Rob asks, "Ive been asked by nursery nurses about mom's stroking the
baby's face or cheeks during BF to keep the baby feeding.
I'e seen some moms do this and it seems to get the baby
sucking if he has stopped. But could this cause the baby
the turn away from the breast?"

In my observation, the answer is Yes.  Especially if the latch is fragile
(the baby is just learning how to attach and milk the breast).  It seems
that the rooting reflex is so strong that even if the baby is sucking,
something touching the side of the face can cause the baby to turn *away*
from the nipple to the new stimulus.  If I'm working with a latching
difficulty I usually suggest mom support the baby across her body with the
opposite hand to the breast being used (e g Left breast, right hand) with
her palm supporting the baby's shoulders, and her index finger and thumb
spread so that each is just behind and below the baby's ears.  If mom wants
to stimulate the baby to suck again she can gently rub with finger or thumb
just *behind* the baby's ears.  She can also gently compress the breast
(Left hand) to stimulate another let-down.  Little babies often suck only
when milk is flowing, and just doze and flutter between let-downs.  So she
can compress the breast, rub the ears, watch for swallowing. At the next
long pause she can repeat.  While the baby is sucking/swallowing she needs
to resist the impulse to fiddle and just allow the baby to feed by himself.
It seems that these things need to be done subtly and gently - too much
going on (such as tickling the face/chucking the chin/jiggling the breast)
while baby is working out what to do seems to confuse and upset the baby.
Sometimes we just need to create the right conditions (really good
positioning) and then be patient while the baby works it out for himself.

Sorry so long, I'm just fascinated by the way the whole thing works, the
mother's part, the baby's part, almost like a dance in synchrony, given half
a chance.

Pamela Morrison IBCLC, Zimbabwe