Nicola comments on the frustration of setting up a mother with a
comfortable/effective latch and the mom going off and doing something else.
Should we be hands on or hands off?  As with so much of what we do, the
answer depends on what's in front of us.  I only see moms after the first 48
hours.  Suspect if I worked in labor/delivery I'd see some lovely
self-attachment (per the Righard video).  However, I only get to meet the
ones who didn't do that!

Bottom line for me is that if mom and baby are enjoying the process and baby
is feeding, whatever they're doing is fine.  And how they got there doesn't
matter.  And what it looks like is immaterial.  

However, one basic seems to apply to the majority of successful attachments
- baby must lead with chin not nose.  So simple yet for some dyads, such a
struggle.  This is where a little hands-on teaching can help but then mom
has to find out how to get there on her own. I call it "homework".  And then
we can meet again to fine tune.

A few moms seem to have very little body awareness - their own and the
baby's.  They can't see the little body is twisted, the nose buried, and the
hands flailing wildly.  Or they see but don't connect. Emotional issues?
Lack of self-confidence?  One told me the whole process reminded her of p.e.
in grade school - which she dreaded.  She chose to pump/bottle and loved it
- it fit for her.  I guess this falls under Linda Smith's rule "There's
another way".

Joanna Koch, IBCLC, N Ca 

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