This latest question relates to the discussion we had recently about promoting breastfeeding to pregnant women.
Dear Angela,
I have a friend who is on bed rest and will probably have premature multiples. I gently asked whether she plans to breastfeed and she responded with comments about how she isn’t sure but she’s sick of strong pressure from very pro-breastfeeding women. She says she’ll commit to at least 4 weeks of “trying,” but I could already hear excuses in her explanation, such as “I’m really tiny and I don’t think my body will produce enough”, and “I’ve heard they actually …read more

Karen Kerkhoff Gromada recently released a third revised edition of her book Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More! Ms. Gromada is a long-time La Leche League leader, registered nurse and lactation consultant. In addition to writing Mothering Multiples she co-authored Keys to Parenting Twins, Keys to Parenting Multiples, and Care of the Multiple-Birth Family: Postpartum through Infancy.
B123: What are some of the significant changes and additions you made to this revised edition?
KKG: Hmm, there have been revisions to just about everything – every chapter includes some changes and updates. Amazing how the science of lactation and “standard” …read more

Registered nurse, lactation consultant and long-time La Leche League Leader Karen Kerkhoff Gromada just revised her book Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More! The book highlights breastfeeding and attachment-style parenting but covers all aspects of caring for multiple babies from pregnancy to mothering toddler multiples.

“Desperate Housewives” actress Marcia Cross conceived her twin girls through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The twins are nearly two months old now and Marcia told People magazine how happy she is with new motherhood and what her days are like:
I’ll tell you my routine – it’s really exciting! I feed, I burp, I change diapers, I pump. And then I have a tiny window of time to myself. I can breastfeed them both at the same time, which for me is a huge accomplishment!
Marcia should feel doubly proud (pun intended) for breastfeeding her twins. A University of Melbourne study released last month found that …read more

I happened to catch the Oprah show today about siblings. The first guests were the Harris sextuplets, the only set of African-American sextuplets to survive. Their mother Diamond Harris explained how she and her husband used intrauterine insemination to conceive. At first they were told they were having twins, then a subsequent ultrasound showed five heartbeats, and during the birth they got an additional surprise–a sixth baby had been hiding behind the placenta!
Oprah applauded Diamond for breastfeeding the sextuplets. The interview wasn’t entirely positive but it was amazing to hear Diamond say that she breastfed the six babies until they were six …read more

A reader shares her experience breastfeeding triplets! Enjoy this Q&A with Julie:
Tell us a little about yourself and your three children!
I am 23 years old and active duty Navy. I’ve been in the Navy for three years. I’ve been married for four years, and my husband just graduated from college in December. We were told we were expecting twins when I was seven weeks pregnant, and were ecstatic and surprised and a little scared. I experienced some bleeding a few days later, and it continued on and off for the next two weeks, so I …read more

Tammy Etheridge (well-known as the actress Tammy Lynn Michaels on the television series Popular) recently had twins with her wife (and yesterday’s Oscar winner for best original song!) Melissa Etheridge. Tammy writes on her blog Hollywood Farm Girl all about how she’s breastfeeding their four-month-old boy-girl twins Miller Steven and Johnnie Rose. Before the Oscars, she wrote:
checking oscar.
nail polish.
check.
breast pump.
check.
pump accessories (baggies, plastic parts, scissors, marker, pump vest, etc).
check.
black dress.
check.
Indeed, the Celebrity Baby Blog reports that Tammy even dished with Joan Rivers about breastfeeding:
Joan Rivers asked Tammy if she had exercised to get back into shape after giving birth …read more

The Canadian Chronicle Herald published an amazing and inspiring story of how 21-year-old Felicia Simms breastfeeds her conjoined twins who are joined at their heads:
Although Simms breastfed her two older kids, it’s a whole new beginning with her twins.
“What’s the most challenging part of breastfeeding them?” Simms said. “Positioning!”
“It’s very complicated because when one is on the breast the other has to be tilted and has to be slanted downwards.
“You’re feeding one and the other will suck on its tongue and you have to give it a soother or something because it wants food.
“We’re trying to figure out how to …read more