Sharing the Breastfeeding Journey: Co-Nursing

^{This text is a component 2 of a sequence on methods people have discovered to navigate breastfeeding. You possibly can learn half 1 right here.}

Co-nursing implies that each the delivery dad or mum and the non-birth dad or mum take part in breastfeeding. This creates a win-win-win state of affairs. 

For the infant, it means extra alternatives to breastfeed and bonding time with each dad and mom.

For the dad and mom, it means having essentially the most concrete help for breastfeeding doable. A significant expertise to share with one another. And, after all, all the documented well being advantages of breastfeeding.

However simply because it’s a course of with unbelievable outcomes, doesn’t imply it’s a straightforward path. 

We talked to 2 dad and mom, Haley and Sara Stephens. Each are college within the Division of Pediatrics at UVA Well being Youngsters’s, and so they knew all concerning the medical advantages of breastfeeding. They’d seen LGBTQ+ supportive suppliers. So, they knew that inducing lactation and co-nursing was doable.

What Led to Selecting to Induce Lactation?

Haley: I used to be the gestational dad or mum for our twins, and it was at all times my objective to breastfeed. We knew that nursing twins is loads of work, and Sara was instantly all in favour of inducing lactation.

Sara: I adopted the Newman Goldfarb protocol. I had an awesome response, and I used to be producing milk earlier than the twins arrived.

Welcome to the NICU

Their twins had been born prematurely, at 34 weeks and 5 days. Like many infants born prematurely, they remained in the NICU till near their due date.

NICU infants usually aren’t able to latch and nurse. Which means navigating the NICU, breast pumps, and — for Sara and Haley — insurance policies that wanted to be adjusted.

Haley: In 2019, when our twins had been born, UVA Well being had by no means had a non-gestational dad or mum give their milk to a child within the NICU. However the medical workforce scrambled to regulate their insurance policies and protocols to permit Sara to present her milk to our youngsters, somewhat than having them devour donated milk or method.

My milk had not are available sufficient but to feed the untimely infants what they wanted. In order that they thrived virtually solely on Sara’s milk delivered by NG tube whereas we awaited my provide.

Sara: Haley and I had been pumping each 3 hours across the clock to provide milk. It was exhausting, however it was so great to do it collectively. We had been capable of encourage one another and maintain one another accountable for pumping. I didn’t like waking up in the course of the evening, however Haley was a champ about setting the alarm and getting us up and pumping.

From Pumping to Co-Nursing

Many dad and mom favor nursing to pumping for a lot of causes. There’s much less to wash, for one. However NICU infants usually can’t nurse successfully. However that doesn’t imply they’ll’t study. Lactation consultants and speech language pathologists go to the NICU to assist deal with the wants of recent dad and mom.

Haley: We had been visited recurrently by lactation consultants whereas our twins had been within the NICU. They labored with us on positioning and latch. They inspired us that we may do that even when the twins had been sluggish to study to feed.

We additionally had a number of outpatient visits with the lactation workforce after the twins had been discharged from the NICU to ensure we had been doing all the things we may to achieve success.

Roughly 1 month after discharge from the NICU, our twins had been nursing nicely from each of us. However it was not with out perseverance and loads of cheerleading. We’re so glad we caught it out as a result of our twins nursed fortunately for two years!

Sara: After the twins had been solely breastfeeding (round 2 months previous – one month previous when adjusted for prematurity), we settled into an unique breastfeeding journey with them till they weaned shortly earlier than they turned 2 years previous.

We might commerce which child we’d be in command of feeding over nights after which we’d take turns throughout the day.

Weathering the Challenges and Sharing the Joys

Being a dad or mum can really feel lonely typically. Breastfeeding is usually a kind of occasions. However Haley and Sara’s co-nursing journey exhibits how significant it may be to share that have.

Haley: Anybody who has been a brand new dad or mum attempting to breastfeed understands how tough it may be to study to feed a child. I really feel so lucky to have had Sara by my facet to climate the highs and lows of the expertise.

She was my teammate for all the things, from pumping each 3 hours within the NICU, to mourning our youngsters’s challenges with latching, to dancing across the room after these first profitable breastfeeding periods. It was pure magic to have my accomplice going by way of the very same, extremely emotional, journey as me. To not point out, it was tremendous useful to not be the only real producer of milk and the one dad or mum who may soothe youngsters with breastfeeding.

Sara: The pandemic began when the infants had been 3 months previous (2 months adjusted). So Haley and I had been each residence with them. We then principally did tandem feeds once we had been offering caretaking and the opposite would pump or nurse after they could be accomplished working. We had further breastmilk that we donated to native households.

I had an extended fertility journey main as much as the twins. I attempted to get pregnant for two years with out success. With the ability to breastfeed the twins was magical and it allowed me to expertise that a part of motherhood.

2 Years of Nursing

A yr of breastfeeding requires roughly 1,800 hours. Or basically, a full-time job. 2 years for two infants is loads of hours. However The American Affiliation of Pediatrics and The World Well being Group agree. Prolonged breastfeeding presents a number of well being advantages.

And on the finish of two years, Haley and Sara had one other journey to embark on.

Sara: I used to be capable of lastly get pregnant 2 years after the twins had been born and we had our third little woman. Haley selected to not induce lactation for our singleton as a result of it might have resulted in each of us having to pump extra milk to maintain our provides up, and we additionally had 2 toddlers at residence, so we didn’t wish to add any further work to what we already had on our plates. It was good having a accomplice who knew what it was prefer to breastfeed. She was extremely supportive of my breastfeeding journey with child #3.