Hi all,
    I am generally a lurker and learning, learning, learning.  I have a
question for those of you who work with early postpartum mothers in the
hospital environment.
I am aware of the value of the 'hands off' approach to assisting with
breastfeeding, and it is something I am trying to incorporate into my
practice as a midwife. My problem is when I get a sleepy baby resulting from
a medicated labour (the usual pethidine/epidural/forceps combination) who
has had skin to skin for half an hour or more, and still shows no signs of
attaching - when do you intervene? The other day I had a baby who was over
an hour old and still didn't look interested in the brest. Do you back off
and allow the baby to initiate in its own time? or do you intervene to
ensure that first feed happens before the flurry of activity (shower,
transfer, visitors) happens.
Thanks for your input, and for providing me with such a wonderful resource
on the (oh so long!) road to IBCLC

Kirsten Blacker
RN RM
Perth, Western Australia

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