In a message dated 6/18/2005 11:08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
How many lactnetters feel comfortable getting mom's permission and using
hands-on to teach mothers to express? I'd like to hear if anyone shares
my impressions (or not).
Dear Friends:
Jean poses an excellent question.
If the newborn isn't interested in feeding after 20 minutes of
skin-to-skin (which I have seen written s2s, and I like because that is easier than
all the letters plus hyphens), I teach hand expression. I have an excellent
breast model to demonstrate with; some moms watch and then can copy easily and
are amazed to get milk.
Other moms will, with permission, let me start. Sometimes I put my
fingers directly on the breast for a couple of cycles, and then she takes over.
Sometimes I put my fingers over the mother's fingers and we cycle together. It
all depends on the moment, my feeling about the mother and her interest.
Not yet has a mother refused to see what milk is in her breast.
I use the plastic spoons that come with the food trays to catch the
drops of pregnancy milk (I hate using the word 'colostrum' with new mothers,
because it reinforces the popular notion that there is no milk yet), and either
the father or the mother or I give it to the baby.
There is always pressure on me as the hospital LC, to "get this baby
fed" immediately. Teaching hand milking is a way to meet the this pressure. Then
when the staff person comes in, I can say, "Oh the baby got 5cc of
colostrum" with a big smile and the staff person relaxes.
If the baby won't nurse, then I do this. Either way, the mother is
involved, is doing, and is learning.
warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE
Maternal-Child Adjunct Faculty Union Institute and University
Film Reviews Editor, Journal of Human Lactation
www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com
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