Yes, babies WILL struggle and fight if they can't breathe.
As I entered a room to visit a mom, I heard a baby in the next bed
screaming. What I saw was mom sitting up in bed, baby at breast. But one
hand was gripping baby's bottom and the other hand gripping the back of
baby's head, baby's face pressed firmly into the breast. Good thing baby
was full term, big & strong. She had turned her face farther down so she
could breathe, at least a little. Mother was not looking at her baby as
baby struggled & cried.
It was difficult to get mom to release her grip on baby's head as I tried
to get mom's attention to focus on baby's breathing. When I tried to teach
her the appropriate way to latch baby on, she, quickly & firmly, smashed
(no better word) baby's face into her breast. I stopped her again. Mom
insisted that's the way someone (staff or LC?) taught her to BF her baby.
By way of explanation: she was known to be a little slow, mentally. She had
Social Services consult, and lots of continual teaching on baby care and
personal care. Mostly, the staff felt they weren't getting through to her.
Only because she had 24 hour adult supervision, she took baby home, but I
believe she was followed by other services. This is the only time I have
observed a mother so disconnected from reality that I believed baby to be
at risk. But at least this baby was a fighter.
There has to be something else going on if (full-term, healthy) baby
quietly slips into near-death, or dies, at breast. It's known to happen
during bottle-feeding also.
So how about a loosely crocheted thread or light yarn shawl as a NIP
coverup? Obviously never to be used as a baby blanket. I used them myself
when out in public.
Phyllis Adamson, IBCLC, RLC
Glendale, AZ
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