Hayley’s story - twin challenges after a Covid baby

Today, I’m talking to Hayley, a midwife and IBCLC from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in Australia. Hayley’s first baby, Isla was conceived in Scotland in March 2020. Her return to Australia at 30 weeks with her husband Rob involved costly flights, and a two week hotel quarantine stay. After having an induction at 42+2, Hayley describes returning to on-call night work when Isla was 14 months and how Rob settled their breastfeeding toddler without bottles. Breastfeeding Isla was smooth and she later weaned gradually around age three using boundaries like “booby when the sun’s up.” Hayley then recounts an unexpected twin pregnancy, induction at 38 weeks due to growth restriction and preeclampsia. Twins Magnus and Oscar had a difficult early feeding period with pain and weeks of triple feeding, until an IBCLC advised stopping pumping. Breastfeeding then settled, and she is now exclusively breastfeeding the seven-month-old twins alongside solids while balancing family life and planning a part-time return to work.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com 

Resources mentioned - 

Kathryn Stagg IBCLC  https://kathrynstaggibclc.com/ 

Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets https://breastfeedingtwinsandtriplets.co.uk/ 

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.