Pam Armstrong started her home business in the fall of 2022 called Tandem Breastfeeding Company. The term is used by mothers of twins who feed both their children at the same time. Armstrong has a lot of experience with three sets of fraternal twins aged four, nine and 13.
"Well, they say it's around one in 800, 000," said Armstrong. "I have yet to find another mom that has had three sets of twins consecutively and no other children, I'm on the hunt to find my (comrade) in the world."
Armstrong helps expectant moms and mothers with one or more children to breastfeed. So far she is teaching women in Australia and U.S., with one mom from Ghana who just signed up. While those clients are taught on-line, she wants to build her clientele in her own community for in-person classes.
"There's not a lot of resources available for moms who are expecting multiples", she said. "Breastfeeding rates are very low for mums that are expecting twins and so that is kind of where my passion is of building into that community of women who need support."
WHOLE NEW MEANING
Mother's Day takes on a whole new meaning in a house full of twins. Both Armstrong and her husband Taylor say it's been fun to watch the children grown and become more independent.
"We've had lots of special memories over the years for sure of varying degrees of intensity and 'relaxness'," said Armstrong.
"It's kind of another just another day where we get to be thankful for the all the things that the kid's Mom, my wife, does for our children," said Taylor. "I'm not a great Mother's Day gift buyer as it is so I don't feel pressure has ever been on because my wife is very gracious and I probably could stand to do a bit more for Mother's Day so maybe the pressures on."
Armstrong says her husband has supported her when she needed it most when the children were younger and breastfeeding.
"He used to sleep at my feet on the floor when I was breastfeeding in the night," she said. "And I could kick him when I needed help, that's some true sacrificial love there."
The six children sit around the kitchen table making Mother's Day cards with messages for their mom that they'll be giving her on May 14th.
"You make the world a better place because you are kind and you put the important thing aside to love me," said nine-year-old Adileigh.
Her twin sister Brynlee wrote "Mom, you are the best mom, you mean a lot."
The youngest twins are four-year-old Maverick and Blakeley and they're busy colouring pictures for their mom. Parker and his twin sister Emery are 13 years old and he says his mom does a lot for the family.
"She makes us breakfast in the morning, every morning," he said. "She helps us clean up stuff, she helps us with our music and also schooling, she helps us with a lot of things."
But the kids won't be making breakfast and serving it to their mom in bed on the special day because they're going to be in Edmonton.
"My mom is taking me to a basketball tournament instead of celebrating Mother's Day," said Emery. "So yeah, we all have to go, I'm playing in the basketball tournament and she's coaching me."
No matter where the family spends Mother's Day, Armstrong says it's important they spend it together.
"We really do focus on as a family that we spend a lot of time together and make those memories together as a whole," she said.
Learn more about Tandem Breastfeeding Co. here.
