Thanks to all who gave me help on the baby who could not open wide.
 Consensus is that vigorous suctioning lies at base of difficulty.  Will keep
you posted -- spoke to pediatrician and very carefully suggested baby was
unusual in that appeared UNABLE to open.  He called the mother and had her
bring baby in (I held my breath...) and has referred her to a speech
therapist (ST) who specializes in oral motor therapy in infants.

Am just discovering what a wonderful resource OT's (and now ST's?) are when
babies behave ineffectively at breast.  This ST said that feeding is the
basis of speech -- you don't feed, you don't speak.  Had always wondered what
happens down the road to my can't- breastfeed  babies and now I am hearing
that there may be repercussions long-term.  Apparently one of the first
questions this ST asks parents (of children with speech problems) is "Did
your baby having trouble breastfeeding?"  Any comments on working with OT's
and ST's and appropriate times to suggest this referral (thru the ped of
course)?

Dear Luann,
Re your experience with baby who suddently latched and fed at 4 days pp.  I
am hearing (Marshall Klaus at ILCA this July) and seeing that drugs during
delivery may have exactly this effect -- a 72-hour inability to organize at
breast followed by often dramatic clicking into gear.  Embarrassed myself
completely with one baby who, at 48 hours, was hypotonic, slack-jawed, gagged
on any food, couldn't even bottle-feed and wouldn't suck on anything at all.
 One day later this baby took the breast and never faltered thereafter.  This
was extreme but not atypical.  (It didn't help my composure to discover the
TV was tuned to porno movie during home visit.  Decided I didn't care whether
this was a cultural habit p.p. in the country from which this couple came --
the porn had to go.)