Melissa V.,
        I have seen many babies who reach a magic day and suddenly nurse.
All of these babies have intrapartum drugs (the more, the worse) in common.
It has gotten to the point that I explain to a mom who's baby won't latch
that the labor drugs can last in the baby's system up to about 3 weeks
(usually 10 days seems to be the average).  It isn't enough to cause any
neuro effects except poor sucking / latching - so therefore the Ped,
anesth., ob, won't believe it is a problem.  There is a study linking
epidurals but none that I know of for intrathecals and stadol.
        I think telling the mom that there is a light at the end of the
tunnel and that I will support them until it comes helps her hang on longer
than her going home thinking that the baby will never nurse (and doesn't
like to nurse or doesn't like the taste of breastmilk - amazing what our
self esteems do to us!).
        Also with these babies, I limit attempts to 10 or 15 minutes of
gentle trying and then move on to feeding ABM / EBM some other way.  This
really helps decrease mom's frustration that it isn't working and fear that
her baby will starve.  It also helps the hosp. staff's attitude a great deal
if they feel like they aren't torturing the pair and themselves.  This also
builds mom's confidence that she will be able to keep doing the plan at home
(I always teach an alternative feeding method to these mom's and dad's to
start doing in the hosp if they are open to it).

                        Debbie Codding RN, BSN