Here is a nursing saga that I am confident will interest you. This message was 
sent to me by the grandmother to a newborn.  Baby C was born last week on 
10/27. She nursed immediately in the delivery room and about every hour or 
two for the first two days, so it seemed she was going to be a good nurser. 
Once mother's milk came in, baby ate every 3 to 4 hours. However, timing her 
eating became a real trick. She gave off hunger signs and was fussy, but 
when mothers put her to the breast, she got upset and simply won't eat. At 
times, she even latched on and got off again and cried.  We soothed her and 
for a couple of feedings I gave her my little finger to get her suck going, and 
that seemed to help. However, once she got a good strong suck going, that 
didn't necessarily solve the problem. This would go on for 20 or 30 minutes! 
But once she got ready, after all of the commotion, she got on the nipple, 
seemingly easily, had a good feeding, and came off with a blissed-out look and 
milk gushing out of her mouth. Go figure. 
 
So working hypotheses numbers 25 and 26 were that she gives off false 
hunger signs and that she simply will not eat until she experiences hunger, all 
appearances to the contrary.  The thing to do about it is to offer her the 
nipple and than take her away if she doesn't accept the offer, hold and 
soothe her, then when she starts to nuzzle, offer it again. We tussled with 
several feedings like that Thursday and Friday, and it was a tussle. We had to 
keep reassuring ourselves that at the end of it she would eat. But oh my! 
 
Then Friday night everything seemingly changed. Apparently by magic, baby 
C. figured it out, and she woke up, easily went on the nipple, nursed well, got 
off and went back to sleep. That pattern continued yesterday, but since two  
nights ago she has been up to her old tricks again. That is the sort of thing 
that makes people give up breastfeeding and make the "real" breastfeeding 
consultants turn to all sorts of excruciating solutions such as breast shields, 
breast pumps (we did try pumping and it didn't seem to help)  and 
supplemental nursers to figure it out. For now what it all is apparently coming 
down to is steady nerves and a leap of faith. Baby C. shows all sorts of 
nursing capability, but for some reason--getting her sleep states mixed up, 
newborn disorganization, who knows--she can't get it together.  She gained a 
couple of ounces at her pediatricians appointment yesterday, so she is getting 
enough to eat. She has plenty of pees and poops. 
 
So working hypothesis number 27 is that she is suffering from a bit of reflux. 
She can't seem to stay prone--back or tummy, although tummy is better--to 
sleep for longer than an hour. She fusses and stirs around, then when you 
pick her up and hold her upright, she settles down and continues sleeping. So 
today they will put her down to sleep tilted up, and see what happens.
 
Any ideas you might have to help this baby please respond directly to me 
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