I am pretty certain that Magda would feel the same - no need to correct
positioning if feeding is happy, effective and pain-free for both mother
and baby (sorry Magda - I'm not speaking *for* you - I want to pitch in
here and don't want to sound as if I'm disagreeing with your post).

Babies beyond the newborn stage often do get attached and positioned in
ways which seem 'wrong' if we're going by the textbood.

Quite apart from my exp. as a counsellor, I know this from my dayjob
(journalist, writer) when I have had to supervise photo sessions aimed at
illustrating a breastfeeding chapter or article in a book or magazine.
Typically, the baby in these sorts of sessions will be two  months old or
so and feeding *beautifully* with mum relaxed and confident.  That's why
they're chosen for the session.

You know, *we can never get those babies to do what they're supposed to do*
- illustrating attachment and positioning is often hopeless - they do it
their way : )  I think in fact they are doing it so quickly  and
efficiently, you don't see it.  They can also feed with their heads and
bodies in different positions, even with heads turned.

One book I was working on,  we just had to touch the pictures up afterwards
- it's a really well-known best-selling baby book, too.

In other cases, we have just decided to show positioning with line drawings
where the babies are much more conventional in their positioning : )

It would be crazy to jump in and 'correct' someone's positioning....but
when a mother and baby are just learning, or when there are already
problems, it's gotta be something you really look for.


Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

             ***********************************************
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