Hi Lynn,
Usually the mom is unable to latch as well alone as when we are with
them, so if you were noticing the baby chewing on the nipple, I'm sure
he was doing a job on mom after you left.
Did you try an extreme asymmetrical latch?  Is baby tongue tied or does
he have a short jaw?  In either case, baby would be more likely to chew
than suck.  The asymmetrical latch with head extension can help the baby
get more tongue contact with the breast if this is the case.  Sometimes
sidelying works best, baby is placed with his lips below the mom's
nipple, so he has to stretch up to it.  When he opens wide, mom pulls
him in from between his shoulder blades, so his head extends more.  This
can be the only position that is comfortable at first for moms of
micrognathic infants, and it helps quite a bit with many chewing babies.
--
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  New York City  mailto:[log in to unmask]

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