katherine:

  you certianly have a propensity for short easy to reply to questions (!)

  1. nipple preparation... current research indicates there is no particular
merit to this at all....it is also important to keep in mind that this might
be viewed in such a way to turn the mother-to-be away from bf.

  2. soap? the concern is mainly that soap is a "drying" agent and it is
important to attempt to not disrupt the natural secretions from the
montgomery glands that are working to keep the nipple/areola moist.

   3. suck access in 3 sentences...being invited into the oral cavity or an
infant in order to assess the movements and flexibility of the tongue, the
shape of the palate. some of the controversy is that a) we don't belong in
there,  b) concern about imprinting of the baby on a hard object leading to a
variation of nipple confusion when asked to return to a soft breast.

    4. short frequent feeds... this my need more definition but baring that
the question that comes to mind is is the baby getting what it needs. if baby
and mom are doing well enjoying life and each other.... go home and leave
them alone... if w\either one or the other are unhappy then the situation
merits further scrutiny.

    5. on first blush the symptons you describe sould like thrush... BUT she
could also be experiencing "pain" with let down or refillling... these are
very new expereinces and will affect one mother more than another.....

                      Patricia