>>A midwife in my area suggest using 8oz. of water with 1 teaspoon of baking
soda
in it applied to mom and baby after every feeding.  I have not looked into
the
safety of using this solution on the baby as of yet.  If anyone is familiar
with
this treatment or can respond about the safety of it, please respond.
 According
to the midwife it is safe and moms say it offers relief fast (after first few
uses).<<

Melissa, this advice appeared in earlier editions of the Womanly Art of
Breastfeeding by La Leche League, only the baking soda solution was for
baby's mouth; mom was recommended to use a solution of 1 tablespoon of
vinegar to 8 oz of water on her nipples. Both solutions were to be thrown out
and made new each day, and they worked for many mothers.  As far as I know,
the vinegar solution can still be used without question; the reason the
baking soda solution was withdrawn was because of the *possibility* of
causing an electrolyte imbalance in the baby from ingestion of salts in the
baking soda. I have never heard of a case of this occurring, so it is most
likely a case of prevention.  One other concern about these old-fashioned
remedies was the possibility of contamination of the solutions; again, I have
never heard of such a problem, only the possibility.

-Lisa Marasco, LLLL, IBCLC
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