Eva, I think human babies are "hard wired" to know they need their mother to feed them. I refer to information in The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding Made Simple from which I stole the hard wired wording. I think babies born naturally, no drugs, and not too early, are ready and eager to feed properly. I think the drugged deliveries and early inductions/c-sections bring us babies who are more clueless and unable to follow their instincts to demand feedings. 

And isn't there information or research about how babies can get depressed when away from their mothers? I am thinking of the information from attachment parenting, Ashley Montegue (sic) on the critical importance of mothering, and the research done with orphans and failure to thrive. 

You asked about let downs, well they last a few minutes. You can see this with moms using a breast pump. I think the more important thing is to teach mothers about active sucking and a pattern of vigorous sucking and swallowing with the eyes open, etc. Perhaps saying that the milk has slowed down is not even accurate and may inhibit mothers or make them want to push the baby to constantly suck to shorten the time. I put the whole picture of active sucking, baby being satisfied and satiated, plus diaper counts and weight gain all together. I call it "learning the baby's breastfeeding language." I find that teaching the whole picture gives moms the confidence to watch their babies and stop listening to nay-sayers. Or, when baby is not nursing well, it teaches them to know lack of feeding behaviors. 

Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC

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