Dear all:

After playing with and buying one of those squishy breasts at the ILCA conference and going 
around to some of the other booths and commenting on their products, I was too tired to even 
comment on the Nursing Nest display.  

The picture of the latched baby using the nursing nest is exactly  the same type of picture that I 
see from much of the hospital literature in Manhattan - and it leads to painful latches as well as a 
disconnect between mom and baby.  The baby's body is curved away from mom and the chin is 
tucked into the chest.  The more I watch body positions, the more I notice that babies can get a 
better latch on their own if there are no gaps between their bodies and their moms.  I cannot 
fathom how the lower lip can get deep enough into the breast using the nursing nest with that 
inner ridge that prevents tummy contact.

In terms of C-sections and large breasted women, I still don't see how it will help.

I have started in the last couple of years to use the pillow under the elbows approach for moms 
with C-sections that works very nicely.  If you tuck in 2 pillows under her elbows coming out in a 
V over the thighs so she has support under the breast and for the baby's butt, but not on her lap 
you can create enough support for a C-section mom to be able to latch in the cross-cradle/
transition hold without putting any pressure on her incision.  I have not found a mother yet who 
complains about pain on her incision with this hold.  I am sure at some point I will find a mother 
who does and adapt accordingly.  It is not the pressure of the baby against mom's tummy that 
creates the pain, it is the pressure of a heavy pillow bearing down on the incision.  By distributing 
the weight to the thighs, mom doesn't have the pressure on the incision.

In terms of large breasted women - they have the ultimate as far as I'm concerned in "breast 
swaddling" gear.  The other breast is excellent for wrapping over the baby and making the baby 
feel secure.  The last thing you want with a large breasted woman is for the baby's bottom to be 
angled out around the breast.  Even for a football hold with a large breasted woman, the nursing 
nest will force the chin away.  

As for lying down, again, I can't see how you can get the neck extension needed if there is a 
barrier between mom's stomach and the baby.

It used to be that I'd watch mom's and baby's and not get worried about a half inch or quarter inch 
gap.  Since I've started suggesting eliminating even that amount of gap, even for the baby's chest 
and neck, I've seen a reduction in the amount of flailing.  Getting them tucking in close and 
eliminating any gap at all seems to instantly calm the baby down.

So, I'm failing to see the advantage of the snuggle nest.

Best, Susan

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