I love it when I don't hate it.

We all have a reservoir of tips, tricks and techniques that help us to teach 
moms about BF.  We all struggle to teach our non-IBCLC colleagues about the 
importance of BF, and supporting the mothers who are doing so.

But human beings aren't cookie cutters.  They aren't shaped the same -- they 
don't learn the same -- they don't teach the same.  For some moms (picture 
large, heavy, "stiff" breasts, paired with a sleepy, near-term, hung-over 
baby), offering suppport of the breast (whether a C or U hold) may be the 
"traning wheels" that will help the baby latch and suckle.  Then, I love it.

Should this be taught to every single mom?  Nah.  Should we throw out the 
tip or analogy because some nurses teach it poorly or some tired moms learn 
it poorly?  Nah.

Here's my story about how we "teachers" and "learners" hear things 
differently.  I teach a prenatal BF class.  One of my customary bits is to 
suggest that Moms respond to their babies at their earliest cues, so the 
babies aren't crying and furious, and unlikely to latch and suckle.  Sounds 
like pretty good teaching, right?  Crying is a late hunger cue, right?

I then saw a former class participant in the hospital.  BF was actually 
going well per the chart.  As I was in the room, babe was in her arms -- and 
fussing/cueing/clamoring up a storm.  After she didn't take my gentle 
suggestion -- twice -- to put the baby to breast, I just straight out asked 
her:  "You seem to be very reluctant to nurse this baby right now.  Is there 
something I can help you with?"

Mom said:  "But you told us in class *not* to BF the baby when he was 
fussing or crying, because then he wouldn't latch on!"

Man oh man, was that a light bulb moment for me.

I am happy to report that Baby immediately latched and (gratefully) suckled 
when Mom opened her gown.  We then laughed (literally) over our very 
different interpretations of the same instruction.  And I have since revised 
the way I teach moms about fussing babies ....

Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLC
Wyndmoor, PA, USA

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