Any idea what may be happening with an otherwise healthy, term baby who seems
physically incapable of opening fully?  Now bottle-fed EBM (day 5).  When I
managed to introduce finger in mouth he clenched hard and continuously (rest
of body quite relaxed), did not cup tongue.  No suction.  Hard palate felt
fine. Mother has never seen him extend tongue beyond lip (no evidence of
tongue-tie) or open his mouth beyond 3/4-inch under any circumstances.
 Slight overbite.

Perhaps totally unrelated but has feet in casts to correct position (were
flexed tightly against shin).  VERY mucousy in first couple of days (much
reflex thru nose).  Suctioned vigorously at birth.

I'm a new visitor to Lactnet and learning so much from the conversations.
 Thank you all!  Apologise to both introduce myself and ask for help at same
time but this one is keeping me awake at night.

Am mother of two school-age chiildren.  Have been in private practice (no
pumps -- plenty available from numerous locations locally) one year and
volunteered 7 years with Nursing Mothers Counsel prior to that.

Agree with concern over our fees being too low:  was contacted recently by
large HMO looking for LC providers.  They had set the rate to that of the
cheapest LC they found (and they searched hard...)  Asked the woman calling
me if she would drive total of an hour late at night, work hard for 2 hours
and spent many hours subsequently over phone for that amount...  Note that
another large HMO recently completed a study on savings to them of breast-fed
babies (prescriptions, hospitalization, etc.) vs ABM-fed babies and came up
with approx $1400 in first year.  LC's are certainly cost effective
therefore.

Joanna Koch IBCLC
Los Altos, CA