I think it would be good to give her time to replenish away from the pups. After all, if they're not getting anything, they're just using up energy for no real benefit. Since you're feeding them anyway, there's no harm done.
BTW, if they're sucking well, you may be able to use some sort of bottle for feeding them now. It may be a little quicker for you. The dropper is slow and works very well for weak puppies but, with the size of your babies, a bottle may be a better choice if they're vigorous enough for that. Just make sure to burp them and they need diapering if Livi isn't there. You maybe could bring a pup to her for that but keep her away from the litter so they don't mug the milk bar.
I know you're totally caught up in just coping, but I posted earlier today about transitioning the pups over to nursing as Livi's milk comes in.
Jim |