Elizabeth-
There are a couple of things that you can do for this mom:

First, suck training can be very helpful to reinforce "tongue down and
forward". The most effective way to accomplish this for your baby is in the
"charm hold": lay baby across your forearm with the face hanging out of your
hand, prone position. With your opposite hand, insert a clean, gloved index
finger pad side up into the baby's mouth, allowing baby to draw your finger
back to the juncture of the hard and soft palate and suck. When you feel that
humping, you can apply a very light, gentle pressure downwards and then
drawing slightly forwards in rhythm with the suck, returning in a little
circle back to where you started. The face down position utilizes gravity to
help draw the tongue forward, and the light pressure also reinforces the
proper position. Do this between feeds for a several minutes, and just right
before feeds for a couple of minutes.

If mom can stand to breastfeed, try a position that has baby in a prone
position, such as with mom supine/baby prone on top of her to again utilize
gravity to bring the tongue forward.

If mom is too sore and needs a break, I would definitely finger feed this
baby, in arms, doing that gentle little circle to encourage the tongue down
and forward during the feeding experience.  Most of the time the baby will
"loosen" up in a few days or a week or so, and breastfeeding becomes much
easier!

For reference, check out the article "Training Neonates to Suck Correctly" by
Ellen Shell and Chele Marmet.

-Lisa Marasco, LLLL, IBCLC
[log in to unmask]