Dear all:

Having broken my arm, the prospects of nursing with two broken arms really makes me feel deep empathy for this woman.  Even one broken arm threw off other areas of my body.  I have LOTS of questions:

* Where are the breaks?
* Is she wearing a cast or braces?  
* Does she wear a shoulder harness or does she have full use of either her upper or lower arms?

All of these make a difference. 

While a sling might be helpful, it may actual exacerbate the wear and tear on her shoulders from the extra weight of the casts or braces, especially if the break is in her forearms or wrist and she must elevate her forearms.  (I had to do that for about a week and it really unbalances the rest of your body).  She may need some body work for those shoulders.

I have actually worked with moms with one arm in a brace where they were able to nurse hands free by using a pillow and a rolled receiving blanket.  The rolled receiving blanket is shaped like a snake -- lengthwise rolling.  The baby is placed across moms body -- arms hugging around the breast, chest in the cleavage area, bottom tucked under the other breast.  Then the blanket goes UNDER the baby's head very close to the breast.  This helps the baby to remain at breast level.  Then the blanket goes under and around the back of the neck and down the back.  So the baby is tucked in completely plastered to moms body and the baby will stay there.  It is great for self attachment and keeping the baby in place.  If you look at the baby from the baby's point of view from head to toe -- the blanket looks like a question mark.  The curve of the question mark goes from the top of the baby's head to the middle of the baby's neck and then the arm of the question mark goes down the baby's back.

I'm starting to relax my shoulders now.  I just got all tense in my shoulders remembering how much it hurt to have to elevate that arm.  FINALLY a full year after I broke my arm, the tennis elbow I developed in the other arm (probably compensating for the weaker arm when I did Martial Arts) disappeared.  The knee pain took about six months to go away -- and that was from the fact that you need to swing both arms when you walk.  If you don't, it throws your body out of balance.

Best regards, Susan Burger

PS. I can provide drawings if need be.

 

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome