Hi, all:  I am working with the mother of 8-month-old twins.  Due to
horrible mismanagement early on, she was left with a compromised milk
supply and has been nursing with some supplementation via SNS.  She
recently called me to discuss her current sleep situation.  She has a
family bed arrangement, with the twins lying next to each other, both next
to her (dad used to sleep there too but in the light of recent events has
moved out during weeknights so he can be in good shape for work).  In the
past week, the babies have been alternatively waking about every 1-1 1/2
hours.  She tries to nurse them lying down but if they seem really hungry
and unsatisfied, she sits up and uses the supplementer.  If they both wake
at the same time and she needs to nurse both of them simultaneously, she
has to sit up to do it.  Needless to say, she's terribly sleep deprived.
I'm hoping there are some among you wonderfully experienced Lactnetters
who have knowledge and experience with both multiples and family bed.

So far, I've suggested she try having them sleep on each side of her, and
to wear something (or nothing) to make her breasts more easily available
(due to the babies' fiddling with the tubes of the supplementer, she's
taken to wearing a shirt to bed which covers up the tubes but also makes
it harder for them to spontaneously latch).  I suggested not wearing the
supplementer to bed and only putting it on if there is clearly a need.
Anyone have any other ideas?  TIA, Alicia Dermer, MD, IBCLC.

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