<I wonder though, why would the nipple *not* be pinched when she is
leaning
over the baby and *that* was when she said she was gulping and
sputtering...
I wonder if early on she had a very strong MER and this is something the
baby has learned and still continues to do even though the let-down is
not
so strong? >

I was just brainstorming when I was remembering babes I have seen. The
times  when she was gulping and sputtering, perhaps the MER was so very
strong (and aided by gravity) that there was no way she could take time
coping with it with her tongue due to trying not to choke outright???And
the other times, the combination of borderline strong MER + gravity + a
relatively strong baby allows her to get by with tongue gyrations. And it
definitely could become a habit that will take a while of reassuring,
non-fear-of-choking feedings to break. Especially since you taught her to
lie absolutely flat, if the baby will accept new positions at this age,
maybe an infant-prone position might actually induce baby to curl the
tongue in order to get a bolus where needed!


Is she using both breasts at a feeding? Just one? If so, what about 2
feedings in a row (or more) on the same breast just to test what kind of
a reaction the baby would give on a not-quite-so-full breast. If the
triggering the MER by hand a full 3 minutes before latch, etc. works, you
might consider tamping down the supply just a wee bit, at least until the
baby's mouth grows. Maybe even skootching her bottom forward when she's
sitting on the couch might provide enough antigravity for times when
she's less free to assume absolute infant-prone.

Just a thought. Let us know what happens.


Jean
************
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio USA

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