Carol, please do post those pictures of the massage technique for tight-mouthed babies.  Last week I worked with a mother and baby for several days in the hospital.  The baby just wouldn't open.  In a phone conversation with the dad on Monday he said that things weren't much improved.  Usually I teach parents suck training exercises and to massage around the baby's mouth.  This was not helping this baby.  Mom, dad and baby came into the office today.  Mouth was just as tight as last week.  I remembered the TMJ massage post and something I had heard about massaging baby's hands to help the jaw relax.  We did both and the baby finally did latch!  Mom was ecstatic!  I'm not sure which technique, if either, was the magic bullet but I sure would like to see the technique you have developed.  I just gently stroked from above the TMJ down towards the mandible. Thanks for the tip!
Amy Stallings RNC, IBCLC

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