The world is astonished that a Californian woman who gave birth to octuplets on January 27th plans to breastfeed all eight. I am more astonished that her body grew eight babies than I am of her breastfeeding plans. Why wouldn’t she want to provide her premature infants anything but the best? I just want to high five her! But as any mom would, I worry about how she will physically manage. Will her breasts produce enough milk?
Some women struggle with producing enough breastmilk for just one baby. Can you imagine the pressure on one’s self to bodily feed eight? Happily, lactation consultants and her doctors are giving her the thumbs up. Since breastmilk is based on supply and demand, the more she pumps or nurses the more milk her breasts will produce. She will need plenty of rest and nourishment to keep it up though. But even if she is conservative and only nurses each child for 30 minutes every two hours 10-12 times per day at two babies per session, she’ll still be up for 20-24 hours a day. So a problem arises. Not only will daddy need to be up around the clock, so will a devoted group of volunteers. Furthermore, my estimated breastfeeding schedule doesn’t take into consideration each baby’s unique temperment and needs. My first born used to nurse for up to an hour or more per session and sometimes she wanted to nurse half an hour later. I remember nursing her for up to three hours when she was falling asleep some nights. I had the luxury of breastfeeding on demand though.
I look forward to finding out how she does it. I’m impressed that while she is pumping in these early days while the babies are in their incubators she is using donated milk from milk banks to supplement what she cannot yet do all on her own. Already she is a testament to breastfeeding as well as an inspiration to future breastfeeding mothers. I think she deserves eight high fives!
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Tags: breast milk, milk banks, nurse on demand, schedule feeding
Posted by Breastfeeding General, Breastfeeding Infants, Children's Health, Pregnancy & Birth, Uncategorized Subscribe to RSS feed
I hadn’t heard that she was planning to breastfeed her babies. A very overwhelming thought for sure. Still, I agree that she’s making a strong stand for breastfeeding. I sincerely hope she gets all the support she will be needing. Good for her.
Well, I just hope she’s got someone to do EVERYTHING else in the house! I could do it, I think, but I would never leave my bed or the couch. Plus imagine how many calories she would burn…someone better bring her constant meals! Somehow a queen bee comes to mind…lol!
While breastfeeding would do so much good for these little ones, her track record of poor choices leads me to believe that it’s all a media ploy.
My heart breaks for the children she brought so selfishly into this world without the benefit of a husband, a job, her own home, or an education.
God go with them.
I’m pretty sure that her lack of education or a husband has little to do with her choice of whether to breastfeed or not.
Im so sick of people bashing this lady. I am sure that she will make plenty of milk to give them a very good supplement to formula. I wish her all the best. I think its sick that if you are married, white, rich and you have a litter of artificially produced babies then you are a star but if you are anything outside of those parameters then you get bashed.
anyhow god bless her and her sweet babies!
I am so excited to have read this post. I’m pregnant and I am planning to breastfeed this new little one. I had a lot of trouble with the my first child that I only ended up breastfeeding her for 3 months.If this lady can breastfeed 8 babies; she just inspires me to breastfeed my 1 even more. Thanks for the great posts it helps me more and more to have somewhere to get advice and hear what others are doing.
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breastmilk a supplement to formula???
formula is the supplement to breastfeeding. in fact it goes(in order of health benefits):
1. mothers own breastmilk from breast
2. mothers own breastmilk from bottle
3. donor breastmilk from bottle
4. formula
I wonder whatever happened to Octomom’s plans to breastfeed? Did you ever hear??
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