Another technique I have found helpful is to be sure the baby has to really create suction to eat.  If using a bottle (hopefully truly slow-flowing), tip down so no milk gets through the bottle for the first 30 seconds so baby gets used to no flow at first, and then tip up so milk barely gets through the nipple (Gravity is not helping) throughout the feeding, tipping up and down to vary flow rate.

Sometimes, if that is not enough, I will actually ask parents to do what I call "passive" finger-feeding.  You use a feeding tube on your finger with the other end in a bottle, and baby use suck the milk through the tube.  Many babies just scream because it I too hard, so you have to let them eat some milk first an easier way, and then try again, until they see they actually CAN get some food.

Sometimes, just using a tube at the breast will get the latch more comfortable, as baby relaxes because they get more flow for their effort.  Then as they read and latch deeper, they find they remove more milk on their own.

And then, sometimes, babies just "suck at sucking".  There are a fair number of frenotomy babies who do NOT improve. In fact, in my experience, the more NORMAL the suck exam is before frenotomy, the more likely the frenotomy will help with pain or milk removal.  The more ABNORMAL suck exams pre-frenotomy are less likely to be improved by frenotomy.  Babies need to be TRYING to suck normally in order for clipping to help anything.


Kathy Leeper, MD, FAAP, IBCLC, FABM
Breastfeeding Medicine Specialist MilkWorks breastfeeding center -www.milkworks.org<http://www.milkworks.org/> - Lincoln, NE
Hospital Educator - Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition - www.ksbreastfeeding.org<http://www.ksbreastfeeding.org/>
Milk Mob Board Member/Trainer - www.milkmob.org<http://www.milkmob.org/>
Board Member/Chair of Education Committee - Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

Creating a healthier community by helping mothers breastfeed their babies....

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