I wish my story was as positive.

The birth was about as poorly handled (my biased opinion) as could be.  I
saw the 8 # baby about 15 hours after his birth.  After many hours of IV
fluids, many hours of epidural anesthesia ending in a c-section, and more
IV fluids, and of course some nice antibiotics just to top it off, mom was
edemic from head to foot.  And, I suspect, so was the 8 # baby.

Mom's areola and nipple were water logged also, so baby couldn't feed at
all during the short time he was able to wake himself.  Ped ordered tube
feeding or dropper feeding if any supplement was given, and no pacifiers.

Well, I went back today and mom's edema was resolving and baby was a little
perkier.  We got him latched on and he fed for 25 minutes, not all of which
was nutritive, but at least 15 minutes of good long sucks.

He didn't want the second side so I told mom that I'd be back in 1 1/2
hours to see what we could do with the second side.

I went back, and we couldn't.  He couldn't get it going at all.  It was as
if he had never known how. He rooted well and put his mouth on the nipple,
and would give a couple of weak tries on the nipple, then go back to sleep.
We even tried on the "first" side, to no avail.

The nurse came in to see how we were doing and Mom said, "He can't seem to
suck now."  The nurse said,  "well, he was sucking fine on the pacifier
just half an hour ago, while we did his hearing test."

I asked, "He had a pacifier?"  Her reply, "Of course he had a pacifier.  He
had to be very quiet for the test."

Well, this little guy is going to have a challenge getting started.  Mom
postponed his circumcision until tomorrow so that we could spend today on
feeding.  I don't know when he will feel like learning to feed at the breast.

There is an LC at the hospital (few hours, though) and she has been working
to get across to the staff that, for some babies, pacifiers can interfere
with learning to suckle correctly. But the routines are set and protocol
must be followed.

Isn't it wonderful that TODAY it was discovered that he can hear well?

What's involved in that test anyway?

Most frustrated and pessimistic about breastfeeding in the US.

Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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