2007/4/22, The Fogelmans <[log in to unmask]>:

# but the baby did not gape at the breast, he opened and closed his
mouth over and over as if chewing.  /---/ he has been doing this since
birth - he nursed immediately after delivery. What would cause a baby
to do this and is there any way to stop it? #


Have you tried to put mom's finger at the corner of the baby's mouth?
Not inside, but just near or at the corner. This might make the baby
to keep his mouth open a tiny bit longer so that mom could help him
latching on better (breast deeper). Does the chewing you describe look
a bit like a fish on a dry land gasping air? My youngest one did that
for several months, even when he tried to eat solids, he never really
rooted like other babies (he has SI-issues, and my guess is that these
all were connected in his case). The trick above, finger at the corner
of the mouth, helped. He would also close his mouth at once, if
anything touched his upper lip, so Glover's
pull-the-nipple-up-and-away-with-the-thumb -technique was helpful,
too.
http://users.iptelecom.net.ua/~vylkas/kinolatch.html

Sanna-Mari
bf support group leader / Imetyksen tuki ry
Finland, Scandinavia

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