Mothers have come to Group Meetings with two premature babies, each on an apnea monitor, an alarm system that goes off if a baby stops breathing. Mothers need special support along with techniques to help small babies latch on correctly and nurse effectively. Some of these babies may have initially been tube or bottle fed in neonatal intensive care units. In the early days, their mothers need help to find a satisfactory breast pump and information on how to build up and maintain an adequate milk supply. Babies may need help in overcoming nipple confusion.
Many mothers also have to deal with recovery following a cesarean birth.
The Leaders of these special meetings are called upon to do a lot of telephone helping if a mother is on bedrest or if she finds it very difficult to travel to Group Meetings. A mother of twins is beset with questions and comments wherever she goes. Mine are just thirteen months apart, so I know how you feel. When a new mother has twins she longs for a place to move beyond these comments and share her concerns and feelings with others experiencing the same intense demands of parenting more than one baby at a time. Often hesitant to speak out about her needs at regular La Leche League meetings, she may be fearful of trivializing the concerns of single-birth mothers.