I think some babies need longer to become hungry and interested in the
breast. These are the babies who don't root or even open their mouths when
their bottom lips are ticked with the nipple. Some even close the mouth up
tightly and then close their eyes.

The hospital that I work at has an 80% epidural rate and about a 30%
c-section rate. Plus we give a bottle of glucose water in the nursery right
after birth (they are allowed to breastfeed first). I try to advocate
waiting as long as the nurse will let me. Sometimes we have to do some
bottle feeding to satisfy the staff and doctors until baby decides to eat on
his own. I do a lot of teaching moms how to teach their babies to suck and
swallow at the breast.

Yes, it makes me crazy that we have come so far past what is really "normal"
in the course of breastfeeding and childbirth. What is so common now is
considered normal, and when we actually get an alert and vigorous nurser,
everyone is amazed!

Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC (small community hospital on the outskirts of Houston,
TX)

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html