>I am aware of a situation as follows: The mother has a 5 day old baby.
>Jaundice high, bili at 17.
>baby not nursing at all. Receivng cup feedings and bottle feedings in
>hospital. WIll be d/c from hospital Saturday.
>
>Mother single...frantic, nervous. Unsupported, but intelligent. Baby did
>nurse before milk cam ein, now mother is pumping, and doing feedings at cup,
>etc.
>
>Unclear as to why the mother hasn't been able to get baby to latch. Mother
>has seen various nurses who have tried to help her, but have not been
>successful so far. I suggested to the nurse a nipple shield with an SNS
>underneath in an attempt to get the kid to latch, taking away n.shield after
>a few minutes at breast if he sucks successfully there.
>
>Any other suggestions? He screams and fights at breast acc to mother.
>

You might ask if any of the nurses have "taught through modeling" the
mother to push baby's head into the breast in an effort to get him on.
This causes the baby to react with a hyperextension reflex in order to keep
his nose from being occluded and hence unable to breathe!

You might have the mother take babinto tub with her (no fears about cord;
this is done in Aussie hospitals IN HOSPITAL at day 1 and 2 with no
problems) and place baby nude on her belly.  She can bring water onto
baby's back to keep him warm. This should be WARM, not tepid bath, so both
mother and babare comfortable. Then let baby crawl his way up mother. The
person who has used this procedure quite successfully (other than me) is
Heather Harris, a midwife from Melbourne. She will be at the ILCA
COnference this summer showing this with pictures.  The hair stood up on my
neck when I saw how the baby crawled right up and latched on.  I have used
this technique with "failure to latch" babies with no problems.  What is
the worst thing that can happen?  Mom and babe have a bath together.
Totally non-invasive way to help mother and baby relax with one another and
"reconnect" as they would have without interference screwing things up.  It
might be worth a try.

>Thanks!
>
>**********************************************************************
>Kathleen Bruce RN, IBCLC                 (W) 802 878-6181
>766 South Road                                  (H) 802 879-8854
>Williston, Vermont 05495 (USA)
>Bloom Where You Are Planted!
>**********************************************************************

         %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
         %%  Kathleen G. Auerbach, PhD, IBCLC    %%
         %%        Lactation Services            %%
         %%        Homewood, Illinois            %%
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