Becky writes:

>If there were research to support it, I would be *really* happy to have the
>babies hanging out on moms chest licking and nuzzling for the first 24-48
>hours, but I guess I'm fearful that would compromise the milk supply.  We
>really don't know, do we?


I suppose we don't know....but I'm not sure why we should assume this might
compromise the milk supply.   Chances are the baby would suck a bit,
anyway, and that could go down on the charts, if being recorded,  as a
feed....anyway, .being close with the baby is physiological. It doesn't
need reseach, does it (though I'm aware that hospitals like to see this
sort of stuff!). Babies don;t have much of a chance of transmitting those
special, little, tiny feeding cues to their mothers if they are in a crib.

What we do have research on is that formula given in the first few days
compromises breastfeeding.

In the UK ONS stats, mothers who give formula in hospital are three times
more likely to be fully formula feeding by two weeks postpartum.  There are
other examples, I am sure, of the risks of formula in the early days.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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