In a message dated 4/12/97 1:10:26 PM, you wrote:

<<When I asked her to feed the baby, she laid him on a pillow in front of her
and
without holding him or bringing him to the breast,  she offered the
breast to him, holding firmly to the areola just behind the nipple.>>

Karen--
If that baby took in over 100ccs that feeding, he did great!  It does sound
like the mother's detached positioning has a lot to do with the possibly low
intake.  I'm wondering if she's doing this out of fear of that baby being
fragile, or if perhaps her detachment is emotional, fearing a possible loss
later on of his life. Adding to that may be the baby's uncuddly posture, as
it sounds like he is hypertonic.

I'm sure you already know about flexing the baby to help him organize his
suck, and it sounds like you already did a great job of re-positioning mom
and baby since he took in so much after your adjustments.  Maybe you can talk
to mom about her emotions, how she is feeling about this baby.  Just
verbalizing her fears to you may help her. Also, you may want to explain to
her about hypertonic babies and tell her how much he needs her help in
"connecting", since his muscle tone is naturally stiff.  Non-cuddly babies
are at higher risk of attachment problems, so early support may be very
crucial and helpful to your mom.

-Lisa Marasco, BA, IBCLC