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Subject:
From:
Cathy Bargar <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 8 Jun 1999 15:42:01 -0400
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I remember how pleased I was when I heard Dr. Ruth Lawrence talk several
years ago about positioning, and she pretty much poo-pooed the idea that all
mothers/babies must be positioned in certain specific ways, or that we all
needed to do it the same way. Not that positioning wasn't important, but
that, for example if a mother was using the much dreaded "scissors hold" and
all was going well for mom & baby, why should we busybody nurses come
flocking in to "correct" her? (This was several years ago, when
"positioning" was a much newer concept and the mighty "C-hold" was being
heavily pushed in the local hospitals. NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH
TEACHING THE IMPORTANCE OF "GOOD" POSITIONING, but that there are many ways
for moms & babies to be well-positioned, and "if it ain't broke, don't fix
it").

Like Diane W., I often try to help a mom make positioning adjustments
(sometimes almost imperceptibly tiny ones), but only because she's usually
come to me with a problem, and only if it seems pertinent to her problem. I
think it's vital for a new mother to be shown and helped and to understand
the goal of "recommended" positions in the early days. It's kinda like sex -
you need to know the general idea of what body parts should be where in
relation to which other body parts, and what feels good and what doesn't,
but you don't really need to know the names of 17 different positions. And
what I find quite often is that conscientious new mothers tend to reel off
all these names of positions, but not really have an understanding of what
needs to be where or WHY.

I do think they're doing better in childbirth ed. classes and in the
hospitals at helping women with good positioning - usually they at least
know what you're talking about if you ask them.

Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC Ithaca NY

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