In a message dated 98-12-01 12:33:17 EST, you write:

<< Colleagues,
 >I am perplexed at a problem a mother has presented with.  She has a
 >four-month old baby who refuses to breastfeed at any time of the day or
 >night if he is awake.  He happily breastfeeds in his sleep, easily
 >draining his mother's breasts.  However, if he wakes up during this time
 >and "discovers" he is nursing, he lets go of the breast.  He is not
 >upset at this time and unless his mother attempts to press him to take
 >the breast, he does not become fussy.  If he is awake and seems hungry,
 >he will latch for only a brief time and then turn away.  This started
 >happening about two weeks ago.  His mother takes him to a sitter two to
 >three times a week for three hours, something she began to do about
 >three weeks ago.  She will be teaching at the local university in
 >January two days a week.  She pumps her breasts when she is away from
 >the baby and the sitter feeds him by bottle when she has him.  Now, I
 >know everyone will say this baby is nipple confused or on a nursing
 >strike, but why will he take the breast when he is asleep but not when
 >he is awake and why will he breastfeed well at night?  His mother states
 >she would like him to breastfeed directly from her but if he will not,
 >she is quite prepared to feed him expressed breastmilk by bottle.  The
 >bottle is her chosen alternate method for feeding and she is unprepared
 >to think of any alternate methods.  Her milk supply is unaffected by all
 >of this as she has been pumping when the baby won't feed.  She felt he
 >might be distracted by his older sister, but has not found that feeding
 >him in a quieter environment helps.  Any suggestions anyone?

 >Jeanne Hagreen, RN, IBCLC
 >Prince George, BC, CANADA
 >"One LC in the wilderness - it seems less wild since the Stepping into
 >Baby Friendly Conference in Vancouver"

 This may sound silly, but has the mom recently switched deodorants or
perfumes?  I've seen babies act very fussy at the breast until the mom
switched to unscented deodorant.

Kim Sherwood, AAHCC, LLLL, in upstate NY