>
>
>Mom has learned to cope with fussy periods (she is great-plays soothing music, very calm manner at breast etc) but the unhappiness at breast is driving her crazy. The complicating fact is that baby is very comfortable at night- feeds both breasts for 10 min each then sleeps (flat) 3-4 hrs, happy, happy, happy!
>
Clarification please.
This baby is growing well and sleeping between feeds at night. Is the
real problem that the mother is finding it hard to cope with frequent
feeds during the day, or that she is worried this means she doesn't have
enough milk? In either case, would abundant reassurance help?
Sometimes I feel as though that kind of support is not enough, and that
I have to help the mother solve some problem. When I am more confident,
though, I figure that I have helped her more by suggesting that the
situation is indeed a valid challenge (i.e. "You're having trouble
coping with such frequent feeds. Can you tell me more about your
concerns with this situation?").
I talked to a mother a few days ago and came off the phone thinking:
What a difference it would make if mothers were told that an alert and
active baby was a sign of adequate production, rather than a satisfied
baby. With this mother, the idea that the baby (last weight check at 4
mos., had gained 9.5 lbs since birth weight) might not be starving was a
revelation.
Baby is happy at night, so perhaps lying down for an afternoon feed
would be worth considering?
Jo-Anne Elder-Gomes, IBCLC, mother of several high-need feeders

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