2weeks 5days old

The boys are getting fatter.... the little fellas eat so much!! We are feeding them 90mls, seven times a day. 4feeds are breastmilk (expressed and bottlefed) in the day and 3feeds are formula at night as there is not enough breastmilk for every feed and they sleep better on formula. We bottle feed them expressed milk at the moment. We would like to be breastfeeding both of them at the same time, but it is more difficult that we first thought. Benji does not attach very well. He cries and pulls away and will not open his mouth properly and it hurts his mummy. Ethan is better at it, but still does not always attach properly. He will not attach at all if he is hungry. He will cry in a hyperventalating way and arch his back away from the breast. It makes it all very difficult. At this point Tracie finds it easier to bottlefeed them and express inbetween feeds.

Sal is also trying to breastfeed the boys. It is possible to induce lactation when you have not given birth. Sal used a breastpump for 3 months before the boys were born and both of us take medication to increase our milk supply. Sal has a small milk supply but not enough for a hungry boy. Yesterday the supply line that we ordered online arrived. A supply line is like a small rubber tube that stis next to the nipple. It is attached to a container that is filled with milk and hung around the neck. The baby sucks on the breast and the line at the same time and milk comes down the line and the baby gets rewarded for his sucking. Sal used it for the fisrt time today with Ethan. Once he was attached it worked quite well. He sucked very well for about 40mins and managed to suck about 80mls out of the supply line. It was very encouraging and Sal will try again tommorrow.

Our child and family health nurse popped in for a quick visit again today. She gave us some info and support on breastfeeding and the use of a supply line. She didn't weigh the boys as it was only a quick visit but she saw them sleeping and said they looked fatter than they did 4 days ago!! What do you think??

Ethan(left) and Benji (right)

Ethan sitting on the couch

Benji stretching after a big sleep