I had already experienced the newborn stage with Keira so when we planned to take our Twins camping at 6weeks old I was a little more clued in to some of the challenges I would face, and by that I mean I had the questions, not the answers.
My biggest concern was feeding.
Establishing how you are going to feed can be a challenge but whatever you decide, a fed baby is a healthy baby so try not to put too much pressure on yourself, follow your instincts and find your own rhythm.
If you plan to give birth on the road I recommend staying close to main towns until you and bubs are properly established. Keira struggled to latch on my right but with some persistence and support from a consultant she eventually developed a good latch and I was lucky enough to have a good supply. It took almost 5 weeks to get into a rhythm.
You don't want to be in the middle of nowhere and realise you have a milk supply / latchment issue or that bubs is being fussy about the type of formula / bottle teats.
Remember, what worked for your first baby may not work for your second, third, so on.
My Breastfeeding tips:
BE COMFORTABLE! Unfortunately my amazing nursing chair didn't fit in the camper trailer but I did have a wonderful NURSING PILLOW that made the experience easier. I loved my Mombo Nursing Pillow and it doubled as an infant support pillow.
KNOW YOUR SEASONS! Keira was a November baby meaning our first few camping trips were in the middle of Summer. There is nothing comfortable about sitting in the 'oven-like' environment of a stuffy camper holding a baby against you, sweaty and sticky.
So, I needed to SETUP A RELAXING FEEDING AREA that was comfortable and worked for me.
More often than not, I would sit in my camping chair, under our awning. Sometimes I would turn my chair around so I was facing the camper so Keira wouldn't get distracted.
Other times I would find a nice shady tree to relax and feed under.
As a last resort I would sit in the car, push back the passenger seat, turn on the air con and relax. Sometimes I would even play some music.
SUPPORT YOUR BACK by using a chair or something with a good back support. Free-feeding after a while, and especially as bubs gets heavier, will start to hurt your back. Use a pillow behind your back if you need to.
Don't forget your WATER and a HEALTHY SNACK. Breastfeeding always makes me hungry and keeping your hydration up is good for your supply and your health.
As the weather cools down you'll be able to use a LIGHT-WEIGHT WRAP / NURSING COVER if you want to and chances are in winter, you'll be like me and look forward to snuggling up to bubs under a blanket or inside the camper.
As a back-up I always had a bottle and a tin of formula, just in case something happened to my supply or I had to be separated from bubs for whatever reason. I kept it in the cupboard of my daughters room at home and would pack it in the back of the camper when we travelled.
When our Twins came along, I was met with a different set of challenges. Having some experience with latchment and positioning was helpful but I had to find a new rhythm.
Savannah was born 2.2kg (4lbs 13oz) so she had a low stamina and needed two feeds for one of Mia's. It was nice to feed Savannah one on one at times but when both girls were hungry I needed to dual feed otherwise the sessions dragged on and the exhaustion was too much.
Dual feeding, for me, consisted of my wonderful nursing pillow and 3 extra pillows (one under each twin on either side of the nursing pillow and one behind my back). It took me a few weeks to be able to get both girls latched on my own. I could always do the setup and get one on but I relied on Cameron, or whoever was around, to help the second twin on in the beginning.
When the girls were 6weeks old we left for a 4week holiday to the Northern Territory.
I had set myself up a little section on the lounge that was an almost-perfect little feeding area.
It was comfortable to feed in, but when the girls fell asleep I couldn't get out without waking one of them so this meant I would have to wake Cameron to help me get them into bed.
While we actually driving I would try to feed the girls one at a time in the front seat. We tried to time it but it didn't always work out perfectly which meant sometimes one would be crying. I felt like a terrible mother and so guilty but if I was already half way through a feed it was better to not disturb the one feeding, let her finish while Cameron comforted the other and then swap over.
But if it was at the start and they needed a long feed I would unlatch and quickly setup a dual feed in the caravan.
While we were out and about I had no choice but to feed one at a time so I was always on the lookout for their cues.
I'm not going to lie; Yes it is tiring and Yes it is challenging but the scenery, the experience and the adventures make it so worth it and our cubs will look back on some awesome photos/videos of themselves.
Do you have any other tips or hints that may help a newly travelling Mum out when it comes to feeding?
(Lovely views while breastfeeding)