Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets

Kathryn has established herself as the leading voice in the support of breastfeeding twins and triplets in the UK. This valuable book is a much welcome opportunity to have that experienced voice alongside us in our practice. Her no-nonsense explanation of how milk production works and how early breastfeeding is established is gold for anyone who supports new families. Kathryn's smart focused writing is interspersed with the voices of real parents. This is especially valuable when many of us may have little experience working with families of multiples. This book does what all great books for professionals should do: it provides evidence-based information in a format that is efficient and easy to translate into our work with families.

Essential reading for parents wanting to breastfeed twins and triplets! It is written by an experienced lactation consultant, and specialist on the special issues facing parents when feeding more than one baby. The book is packed full of evidence-based practical information and hints on preparing to breastfeed including the initial challenges such as stimulating and maintaining milk supply, expressing milk, feeding both babies at the same time and the vital support of partners and families. Many twins and triplets are born early and spend their first weeks on neonatal units, which can present emotional and initial problems with feeding, but Kathryn Stagg gives positive strategies to overcome these difficulties, with stories from parents. The helpful, attractive illustrations help understanding of positioning babies and expressing milk. I found the emotional impact of expecting and relating to more than one baby are covered sensitively through parents' stories and through the author being a parent of twins herself.

Kathryn has been there, done it, and got the (milk-stained) T-shirt! She knows what it's like to breastfeed more than one baby and she recognises that, in challenging circumstances, any breastfeeding is worth celebrating. Speaking from her own experience, and drawing on stories from other parents, she succeeds in telling it like it is while at the same time giving a consistently positive message about what's possible. I particularly like her description of normal newborn behaviour, which is thorough and clear, helping to dispel doubts about whether breastfeeding is 'working'. A valuable resource for parents of multiples.

Breastfeeding twins and triplets by Kathryn Stagg is an informative book that will support any practitioner supporting parents of twins or triplets to breastfeed...This book is very easy to navigate, is written in an engaging way and provides lots of relevant information to support student health visitors, student midwives and practising health professionals.