Just want to add, my third baby did not BF during the heel stick  
because she was fast asleep. My wonderful midwife warmed her heel with  
a microwavable hot pack (actually a sock filled with rice), did  
massage as Gloria described, and put the needle in so gently that baby  
never stirred, even when the midwife was squeezing a little to get the  
blood out. This was also on the 4th day of life after a homebirth.

Of course, I would have BF'd her had she been awake. ;-) But I was  
truly amazed at how compassionately the midwife did it! So different  
from the hospital.

Jennifer


On Nov 14, 2009, at 7:53 PM, Birth wrote:

> With homeborn babies, the test is done on the 4th day of life.  The  
> baby is
> put to the breast during the heel-lancing.  A warmed face cloth is  
> wrapped
> around the foot and the leg is gently massaged toward the heel to  
> bring the
> maximum circulation to the site. The baby makes a little squeak but  
> doesn't
> cry when the Tenderfoot (brandname of device) is triggered-too busy  
> nursing.
> The blood is expressed with a pumping action of the attendant's  
> hand.  No
> bandages are applied as the bleeding stops when the pumping action  
> stops.
>
>
>
> I'd like someone to include that method in a study.  Gloria Lemay,  
> Vancouver
> BC Canada

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