladies,
Thanks so much for all your info. I think I will stick with the couch and lots of different pillows. I am hoping to be able to breastfeed, although if I can't I won't be too devastated. All that matters is that my boys will be getting the feed they need some how. Thanks again.

Mel


Me 27 DH 28
TTC #1 since 02, MF

Here is the link for another twin breastfeeding pillow (EZ-2-Feed). I am thinking about buying it as it is inflatable and looks to be more supportive than others I have seen? I don't know of anyone who has actually used one though...

http://www4.tpg.com.au/dicer/

:-) Lindy

<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://lilypie.com/days/050802/1/1/1/+10" alt="Lilypie Baby Ticker" border="0" /></a>

Lindy,
I bought the ezi 2 nurse twin feeding pillow last year in august and my boys were 7 months old and found that being inflatable and one twin a bit bigger than the other it got quite hard and difficult to manage. I used the My Breast Friend pillow I had when the boys were born and then saw the ezi pillow later. I sold it to a girlfriend who had 4 month old twins at the time and she found it better than the my breast friend pillow. Everyone finds things different so thats my experience and loved the My Breast Freind Pillow. The boys breastfed till they were 1 and twin feeding worked for us.
All the best
Rhonda
Jackson and Hayden 21/1/04

At our prenatal classes, they suggested that it is best to plonk yourself on a 2-3 seater couch and to use a twin breastfeeding pillow. They had one at the hospital but I don't think they told us where they bought it? They suggested that we contact Clark Rubber and ask them to make one (apparently they know as they have made them before?) and then make a cover for it. They also showed us a video on breastfeeding from the Multiple Births Association and all the mothers used one.

They did say to start with feeding one at a time until you get the hang of it and then twin feed football hold with the special pillow. There was one lady that said she never twin fed and found it easier to feed separately so I guess it's different for everyone and to just stick with whatever suits you and your babies. I guess that's what I am planning to do....hope this helps!

After 17 months TTC - Identical TWINS!! Due 23 June 2005
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The shape is similar to the EZ-2-Feed one that Lindy posted except that it is made of foam/rubber rather than being inflatable.

After 17 months TTC - Identical TWINS!! Due 23 June 2005
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Hi there,
I recently wrote about the subject of nursing seats in an earlier post if you want to take a peek. I think its listed under "breast feeding pillow". If I can help in any way just let me know. I would rewrite everything but I am a one handed typer today. LOL

By the way Im trying toi see if this new HTML siggy works, so if the foloowing looks a bit bazaare, my bad! LOL

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<font face="americana"size="4"color="339900">Heather Lee Covert<br>
<font face="americana"size="3"color="000000">Proud mother of:<br>
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Kayla - 11<br>
William & Warren - Twins 7<br>
Rachael - 4<br>
Allan - 3<br>
and ...<br>
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Baby Covert is almost here!<br>

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<br><font face="americana"size="2"color="000000">Sonogram taken at 30.6 weeks.

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