I wholeheartedly agree with Tina Smillie's approach.  It is the one I use
all the time.  Babies who won't nurse, CAN'T nurse.  For whatever reason.
While you are figuring out why, you have to do two things:  feed the baby,
and preserve the options to go to breast.  Then the patient waiting begins.
Mothers need huge amounts of emotional support during this time and all our
most r\creative thinking on what to try next to help facilitate the nursing.
The mothers who crater and give up are not bad mothers, they are wounded
mothers.  This is where a past which includes sexual abuse, or family
violence, or self-esteem problems etc is going to impact her ability to
perservere. And yet, of course, these are the very mothers who most need the
empowerment breastfeeding brings, so they are the ones I try to hold hands
with the most. I make it very easy and try to be non-judgemental.  Life
isn't a race.  I see babies who latch at one week, or one month, and even
one who didn't latch without a shield for 6 months (and he went on to nurse
for 18 mo. and it was a very happy experience for all.  He grew well.)
Barbara

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BS, IBCLC
Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Owner, Lactnews On-Line Conference Page
http://moontower.com/bwc/lactnews.html