Becoming a new mum can be both challenging and rewarding, and one mum has spoken out about the judgement she received for deciding to breastfeed just one of her twins while opting to bottle feed the other.
Courtney Kleinebreil, 27, from Arkansas, welcomed her twins, Sutton and Brooks, on 15 November 2019 via caesarean section.
In the beginning, Courtney was able to breastfeed both of her babies - who were both born at a similar, healthy weight.
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While Sutton weighed 6lbs 1oz, Brooks was born weighing 6lbs exactly.
Although Courtney enjoyed breastfeeding, she became concerned after doctors noticed Sutton wasn't gaining enough weight.
In a bid to measure exactly how much milk Sutton was consuming, doctors advised Courtney to begin bottle feeding her instead. Take a listen to her discuss her decision:
But once Sutton started feeding via the bottle, she refused to latch on.
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Courtney continued to nurse Brooks until he was nearly two and hasn’t noticed a difference in her twins.
“They monitored us for a while but after three months she was still small for her age so I had to give her formula milk too,” she says.
“As soon as she had the bottle that was it, she wasn’t coming back to me. She got really chunky and healthy from there.
“I still tried to feed them at the same time. People always think I must have a favourite but it felt right to carry on breastfeeding Brooks.
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“I started breastfeeding both of them but I had to use a bottle with Sutton as she needed to grow a bit more.
“Then she just didn’t want to go back to nursing. I felt a bit sad when I couldn’t breastfeed Sutton anymore but I couldn’t force it.
“Now they have both been hitting their milestones and I can’t see a difference in bottle feeding Sutton compared to breastfeeding Brooks.”
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Although Courtney was sad she could no longer breastfeed Sutton, she didn't feel guilty about it.
“You don’t have to validate parenting – it’s what works for you,” she says.
“I think it is unusual with twins to then keep breastfeeding one but I found out Brooks had a milk allergy.
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“So I became dairy free and kept nursing him until he was nearly two.”
Courtney insists she hasn’t seen a difference in the twins milestones now they are two.
“Sutton was talking really early from about one but they’re both hitting all their milestones,” she adds.
“Sutton is the boss - she is so sassy but she’s very affectionate.
“Brooks is very funny but quieter. Breastfeeding is amazing if you can do it but their shouldn’t be this guilt.”
Lucy Devine