I vow I will try to achieve either a digital camera series of photos
displaying the TMJ massage routine, or I'll video-record a series of episodes
so that I can provide the proper images to offer an inservice on the
techniques utilized to relax the tight jawlines.  I realize this idea is hard
to capture in print, but if you could see the impact on these little, tight
jaws, you would be able to offer more progress in latching these babies onto
breasts than the progress made with solely suck-training.  I also encourage
moms to hold babies skin-to-skin, allowing them to learn her smell, lick her
drops of milk when available, and gently nudge these babies gradually to the
breast.  This approach is less likely to cause an aversive response of the
infant to the breast than when babies are forced onto the breast.  Moms who
have sore nipples and a tight jaw baby have tried to force their baby onto
the breast; this is highly likely to cause baby to become aversive to the
breast.  Typically, either baby reacts by "shutting down" when placed near
the breast, or by frantically arching away from the breast.
Carol Chamblin, RN, MS, IBCLC - (I'm going on vacation until 5/5, so I'll
work on this when I return.)

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