I have been reading the discussions on "nursing pillows" with some
dis-interest, as I have been rather indifferent to them.  Some moms have
them some don't and I haven't recommended them to anyone.  I got the offer
to sell them but declined, as I'm not much of a salesperson.

I have been working with a mom who has had persistent sore nipples, growing
worse by the day.  Baby is 2 weeks and the soreness began at week one after
some difficult start-up problems. I checked positioning--hips, etc, I
checked suck (fine), I considered yeast, I considered food sensitivities
(itchy palate) after baby began to cry a lot in the evenings. I was ready to
go with antifungal treatment, when I read Barbara W-C's post yesterday in
which she said, " After 20 years I am just now beginning to feel confidant
that I understand how the baby's oral-motor function at breast works and how
body-position impacts it."

So last night I sat and re-thought everything that I could have missed and
then it came to me that Dad had proudly brought in a nursing pillow--the
puffy horseshoe kind.  Mom was delighted as baby was getting heavy and on
the pillow she didn't have to support the weight so much.  I called her and
asked that she try a few feedings without the pillow, just using a bed
pillow if she thought she needed something. I considered that perhaps
something in baby,s body-position was "off" when she was on the pillow.

This morning mom called and said that the nipples are much better, that it
hardly hurts at all. What joy all round!

I know that many mothers use these without problems but in this situation
the pillow was interfering with a properly positioned baby.

Once again, Lactnet sparks the solution.

Thanks!

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee

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