Again I am a couple days behind in reading the digests, so forgive
me if I repear something already said.
My first thought on reading about this baby was that it has a
headache!  I frequently see vacuum babies either not interested, or
crying.  The cry is usually more of a whimper/moan very much like I
have done myself with a major headache.  When I see the bruises on
some vacuumed heads, I wonder if it is even possible for them not to
hurt.  I think the baby avoids doing much of any sucking because
he/she has found it to lead to pain.  Others seem torn between the
urge to eat and the desire to avoid pain.  If there must be a vacuum
used, I prefer to see the bruise off to one side of the head.  Then
we may have some success if mom holds the baby so the bruise is
facing upward.  It looks like with it facing downward, the
discomfort is increased.  Some docs have ordered liquid Tylenol for
such babies and sometimes it really seems to help.  With others, if
we don't push them too hard, give lots of skin-to-skin cuddling, and
avoid confusing them with an artificial nipple they usually take an
interest a day or so later when the bruising begins to resolve.  I
firmly believe that with these babies, giving an artificial nipple
not only introduces the possibility of confusion, but baby is forced
to swallow, usually followed reflesively with a suck, out of self
defense since milk dribbles out of the nipple and this just
reinforces baby's deisre to avoid sucking.

Winnnie

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