I know a woman whose carpal tunnel syndrome post-birth was so severe that her husband had to hold the baby for all breastfeeds for the first few weeks.  (His proud comment: "Who says a man can't breastfeed a baby?")

Once this baby is a bit bigger, he'll be able to take imperfect offerings and correct them himself.  But to teach him what perfect feels like, what about having someone do the positioning and holding for all feeds for the first few weeks?  That person and the mom can gradually figure out ways for her to assume the role.  Start, perhaps with mom sitting so she can see her baby from the side and gain an understanding of what he's looking for in terms of "breast hunk" and nipple placement.  Then work on lying down, which is probably what they'll end up doing.  She can skootch herself to adjust to the baby's position.  I wonder if the baby could routinely wear a onesie with long, semi-stiff tabs (made of something like interfacing?) on it that she can catch in her teeth to haul him onto his side.  (My DH suggests a loose onesie that she can catch with her teeth; maybe both?)  

Come to think of it, a well-designed onesie could really make a difference for her - a baby with handles!  It could be designed so that she could do diaper changes as well, I would think.  But having someone there round the clock for the first few weeks - to help her figure out and create her tools - would be golden.  And I wonder about a retired LLL Leader for the job - someone who loves babies, loves breastfeeding, and loves a creative challenge!  See what LLLI can tell her about possibilities in her area.

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY  USA
www.wiessinger.baka.com 

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