Why is the dual number (dvojina) so hard to keep in mind while speaking?

I've been studying Slovenian for six months now, and I can read intermediate texts, but I completely freeze up when I have to use the dual number in conversation. My brain wants to default to plural every time, and I feel like I'm making myself sound uneducated. Does anyone have a mental hack for remembering 'midva' vs 'midve' or 'dva' vs 'dve' without pausing for five seconds before every noun?