To Nurse or not to Nurse - There is no Question

Breastfeeding Twins

As my twins just passed their first birthday, I started contemplating whether I should introduce another source of milk, be it cow or goat. As yet I am undecided, and for me indecision leads to inaction.

Most people have long stopped asking me when I'm giving them a bottle. I guess they're as bored of my washy responses as I am of their asking.

I don't know quite what it is that I have against bottles, it just seems to unnatural, too detached... too easy perhaps? My husband says I always choose the hard way, I'd just rather follow my instincts and not follow the herd. Learning to stay true to myself has been empowering. But honestly I don't know why people find it so hard to breastfeed, even twins. I just get on and do it. And use the time to read books to my older child.

So what advice would I give to breastfeeders, especially of twins:

1. Drink lots and lots of water even if you don't feel thirsty
2. Eat lots of unprocessed food - fruit, vegetables, good quality protein
3. Do NOT under any circumstances let midwives "help" your babies latch on. It breaches mother-child trust. A midwife grabbed my newborn babies head and flipped her head onto my squeezed nipple, it was a violation and it took my baby ages to relax again
4. Keep in offering the nipple
5. Try lots of different positions until you find one that is comfortable and doesn't cause cracked nipples
6. Get a good quality feeding cushion and lots of pillows (I used a u-shape and positioned babies feeding facing eachother. At 12 months I don't use the pillow but they still are in the same position)
7. Gliding rocking chairs are great - I got one second hand and spent most of first months in it, I even fell asleep tandem feeding)
8. Buy a 1.5 litre aluminium bottle so you always replenish fluids
9. Exercise! You'll feel better and I think a little a day helps jeep your milk up
10. Rest when you're able - leave the housework
11. In the same breath, if you drop the expectation of sleeping undisturbed and welcome night wakings (kiss your babies, how lucky I am to see you at 11pm... 1pm... 2pm...) I've been through it! Most nights I was up hourly and now I'm up 4-5 times a night and it's mostly mind over matter
12. Don't buy bottles or formula - if they're not around you won't be tempted to give in, it pays off

Sometimes I really feel I've had enough, at other times the job of nursing my babies to this age and size is awesome. I sometimes get a huge rush of love hormones when I feed, and that is an amazing feeling.

That doesn't come in a bottle.