Breastfeeding twins - the first few weeks

As I stated in my prior post, during our hospital stay post-delivery we had an assertive nurse who got me started on a nursing schedule to make sure I was getting rest. Basically, I was to nurse the girls every three hours, each for 20 minutes. I guess a nurse tried to teach me to tandem nurse in the hospital - I have no memory of this. I simply wasn't functioning well enough to make tandem nursing work yet. BW also was struggling with latching, ineffective sucking, and falling asleep while eating, so if I tried to tandem, I imagine she probably didn't eat anything. Once I finished nursing each baby, I would then pump for 10 minutes. 

We also utilized a supplemental nursing system- basically a syringe with a thin tube attached. This thin tube can either be placed next to the nipple or used with a fingertip to get the baby formula/breast milk without causing nipple confusion. We used this both during nursing, primarily with BW, to stimulate her sucking, and after nursing with both girls to supplement. I say "we" because DH helped with both - he handled the finger supplementation while I pumped. We initially supplemented with formula the first few times, but I soon was pumping enough colostrum to use for supplementing. Our instructions from the lactation consultant were to supplement using a certain number of milliliters based on how successful the nursing session was.  

This system seemed to work fairly well - until we were informed by the lactation consultant the day we were to be discharged that it was working too well, as SB had gained 5 oz in 24 hours. We were told to reduce the amounts that a were giving to supplement. End result? We had two miserable days/nights with two miserable, hungry babies before we went back for a weight & jaundice check - when we told the lactation consultant what had been happening, she told us we could supplement the babies until they were satisfied - understanding 60 milliliters, or about two ounces, was about the max they should have. 

Supplementing was a guessing game that made me doubt myself as a mom and caused some tense moments between two sleep-deprived parents. DH would ask me how much he should use to supplement, based on how the baby nursed. I would guess, and hated having to make any decisions when I was so tired. 

In the end, the nurse/nurse/pump/wash pump parts/supplement schedule took about 90 minutes, out of the every-three-hours schedule. Zombies. We were zombies.