Cathy asks about a baby who keeps refusing the breast after an initial
period of problem-free feeding and some short-lived successes with
various interventions.  The anatomical explanations you suggest may well
contribute but since it sounds like there were no problems at all until
the parents attempted to "force" the bottle, I am skeptical.  I had one
mom whose baby nursed without a problem for 2 days after delivery, then
had a circumcision on the day of d/c.  After this, he absolutely refused
the breast.  She was able after some trying, to get him to nurse at
night, half-asleep, but never during the day. I talked to her when he
was 3 mos (she called) and we discussed strategies for getting him back
like co-bathing, frequent carrying with skin-to-skin and such with
absolutely NO attempt to get him to nurse.  Of course, the idea was to
get him attached to just being physically close to her breast, before
attempting day-time wide awake feeds.  I was hospital-based then and
didn't keep in close contact during this process, but she called at 5
1/2 months, and he was back to completely breastfeeding.  I believed
from the beginning that the circ was such an assault to him that it was
a matter of trust.  He had to get past that event and, essentially,
learn to trust mom again.  I know this process is supposed to last the
first 1 to 1 1/2 years, but I think some babies are more sensitive and
thus, more easily injured emotionally than others.  Perhaps that is this
baby's problem and mom needs to just back off for a bit.

Marsha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future
generations as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John S. C. Abbot~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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