This is something I regularly explain to moms these days.
Curled out lips can be a *result* of a good latch, but a bad latch *cannot 
be corrected* by pulling out the lips.
You can flange your lips, but keep your jaws together tightly, which is a 
recipe for trouble.
When people are too focussed on the lip position, they may forget to check 
the jaw position and wideness of the gape.
So that is indeed what I tell more often: watch the gape and ensure a deep 
latch, with as much tissue in as possible.

Isn't it fascinating, how we keep nuancing what we say? :o)

Bye,

Marianne Vanderveen IBCLC, Netherlands
twitter @bvcpantarhei

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "gonneke van veldhuizen" <[log in to unmask]>


Interesting, Julia. I've seen babies with the lips flangd out to the extend 
that the mucous is visible all around, but with a very, very shallow latch. 
And I've seen babies with lips more or less turned in, but with beautifull 
wide gapes on latching and really big mouths full of breast.

Warmly,

Gonneke, IBCLC in PP, LC lecturer in southern Netherlands

 Twitter @eurolacpuntnet

--- On Wed, 9/8/10, Julia Augur <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

So we all know that we tell moms who complain of sore nipples to make sure 
the baby's lips are flanged, but is it just something we say?
There are things we know need to apply to have a "good latch". Positioning 
is imperative; as well as the deepness of the nipple in babies mouth. But 
are the lips really a big factor. 

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