Rene -

Sounds like you did everything very nicely with your little baby with Downs
Syndrome, and the mom is lucky to have you helping her! Lots of skin-to-skin
might help to further relax the baby's jaw-clamping tendencies, and maybe
the finger-walking exercises to help the tongue stay down. Or maybe a
physical therapist or craniosacral, but it sounds like you did a great job,
and the little massage in the sunshine sure sounds great! In situations like
this, I hate to jump in with all guns blazing anyway; you know, anticipating
all the worst responses by the baby, looking ahead to the what-ifs too much,
etc. (At least out loud to the parents - you can't help doing it
internally). With gentleness and patience this baby may very well learn to
manage her tongue/jaw/suck better, and more is to be gained by a
slower-paced quiet confidence on your part than by rushing around with a
whole lot of interventions. Parents are probably already quite stressed by
the Downs & the early BF problems, and probably real susceptible to overload
right now, so I think you should just keep doing what you're doing & see how
the baby responds.

Cathy Bargar RN, IBCLC Ithaca NY

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