Breastfeeding octuplets?

[MsMummy]

There was a story on one of the breakfast programs this morning about a woman in California who had octuplets.

They said she was planning to breastfeed them.

I know people breastfeed twins, or tandem feed, but it made me think how many babies/children can you breastfeed?

I struggle with one so I'm amazed to hear about attempting to feed 8.

Does the body just keep producing milk? I imagine the babies would get pretty impatient while their siblings feed...

I'm really curious how many babies other people have fed now.

...?

[SuperGranny]

hi, i wonder about this too, I fed twins, but eight, my goodness. She will have to have plenty of help close by, I could see that it could be possible, but she would be feeling like one of those sushi train conveyor belt thing. Im sure she will have to formula feed also, it would be very physically draining to be just breastfeeding. Good luck to her, what a champion , Marie.

[Mrs Nietzsche]

I don't think you could no. the body would keep producing milk endlessly - but it would be really hard to eat enough to get enough energy to make it all. And I just don't think logistically you could get 8 babies fed before the first one was hungry again.

I did hear of a woman with 4 babies (quads?) doing is making sure each baby had at least one breastfeed a day, so that might be more of an option.

[workin'mumof2]

yes it is very possible// there was a story a while ago i think on operah where a woman had 6babies and exclusively espressed and fed all 6 ebm for 6 whole months. :yes:

i would imagine she would need alot of help though. and alot and alot of water :D

[LilMissnBoo]

If it is Sunrise you are referring to, then I think Kochie was joking, as in his next breath he then said she was planning on using cloth nappies, and then everyone laughed.

Not sure if it could be done, you would be just exhausted!

[Nex]

A chinese policewoman was reported as having fed 9 motherless babies pulled from a hospital nursery in the earthquake.

That's dedication to feed 9 not even your own!

[squiglet]

There was a woman on Opra that bf her 6 (I think it was 6 children) for 6 months. She pummped and pumpped:laughing: I'm not too sure she actually put baby to breast???

[Mrs Nietzsche]

That was only for a few days and each baby only had 1-2 feeds before with her before going on to further help.

But yeah... thank god she was there, some of them had mother's who had been walking through the mountains for days and were severely dehydrated and lost their milk.

[Mrs Nietzsche]

hm - maybe it would be possible if you pumped (so long as your boobs worked well with the pump etc). i had attachment issues with my first and pumped... and it just caused me to have sooo much milk, I had to tip so much down the sink.. i guess if you responded well to a pump, and pumping worked really quickly for you, and you had other people around who could actually feed the babiest he EBM in a bottle, it could work?

Hopefully they can all at least get something though.

But are they very premature? i haven't seen the story so I'm just assuming that octuplets would come out early.

[Sheer Bliss]

There was a woman on Opra that bf her 6 (I think it was 6 children) for 6 months. She pummped and pumpped:laughing: I'm not too sure she actually put baby to breast???

I remember the mum on Oprah too - she would give them 'turns' at being at the breast, other than that she was a pumping machine! Some woman can produce loads of milk.....a friend can pump 500mL in one sitting! :yelclap: So if they went with supply and demand, and just pumped like crazy in those first few months to etablish one hell of a supply, then it probably is possible. I think if hse tried to exclusively feed each one at the boob with no pumping she would sit there all day and do nothing but feed, but with expressing, i think it's do-able. :yelclap: :yelclap: to her!

[Mrs Nietzsche]

Just found this:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5600867.ece

[Sheer Bliss]

But are they very premature? i haven't seen the story so I'm just assuming that octuplets would come out early.

I think they were 32 weeks, so prem, but brilliant for there being 8 of them!!

[Sheer Bliss]

My GOSH the media is harsh in the UK.....women are not designed to breast-feed litters of children - that is a horrible thing to say!

[QTB]

wow thats awesome that she wants too, even if she doesnt manage it, at least the thought and attempt is there!

If it was me personally, i would feed non stop in hospital so the bubs could have the colostrum, then go to 1-2feeds each a day, the rest formula, it would be way to draining otherwise!

[2made3]

:flowerz: All hail her if she can!!! :flowerz:

[Mrs Nietzsche]

qtb i am thinking I woudl do the same... she is going to have to work really hard to protect her mental, physical and emotional health with 8 babies, possibly with medical issues... I don't think 24 hour round the clock feeding can be the best for a woman's sanity.

That's me though... if she has a team of slaves and having great success with the pump then it would be different.

