When I go out to evaluate bfg. the first thing I do is put the mom and baby
in side-lying with the baby considerably "down hill" from the breast.  Then
I stand back, tell the mom to do nothing but hold still, and wait to see if
the baby can make the crawl and latch themselves on.  If they can, I know I
have a functional baby (the ability to breastfeed without  much assistence
being my root definition for functionality.)  If I am there because baby has
never latched, I may do quite a bit of touching, because sometimes all it
takes is one successful experience at the breast to convince the baby and
reassure the mother that this works.  Then I tell the mom:  "If you and the
baby can make it work once, then all you lack is practice or stamina or
whatever."  Then I review several times how I made it work, what I was doing
with my hands in terms of forming the breast, and how the positioning
influences the latch, etc.  Then I sit and watch her do it by return
demonstration.  Then I help her nuance what she is doing.  Then she does it
again.  Then I tell her:  "When I leave, you'll panic for a minute because
you are alone with this task, so I am going to call this evening, or in the
morning and you can tell me how things are going.  This is just practice,
and I can come back if you need me to, but you prob. won't if you practice."
I make some second visits, but mostly not -- just hold hands by ph. for a
few days.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BS, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
LactNews Press
www.lactnews.com

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html