Mother Multiples: Breastfeeding & Caring for Twins or More!

Being published by La Leche League International (LLLI), and written by a veteran LLLI Leader, this book unsurprisingly slants towards breastfeeding, how to maximize your milk production, and how to avoid falling for infant formula.That said, I disagree with other reviewers saying that the book will leave you with a guilt trip if you cannot breastfeed, or you eventually give up.The whole spectrum of possibilities are covered very thoroughly here, starting from the ideal "term, healthy babies and breastfeeding effectively from the start", to what to do if you are less fortunate and your babies are still in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), how to "make up for a poor start", partial breastfeeding, supplementing/complementing with instant formula, alternatives techniques to feeding human milk (other than the breast, and still trying to avoid the bottle), etc.It is true that there is an explicit axiom, whereby if a mother is determined to breastfeed, she *will* be able to breastfeed her multiples. However, I wouldn't say it makes one feel guilty for giving up or being unable to live up to this assumption, for whatever reason.It is also true that the author does not particularly encourage getting babies on a schedule, but again the whole range of possibilities is discussed in the "Coordinated Feedings" chapter: feeding on cue, waking the other(s) up as one starts to feed etc. By the way, contrary to what another reviewer wrote, that chapter does cover very many ways of breastfeeding two babies at a time, complete with pictures.Breastfeeding of multiples makes up much of the contents, so you would probably also need to complement with a pregnancy/birth book (not necessarily for multiples, I much much preferred good old  "The Pregnancy Book" by William Sears  over the terrorizing and dubious advice in "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads" by Barbara Luke), as well as a separate book for infancy (very happy with  "The Baby Book", also by the Sears ).However, this is not to say that this book is exclusively about breastfeeding. It comes packed with useful information around virtually every other aspect of multiple pregnancy and raising multiples (up into toddlerhood), logistical tips (for instance on "getting out and about"), whole chapters on mental health issues for parents and on enhancing individuality (on which subjects be sure to check out  Emotionally Healthy Twins  as well), etc.So all in all a very thorough, important and highly recommended book.The only downside I found, and I agree with some other reviewers here, is that the material is sometimes too verbose, repeating the same things many times in different parts of the book, which, at 430 pages, could do with a bit of trimming and perhaps a better structure, explaining the fundamental principles once, and referring to them from other chapters where the various applications are covered.

I am expecting twins. I am also already the parent of three children, ages 12, 9.5 and 7. I have breastfed all of them and so while the nursing part of having infant twins doesn't scare me terribly, being in CHARGE of twins as well as everything else DOES. So I was looking for a book that could teach me about the logistics of nursing twins as well as tips on the basics of parenting two infants at once.I am so glad I bought this book.I am normally a library-user but I had a feeling that this one might be a keeper. I was more than right. This is a keep-on-the-bedside-table kind of book. I read it cover-to-cover (nearly, I skipped the section at the end on raising toddlers because I can't handle that information right now :) and found it incredibly accessible. I really appreciated how positive and encouraging it is to those of us who feel strongly about breastfeeding (the book is published by La Leche League International so I expecting nothing less).As I look at the sections that I dog-eared to return to later, I found the most helpful tips in these chapters:* "Enhancing Individuality" - things I had never thought of about helping to create a unique relationship with each twin and helping THEM to be their own people* "Breastfeeding and Birth Preparation" - birth plans, deciding beforehand what's really going to matter during/right after birth* "Coordinating Feedings" - how to do two at once!* "What You'll Need" - a realistic guide to what "stuff" will really make a difference in your home (living in a smallish townhome, I really need to not have anything superfluous around here)* "For Mother's Only" - this was so down-to-earth, reminding me that's okay to feel completely stressed and out of control sometimes, with some ideas of how to combat it. I have a feeling I'll be returning to this one often :)If you are NOT planning on trying to breastfeed at all, this one would still be good to get from the library, just to read the sections that interest you, I feel like the information is that good.Here's looking forward to a few months from now :)

I am the mother of 10 yr old twin boys and this was the most informative book I read during my pregnancy (and I read many!). It provides a lot of practical advice, not only for the pregnancy months (which is what most books for expecting mothers focus on) but for a good part of the first year with the babies, which is by far, the most difficult and exhausting part of mothering twins. In particular I loved the practical advice on breastfeeding, which I used to breastfeed my twins until they were 11 months old (yes, it can be done). If you are expecting twins or more, you really should read this book before the babies arrive (you will be too busy to read once they are born.) And, take heart, after the first year it does get easier and by the time they are 2 yrs old it is actually easier than having only one child or two of different ages as they entertain each other.

When I was pregnant with my twins I knew I wanted to nurse them and this book came highly recommended. I delivered my twins prematurely at 33 weeks so I didn't have a chance to read this book until after my girls were born and in the NICU. My preemies actually did pretty well latching on and nursing but my supply never took off and I really feel like this book just didn't help. I also didn't have much control over what my babies were being fed because they were in the hospital. When I didn't send enough pumped milk (which happened everyday) they'd give my girls formula. There really wasn't anything I could do about that. There really wasn't a lot of advice for preemies, which is odd to me because so many multiples are born prematurely. It also leans more toward attachment parenting philosophies. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not the way I've chosen to raise my kids. I was pretty dissapointed with this book.

I did not realize I was buying a used book. It was not in great condition.The information in the book is exceptional though.

Simplemente sensacional. Me ha encantado, es lo que buscaba. Sobre todo gestión de la lactancia con bebés gemelos o trillizos.

When I had my first baby I was determined to breastfeed but I found it very difficult to start with, especially as I really did not know what to expect. I did succeed in the end and fed her for a year but it was touch and go for a while.When I found out I was expecting twins I bought this book and was I glad that I did! Many people (midwives included!) told me that it would not be possible exclusively to breastfeed twins, especially with the needs of a toddler to attend to and with my husband working away but, with the aid of the information in this book I managed it for over a year. I was able to stand up to my midwife who was muttering about "supplementary bottles" within a week of the birth because of the knowledge I had gained about the mechanics of milk production. Plus it gave me all sorts of information, comfort and support during my pregnancy and many other aspects of caring for twins. I now have two very lively, healthy 21 month old girls.Any time I hear of someone expecting twins now, the first thing I recommend to them is this book. Fantastic!

Great book. I especially like that it gives tips and advice to moms that already have children and are expecting multiples. Great advice on breastfeeding positions and different things to try to fit your own comfort level.

This book is full of really useful information about breast feeding multiples. I am expecting twins in a few months and really want to breast feed. I am reading it through for a second time. Lots of info about what to expect in those first few weeks, gives you an idea about how often you will feed and for how long. Explains all about pumping and storing your milk. Also helps prepare for early arrivals and prolonged stays in NICU ( hopefully won't need this chapter) Worth the money .