Phyllis' story started me remembering about my daughter, now 22.
She was 8 lb 9 oz, 22", full term (I am petite 5'1", weighed 114
before pregnant), and was born with bilateral clubfoot. (She was
also in respiratory distress, had to be resuscitated at birth
Apgar 6,8). At 20 hrs of age, plaster casts were put on her feet
from sole to below the knee, and were changed weekly, then every
other wk, etc. I believe that she was in pain (anyhow, that's
what my mother convinced me of), and altho she nursed well, she
usually nursed every 1 1/2 to 2 hrs, and needed a lot of holding
in the early wks. Altho I agree with Brazelton and have seen
plenty of shut-down from pain, maybe in SOME babies pain leads
to MORE frequent nursing and comfort needs? Anybody? Funny how
I haven't thought about that for ages.
By the way, after I saw how much Danielle was comforted by
swaddling - a practice that rather horrified me - I became a
believer. To bf moms, I remind them how crowded the uterus was
for baby, so swaddling sometimes calms them magically. Some think
I'm nuts, some say Yeah!, but I bet that most at least try it.
Regards, Judy Knopf