Some babies need to start from the beginning of the behavioral sequence 
to find the breast. Cheek to breast comes before nipple to philtrum. So 
if baby doesn't respond to nipple to philtrum, going back to snuggling 
baby between the breasts so he can start with scanning (cheek movements 
on breast) sometimes works. I don't think there's a one size fits all 
technique, but the more we learn about what babies expect in terms of 
stimuli at the breast, the better we can help them. I've even seen some 
babies who need to start on mom's belly and use their stepping reflex to 
crawl up toward the breast.

Catherine Watson Genna BS, IBCLC  NYC  www.cwgenna.com

On 6/4/2015 1:03 PM, Kika Baeza wrote:
> Please bear with me ince more... I think this is crucial to our daily work.
>
> So, medical literature (and experience) says that the rooting reflex (that
> is, baby turns head and gapes) is triggered by touch on the cheek. When a
> baby is in the biological nurturing position (or resting on father´s
> shoulder, or grandma´s chest) she will turn her head towards the cheek that
> is being touched and open wide, right?
> When baby is on mom´s body, it´s his cheeks he rubs around till he gets his
> mouth on the breast, not his philtrum...
> What I mean to say is, I see the widest gapes when something touches baby´s
> cheek, not when something touches baby´s philtrum. Do any of you agree, or
> am I totally off? What I observe is 1. Breast on cheek stimulates root and
> gape, 2. baby places chin on areola under nipple, 3. baby places tounge
> (thanks cathy, I learned to see this after hearing you a few years ago) 4.
> baby latches
>
> So, as you see, I have philtrum issues :-) Many of the moms that come will
> say "I´m doing everything that is on the books, I put my nipple on top of
> his upper lip and he does not open his mouth." So I tell them to bring baby
> in close and put his cheek on her areola; the baby then roots, turns his
> head, gapes, sets tongue and latches.
>
> Anyone else have this experience (philtrum vs cheek)?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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