Salvation

The night after we returned home from the trip to the hospital after the jaundice treatment, things were still rough. We had the jaundice under control, but we were still having fits getting the boys to breastfeed. They seemed to be frustrated and unhappy, which was making us feel the same way. We went through two more nights of little sleep and frayed nerves, even resorting to bottle feeding them pumped breast milk on occasion.

Finally, we got some advice from a lactation consultant and we had a visit with the pediatrician (also a mother of twins). And I must say...

Medela Nipple Shields ROCK!!!

I know, it sounds kind of weird for a dad to rant about a nipple attachment (at least one that we... well, never mind), but anything that helps the twins feed and all of us get some sleep looks like a freakin' miracle of modern science at this point! The lactation consultant realized the boys' tongues were too small and a bit underdeveloped to draw Mom's nipple in fully and recommended these as an option. We also discussed it with the pediatrician, who thought it would be a good thing to try. I went out from the pediatrician's office and popped next door to the pharmacy to pick one up. I brought it back and we gave it a try right then and there in the exam room. The boys latched onto it so easily we almost cried. Thank God, breastfeeding is no longer a problem.