Magda wrote <<...after nearly a year on Lactnet, I am mildly puzzled by how
seldom positioning is mentioned.>>
I used to feel that proper positioning was the be all and end all, and I was
a real stickler for "correcting" how women held their babies.  But a few
years ago I had the opportunity to give bf talks at two postnatal clinics on
the island of St Vincent in the Grenadines, West Indies.  I was speaking to
groups of about 30-40 new mothers.  Before the talks I spoke to the head
nurse to ask if there was anything in particular she wanted me to touch on
and she said "too early weaning" which there means introduction of solids,
not the end of bf.  So I focused my talk on the introduction of solids, and
the attendant hazards.
However as I looked around the room during the talk I was amazed at the
amount of "improper" positioning I observed.  All the mothers brought their
babies with them (yay!), so I was able to observe most everyone bf their
babies at some point during my talk.  At the end of the talk and discussion
period, I asked the head nurse if she wanted me to address sore nipples with
the mothers before they left.  She looked genuinely puzzled and asked "Why?"
I said "Don't you see a lot of sore nipples?"  She said that they rarely saw
sore nipples.  Now these moms were very dark skinned women of African
descent, but we've been taught for years that skin color didn't matter and
positioning did.  These moms have a bf rate in the 90th percentile and most
of them do nurse for at least a year according to the nurses.  They are just
battling with moms who introduce solids at two months.
After this experience I've decided to observe the bf and ask the mom if she
feels any pain or discomfort.  If she does feel pain I certainly offer
suggestions about improving the positioning, but if she doesn't and the milk
transfer is good, I just leave well enough alone.  If it ain't broke, don't
fix it.  I'm eager to hear how the rest of you handle positioning issues.
Cynthia D. Payne, LLLL
LLL of Berkshire County Mass.
Studying for the exam for July '99!

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html