Aah the beauty of suckling from the maternal well-spring, the immune-boosting properties of breastmilk, the benefits of bonding with your infant – these are just some of the commonly quoted reasons that breastfeeding has become THE new-age mama’s mantra. Like prebiotics and probiotics for everyone else, if you’re a new mama right now, the algos on the internet will convince you that breastfeeding is THE thing to do for both yourself and your babe. It will then, of course, direct you to pages and service providers who can make your breastfeeding journey a better one.
if you’re a new mama right now, the algos on the internet will convince you that breastfeeding is THE thing to do for both yourself and your babe.
Let me preface this post by stating that I have nothing against breast-feeding. I think it’s wonderful that, for many of us, our female bodies can feed our young. I understand that there are many potential benefits that come from breastfeeding, but it’s important to be weary because not all claims about the benefits of breastmilk / breastfeeding are true. Research that claims breastfeeding makes your child smarter, for instance, has been widely critiqued as lackluster1..For those claims around breastfeeding that actually hold-up, it is crucial to weigh them up against the very real downsides for a mom-of-multiples. Research that claims breastfeeding makes your child smarter has been widely critiqued. For instance, a CBS News report argues that once factors like maternal education and socioeconomic status are accounted for, the evidence linking breastfeeding with higher intelligence becomes weak.
For those claims around breastfeeding that actually hold-up, it is crucial to weigh them up against the very real downsides for a mom-of-multiples.
Becoming a mother is a massive change in and of itself. Now take that and multiply it by two, or three. Parents of twins return home from the hospital needing to make sure that not one, but two infants stay alive and healthy. If you’re still preparing for this stage, you may find our guide on preparing for newborn twins helpful.Add to that the fact that most multiples have lower birthweights and (likely) less-developed feeding skills than their singleton counterparts, and you have a situation where simply having the kids fed becomes paramount. Preventing a sharp loss in birth weight becomes crucial
, and the stress around feeding gets amplified.
Now, in a situation like this, if you’re a mom who has fully bought into breastfeeding as the only right way to feed your babies, you’re screwed.
Now, in a situation like this, if you’re a mom who has fully bought into breastfeeding as the only right way to feed your babies, you’re screwed.You will find yourself immediately in a state of conflict, not wanting to give your babies formula even if your milk has not come in, because the books have told you that once babies take to the bottle, they will likely reject the nipple.
Or you may find yourself in a different sort of conflict: having to battle with your exhausted body to feed not one, but multiple babies around the clock. Even singleton moms deal with this exhaustion, of course. But unless a twin mom has mastered the art of tandem feeding early on, the time spent on breastfeeding doubles. And then there’s all the nutrition support that’s needed to keep one’s production levels up: lactation supplements, moringa leaves, eating and drinking around the clock while surviving on limited sleep…
In short: it’s a lot.
I would argue that it’s more than any new twin-mom should take on unless her breastfeeding journey happens to be exceptionally blessed.
I would argue that it’s more than any new twin-mom should take on unless her breastfeeding journey happens to be exceptionally blessed ,with her twins being born at a good weight already, her milk coming in quite easily, and her babies having a naturally strong suck. And that sort of situation with multiples, often born premature, is rare.
Does that mean a twin-mom should give up on breastfeeding altogether? Not necessarily. But it’s important to recognize the uniqueness of her situation, and that she ought to have different priorities.
What should they be, one might ask? As my OBGYN reminded me multiple times during my pre-natal visits: the single most important determiner of infant outcomes is maternal mental-health.
the single most important determiner of infant outcomes is maternal mental-health.
If you find managing the care of newborn twins overwhelming even without attempting breastfeeding, maybe don’t breastfeed. Or if, like me, you want to try breastfeeding, be flexible around the idea. It’s important to keep tabs on how the process is impacting your mental health, because how you feed your child is one of the few things around newborn care that you CAN change.
My two cents is this: if you find that breastfeeding is heightening your stress-levels beyond what is manageable for you, be ready to give it up in favor of improved mental-health. Your babies will thank you for it.
This is an opinion article about breastfeeding for mothers of twins or multiples
