Hi Linda,
Thanks for the explanation. It fills out the basic story I have heard
before. Call me a sceptic but I still wonder if it really works like that.
It would be very interesting to see what happens if a mum with an abundant
milk supply used a supplementer. If it works as you suggest then there
should be no milk removed. It would also be interesting to know whether tube
placement, reservoir placement etc make a difference and if there was a
difference in the type of supplementer( ie SNS, Supply line or Lactaid). Has
anyone done this? Anyone whose prepared to have a go and report back how it
goes?

> First in regards to the flow.  If the tube is placed on the breast so that
> it is in the center of the upper lip or lower lip, when the baby
compresses
> the breast the pressure between the gums and the breast should be
sufficient
> to pinch off the flow from the tube.  As the compression part of the
suckle
> releases, the vacuum in baby's mouth takes over.  > If the compression
part of suckling worked well, that area is now filled> with milk and there
is no room for milk from the SNS.  If baby got only half> of a mouthful of
milk however, the vacuum will siphon half a mouthful of> milk from the
tubing and if there is no milk, baby gets a mouthful from the> tubing.

I think it's a case of the child not being used to breastfeeding any other
way. The down side is that there comes a point when mothers who have
relactated or induced lactation have the ability to make enough milk for
their children (in some cases this is very early on, in others it is much
later) however, relatively frequently they can't just breastfeed like other
mothers because their child will not breastfeed without a supplementer. A
right royal pain in the neck for the mum.

Karleen Gribble
Australia

> As far as a 2 yo who is still insisting on an SNS to breastfeed, I would
> suspect there is something there that makes the child need the SNS.  It
may
> be the idea that "this is how breasts feel and work," it may be "if there
> isn't enough flow, why bother," or another reason entirely that the child
is
> not verbal enough to communicate.  If the only way to keep a 2yo at the
> breast is with an SNS and mother and child are happy, I would not argue
the
> point.  I do not see any more down-side to that than giving a cup of water
> or milk after a feeding to a child who wants or needs more.
>

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