Greetings to all,
I have been following this conversation about the "gape." For the past five 
years I have taught Moms (or Dads) who's baby needs supplementing to elicit 
the rooting reflex with either the finger or the bottle nipple.  The baby really 
needs to remember how to open wide and pull in the artifical nipple or the 
finger to preserve the infants ability to latch to the breast.  

A few years ago I had a mom who's Ped would not allow her to feed her 
expressed milk or put the baby to breast because she had a full blown case of 
the actual flu virus during delivery.  Mom pumped and dumped for 1 month 
while dad bottle fed using a technique that involved stroking the lips for a 
rooting reflex and allowing the baby to then "pull" in the nipple.  Dad did some 
finger feeding as well using the same technique.  At one month mom came to 
my office with "clearance" from the Ped (that is a whole different story!)  Baby 
latch on with a little assistance and nursed beautifully.  

I now use this technique for as many babies as possible who have feedings 
other than breast or pacifiers introduced for other reasons.  This seems to 
preserve the babies ability to latch when the need for alternate feedings no 
longer exist.

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