Breastfeeding Multiples
Breastfeeding Multiples
by Lynden Gehling
When I first found out we were expecting spontaneous triplets, breastfeeding was literally the last thing I worried about. I had nursed my older two kids for upwards of two years each with no issues, it wouldn’t be that different, right?
WRONG.
The triplets came screaming into the world at almost 36 weeks via scheduled C-section. This was pretty full term for a triplet pregnancy, and we thank our lucky stars everyday for that. They all latched on right away, and nursed without a struggle in the world. They had minimal NICU time and we found ourselves at home and trying to get into a routine pretty quickly.
It was a whirlwind, to say the least. It didn’t take me long to realize I was WAY off about how this was going to go. In my mind, we would easily EBF until they started solids around 6 months, maybe do some side pumping for top off bottles, it would be fine, it would work. We could make it work. And we did. We did that for FOUR months. Four long, hard, exhausting months.
I can count on my two hands how many hours of sleep I got during those first four months. All day, all night, I had a baby on my boob. Not an exaggeration.
It wasn’t until I was driving home from an outing with all 5 kids in my car that I had completely just forgotten how to get home. We’ve lived here for 4 years and I suddenly could NOT, for the life of me, remember how the hell to get to my house. I was just so exhausted my brain stopped functioning. It could not form one more thought without needing sleep. I knew in that moment, this routine we had going, was not going to work. We needed sleep. My husband needed sleep, the babies needed to sleep, SLEEP.
And so, we changed it up. I started using formula, GASP! To give myself a BREAK! We moved the babies into their own room, in their own cribs. Formula bottle at night, while I pumped, and then nurse whenever throughout the day. We used pumped milk from the night before for top off bottles before nap, and suddenly things started to get easier.
We all slept. Really well. At the SAME time. Everyone was happier, the sky was bluer, the moments were clearer.
I’m not sure why I ever thought it was would be easy. Ignorance is bliss, perhaps? I don’t regret those first 4 months as it did help to establish my milk supply..
but damn I wish I had given myself more of a break. I wish I could have stopped stressing about nursing and pumping and bottles and timing, and just, stayed still with them, and enjoyed the tiny snuggles a little bit more, and a little bit longer.
But instead, my memories of those first 4 months are a blur of anxiety and stress and exhaustion. I can only remember them through the pictures I posted on social media.
The triplets will be 1 next month and we are still nursing a few times a day. I have not stressed about it since that day in the car with my kids. Whether you have one kid to feed, or three, you have to find the balance. Sleep and sanity are that balance. Nursing, pumping, supplementing, formula feeding, bottle propping- we just did whatever we needed to do to get by and enjoy our moments together to the fullest.