Can my babies really be half a year old already?  We’re dealing with the typical 6mo bad nursing behavior–popping on and off, distracted nursing, biting, grabby hands.  We’re working on nice nursing manners.  It’s hard to do with twins, but it’s necessary.  Last night, I got fed up and tried to swaddle them for the first time in a while.  Cookie wouldn’t tolerate it, but Boomer settled down and nursed quite well.  And with him settled, I could focus on her, so it worked out well. 

We did have some supply issues recently.  It started with mint M&Ms at Christmas.  It didn’t occur to me until later that mint can hurt supply, and boy did it!  I was supping 16oz/day more!  It didn’t help that the 6 month growth spurt hit at the same time.  I decided to start cycling my herbs.  I take alfalfa, shatavari, and fenugreek two weeks on and one week off.  I stagger the week off so I’m always taking two herbs at all times.  This is just my second week of this experiment, so we’ll see how it goes.  But I’m already starting to see improvement. 

Here’s to many more months of nursing! 

Jen

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Here we are with 1/3 of a year gone already! Babies are doing great. They’ve both doubled their birth weight–Cookie is 10lb 10.5oz and Boomer is 12lb 4.5oz. They both are rolling tummy to back, smiling, and “talking.”

Nursing is getting better again after a setback with a blister. We made the switch to the double football hold, and during the readjustment I got a nasty blister on one side that eventually turned into an open wound.  It’s slooooowly healing. The good news is we now nurse in the double football easily.

They still take a combined 24-28oz of formula depending upon the day, so I estimate my supply has maxed out at 50-55%. Part of me still struggles with not making more, while most of me realizes that would be a full supply for one which is fantastic! (Then part of me wants to have just one more baby so I could nurse with a full supply, and the rest of me says I’m out of my mind!)

One other thing we’re doing different now: I nurse them one at a time in the night (if I can get away with it.)  During the day I try to keep them on the same schedule and tandem nurse.  But at night, I SOOOO enjoy nursing lying down and going back to sleep.  Boomer usually wakes up first, and if I get to him in time Cookie won’t wake up.  So we move to the couch and I fall back to sleep.  About an hour later, Cookie wakes up and I switch them out.  This has gone a long way in saving my sanity.  Having to actually get up for feeds in the night was the biggest change from when I nursed Peanut and Snickers. Of course, we’re able to do that now, when we couldn’t early on, because I no longer need to supplement in the night.  Yay! 

Jen

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Babies are nursing well and gaining well.  We’ve settled into a routine.  But we do have a challenge that will soon be upon us.  So far, I’ve been nursing one in the cradle hold and one in the football hold.  This configuration isn’t going to work much longer as they get bigger.  I’m going to have to switch to the double football.  I’m not looking forward to this for a couple reasons.

First, the football doesn’t really work well on my left side.  The nipple is far off center post-surgery, and it’s just difficult to get a good latch in the football position.

Second, once a baby is latched in the football hold, it’s tricky to reach over to latch the other.  Moving my arm that far causes the latch to break or slip.  This is especially frustrating when using the lact-aid. 

We’ll just have to practice and readjust.

Jen

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We’ve survived the six-week growth spurt.  It was less intense than the three-week.  Suddenly, things are a little easier.

Now that their mouths are bigger, latching is a whole lot easier.  We’re getting the lact-aid tubes in place pretty easily now.  Sleep is more regular and for longer stretches. 

I think reaching 8 pounds makes a difference in a baby’s nursing ability and sleeping length.  As of Monday, Boomer was 8lb 13oz, and Cookie was 7lb 13oz. 

I’m still experimenting with galactagogues.  No supplement at night is my elusive goal.  I’m debating which herb to try next.

Jen

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I’ve been taking 120mg/day of domperidone since the day we left the hospital.  I still have a week and a half until it’s at full strength, but I’ve seen a good increase over the last four weeks.  Last week I decided to add the herb Shatavari, 1000mg/day.  I’ve seen a big boost from that as well. 

I weighed the twins last night.  Boomer weighs 8lb 3.5oz, Cookie weighs 7lb 7.5oz.  A formula-fed infant at 8lb would take in ~21oz of formula a day.  A 7.5lb infant would take ~20oz.  So combined, my twins would need 41oz/day.  I’m supplementing ~24oz.  That means they’re getting ~17oz of milk, or 40% of their needs, from me!  :) 

With my last BFAR baby, my supply maxed out at ~65%.  I’m already making more than that at 5 weeks–40% for two=80% for one. 

Jen

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This is hard.

There, I said it.  BFing twins is hard.  BFARing is hard.  BFARing twins is doubly hard. 

I adore my children and wouldn’t trade them for anything, but every once in a while I think how much easier it would have been if they’d come one at a time instead of together. 

It would be easier if I didn’t have to worry about moving my arm to latch Twin B and accidently pulling the tube from Twin A.  It would be easier if I could nurse lying down and sleeping instead of always getting up in the night.  It would be easier if I could let Cookie sleep until she wakes instead of having to wake her when Boomer wants to eat.  It would be easier if I had 50% supply for one instead of 25% for two.

But I do what I do because I don’t have a choice.  I’ve been blessed with twins, and I WILL bless them with as much milk as I can give them.  I just do it.  And it really does get easier as we go. 

Jen

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The 3 week growth spurt hit Boomer a few days early.  He’s been nursing every 1.5-2 hours round the clock for three days.  And every time he nurses, I wake Cookie up to nurse too.  Now Boomer seems to be through it and Cookie’s the one with the growth spurt.  I’m sure it’s good for my supply to have a full week of uber-nursing, but I’ll be glad when I can get a little more sleep. 

I picked a good nickname for Boomer–that boy can eat!  He’s gaining a little more than 2oz per day.  Cookie isn’t far behind him, gaining just under 2oz per day.  With such great gains, I should probably try to cut back on the supplement a little.  I supplement at the breast with two Lact-Aids, so I’m going to try pulling the tube before they’re done instead of waiting for them to fall off on their own. 

The domperidone is kicking in.  They’re nursing bare longer.  I’m still doing breast compressions throughout the bare portion of feedings which helps with letdowns. 

Jen

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