Cheryl,
I'm with you. I feel that "pulling down on the chin" is unnecessary and 
interferes with a good latch. Somewhere I have read that the baby compensates by 1) 
moving the tongue to the roof of the mouth and 2) chomping down to 
"stabilize" their jaw. Baby will open wide if mom just waits another 10 seconds. I also 
have a theory that if you are trying to get a "wider opening" simply pull the 
baby closer in to the breast. Much like driving a wedge into a small opening 
makes it larger. I have seen some VERY angry babies whose mothers have been 
told to remove them from the breast if they latch wrong. 
If I find the specific reference, I'll send it on.
Mary Kay Smith, RN, IBCLC
Canton MI USA

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