Leslie-
Trying to catch up on my digests (is there a "smiley" w/ dark circles under
her eyes?), so pardon me if someone has given you this answer already.  Check
the latest Journal of Human Lac. (JHL) for several inspiring articles about
resourceful moms who made bf work despite various "dis"abilities.

I worked w/ a woman who had limited use of her wrists as well as very short
fingers (and very full breasts due to overzealous pumping). She had
difficulty getting her SGA (small for gestational age) baby latched on w/o
dimpling his cheeks.  Finally, we took a well fitting bra and sacrificed it
to the cause by cutting out a wide circle around the areola.  Thus she was
able to hold the baby with one hand and support the baby's jaw with the other
in a modified Dancer Hand position w/o having to worry about supporting her
breast.  I was worried about plugged ducts, etc., but she had no such
problem.

Another mom had extensive back injuries just before pregnancy and had her
tailbone removed.  We found that just one position was inadequate for her and
her premie.  One part of her back or another ached after not moving for 5 or
10 minutes.  For her, the key was my showing her the important aspects to
watch for in the latch so that she could continue to experiment and change
positions on her own as she needed.  She was most comfortable in a semi
reclining position.  She found that supporting the baby well with pillows,
then lying 3/4 turned next to him (bf from opposite breast) or sitting baby
up and bf on opposite breast worked best.

IMHO, no matter how our bodies are shaped or who we are, mothering always
brings its challenges in one form or another.  When we work through a problem
with our child rather than resorting to an outside solution (such as a
bottle) which moves us away from him, we are establishing a pattern of
mothering which will serve us well throughout those inevitable challenges in
the years to come.

Ro Andersen, who tonight is counting her blessings
Winchester, Massachusetts
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