Breastfeeding 3 Babies with 2 Breasts

As soon as people find out I am exclusively breastfeeding the trio, the first question they ask is - how do you do that? It is very obvious that with 3 hungry mouths to feed I cannot do them all at once. So they wait. Dylan is the patient one. Ailah can wait sometimes. Isaac never waits. He's the screamer so I'd prefer to feed him first!

 

Feeding in the SCN. Look how tiny their heads were! Dylan on the left and Ailah on the right

It is rare that they are all awake and wanting a feed at once. Probably once a day, more if I'm unlucky. When they wake up, I change their bum then begin to feed. If one wakes and the other 2 are not stirring, I'll feed the first one alone. If one of the other babies is stirring, then I'll wake them, change their bum and twin feed. I use a 'Milkbar' twin feeding pillow, which is a lifesaver. That said, I can't wait til they are sitting up and I can sit them on my lap without the pillow. I don't take the pillow when we go out (unless it's to a friends place) as then I would be completely baring all to anyone in view. You can cover up when single feeding - but not with 2!

Don't get me wrong, I don't care about people seeing my boobs, I just don't want to make people uncomfortable. A bit of flesh is ok when feeding one and it's poking out the side, or a quick nipple flash as your popping it in a mouth, but I'm not into showing the entire of both my boobs! And I don't think Dan is either! Anyway....so it takes a lot longer when I'm out to feed them all singularly.

 

It generally takes a little over an hour to feed all 3 babies, most of that is spent burping and then repositioning I think! Isaac gulps so much in the first 30 seconds or so, you can actually hear the air in his stomach. So after about a minute I get him up for a burp. And what a burp it is!! He could give a grown man a run for his money! Ailah has such a teeny mouth and she doesn't latch as well as the boys, so she's on for longer. Dylan is like a baby bird. Opens wide and waits for the nipple! He is an excellent feeder and has 2 rounds. He likes a break between.

If they all wake together, one goes in the bouncer in front of me and I bounce them. They don't like this one bit, but what can I do?


When I was pregnant I had to really watch my nutrition. Now I try to eat as well (doesn't always work) but less. I've heard that breastfeeding burns 600 calories a day. Times that by three! But I'm not loosing weight....so I must be eating a little too much. Must fix that. I try to drink 4-6 liters of water a day. On a hot day that's pretty easy, on a not so hot day its hard.

I've just started taking some supplements. I take Brewers Yeast in tablet form, 2 tablets twice a day and I notice the difference! I also take Herbs of Gold Breastfeeding Support. Not because I could feel my supply dropping, but in case it did now that they are a little older. My original goal was to get to 12 weeks. That's Wednesday (oh my god!), so I'm pretty pleased with my boobs! I'd like to now get to 6 months. I'll be introducing food to them at 4 months so we'll see how that all goes.

I can't believe they are almost 3 months, it is very surreal! Just had to share these recent shots. They look so grown up!

 L-R: Isaac, Ailah & Dylan

Miss Ailah

 Mr Dylan

 Mr Isaac