Anne - i've had days when things worked and baby's who were no doing
well started to gain. i have letters of praise - and then there are days
like today.

i delivered an electric pump (double kit) to a mom b/c her baby doesn't
stay attached. And now won't go near the breast. Mom said that when she
left hospital she just used bottles. Nurses had really tried to help. I
visited. She has flat nipples at rest and when compressed along edge of
areola the nipples (both sides - left more pronounced) inversion with
compression. Tried all the flipping of nipples, holding to the side
during attachment, charm hold with suck training, p syringe at breast
and while finger feeding. The whole bit...result: mom is going to pump
and feels overwhelmed right now. I'll check in a few days.

I'm writing b/c a few years back i thought that situations like this
must be my fault (and if anyone reading this thinks that this - or any
other hard to deal with latch - *my fault* please feel free to Privately
e mail me and invite me to Dog Your Footsteps so i can Do Better).  In
fact many years ago, i attended a seminar and the speaker - talking
about a feeding tube device - said that babies always just suck right on
to the breast when a tube is used correctly. Well, i thought *ok, it's
me* so i went down to the LI (the speaker was not from the LI) and took
suck training. It helped a lot,  but there are still THESE days...like
today. I did my best and now baby is *at least* being fed human
milk...hopefullly an all human milk diet will be supplied. Hopefully mom
will feel like *trying again*. But, i respect the mom's feelings and it
is her baby. IMO, This is why LCs, and all BF advocates, who offer
direct services _need_ support. It's too much to deal with without it.

Paula Bermingham, IBCLC