Ariel shares her story of breastfeeding Henrietta while pregnant with baby, Montgomery, and their tandem feeding journey. Henrietta and Montgomery also have an older brother Oscar.
How did you find it during the first trimester?
The first trimester was a bit tough, but not terrible. My daughter was 15 months old so she wasn’t feeding constantly which did make it quite a bit easier.
Did your older baby notice the colostrum change around 16 weeks?
Yes, she noticed the colostrum changes. She fussed for a bit but still loved loved loved her feeds.
How did you ensure you kept adequate nutrition seeing as the needs are so high?
I probably didn’t do my best with my nutrition. I took all of my prenatal vitamins but could definitely have done more for the growing of two babies and myself…
Why did you choose to continue?
It felt right for the moment. My daughter was still little in my eye and she really loved her time.
When did you stop?
I tandem-fed both for about 10 months.
Did you feed a newborn and older baby, how did you manage this?
The hardest part was post-birth. I had SO much milk. I was engorged for 3 days when I was in the hospital, my son was obviously not needed the colostrum, and the midwives were insisting I didn’t pump. I ended up feeding my daughter on day 2 and then had my husband bring my pump. I had 4 bottles of liquid gold for future use.
Ariel is a co-found of From Day One, a go-to destination for modern parents from pregnancy to postpartum, soon to be opening in Melbourne.