[zenifa]

I think the woman should be supported and encouraged to breastfeed, but I admit it is going to be very draining on her mentally, physically and emotionally just looking after 8 babies.

My friend has 2 sets of twins (1yr apart, 13mths) and she is tandem feeding them all and does 18 feeds/day for 4 children, although the oldest two can now drink cows milk and are on solids!!

So I can only imagine how one goes about trying to feed 8 babies!! Whether she does breast, pumps, or comp feeds, its going to take a lot of help to look after 8 babies. Maybe there are 'wet nurses' or breastmilk donors that she can access.

I wish her well!

[grass is always greener]

What a negative article. It was full of ****!!
I think if she wants to do it then :smiliedance: what an awesome lady.

[Lunar]

My GOSH the media is harsh in the UK.....women are not designed to breast-feed litters of children - that is a horrible thing to say!

Yes I agree that it isn't such a nice thing to say, but think about it. Animals that DO have litters have many nipples to feed their young. Humans only have 2! We really aren't designed to feed that many babies!

I applaud any effort to BF on her part. What an amazing woman to carry and birth 8 babies! That in itself is a miracle.

[FiveInTheBed]

:yelclap: to her for even thinking about it!!

I agree, she would have to have hands on help with nappies, settling and sleeping, bathing,meals (for her) etc or she wouldn't be able to any thing else but feed.

I BF twins for nine months! I think if I had 8 babies I would do the BF/comp EBM/ Formula thing...really it depends on how well the bubs feed and put on weight - same with any baby.

another great big :yelclap:...I am in awe of this woman!!

[Sheer Bliss]

Yes I agree that it isn't such a nice thing to say, but think about it. Animals that DO have litters have many nipples to feed their young. Humans only have 2! We really aren't designed to feed that many babies!

I applaud any effort to BF on her part. What an amazing woman to carry and birth 8 babies! That in itself is a miracle.

Yeah, it's not going to be easy, but there is a nicer way of saying almost everything they said - the whole article has a very negative spin to her even contemplaing b/f them. It's not so much what they said that I have a problem with, but how they said it - most of t was unsupportive and downright rude, even if there was truth behind it.

[AM]

Yep, it definitely can be done, supply and demand and all that...

Awesome for her to do it, I hope she has heaps and heaps of support! :)

[Lastcenturymum]

I have a vision of her sitting on a couch, being handed bub after bub..good on her if she can feed them for even a short time -a wonderful start for them all, especially if she has a great support crew.

I have a friend who breastfed triplets for 14 months :yelclap: (she had a two year old as well)

[~Temet Nosce~]

I think it woyld be awesome if she could do it.. but she will be spending 99% of her day feeding and I imagine that would drive the toughest person insane. She has to think of herself too.

[Blueberry Crumble]

I think it is a silly idea TBH. It would be physically and mentally draining. Women are not supposed to have so many babies at once- it is unnatural and the body (whilst Im assuming it wouldnt be impossible) would struggle to feed so many. Sure, she could give them all breastmilk, but it would need to be supplemented with formula. Can you imagine? She would be up ALLLLL NIGHT. I couldnt think of anything worse.

[Blueberry Crumble]

And also, why even try to do it exclusively? Sure, formula isnt as good as breastmilk, but it is a darn good replacement... babies would be getting everything they need, and she will be able to enjoy doing some other things without having babies attached to her boobies- god forbid she would be able to have a shower!!!

[Sheer Bliss]

And also, why even try to do it exclusively? Sure, formula isnt as good as breastmilk, but it is a darn good replacement... babies would be getting everything they need, and she will be able to enjoy doing some other things without having babies attached to her boobies- god forbid she would be able to have a shower!!!

Well, do we even now that she is going to try and exclusively b/f? I mean, her idendity is stil a secret, so there have been no interviews, and it is all only hearsay anyway. Maybe she is hoping to have all of them have breastmilk and comp feed too - why are all these assumptions being made about If's, but's and why's? At the end of the day - to think about trying to get all your babies breastmilk or EBM is amazing, so why jump on the poor woman?

The delicate gut flora can be damaged very easily, and breastmilk is the best way to prevent this. Maybe this is part of her reason to want to exclusively b/f? Who knows really - the main point here i think was - good on her for wanting to do it.....not you silly woman.

BTW, it's out in the news today that she has started pumping in expectation of 8 hungry babies, but 5 of them have also had their first FF - so maybe the media has twisted the whole exclusively b/f thing?? I can't beleive the media would do such a thing, just to get a story :rolleyes: