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Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 7 Nov 2000 09:44:59 +0000
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Helen writes:


>For the hospital LCs. What are your thoughts on the H....... Newborn Flow
>Records?  Under the breastfeeding section, we are to document the length of
>feeds. IMO, I am pleased to know that the baby latched and suckled for 3,
>5, 7, 9 minutes on the first or second days of life.
>

But (and I'm not the only one to raise this) how can feeds be timed
in this way? Do you count the couple of sucks the baby had before
falling off and coming on again? What about the natural pauses in
sucking? What if the baby has both sides...do you take off a minute
for the change-over? This is quite apart from the fact that
*ineffective* feeding could show up as am inappropately  'long' feed
or an inappropriately 'short' one ....it's the quality that counts,
not the quantity.

I think back to my first baby when I was told she 'had' to feed 10
mins a side, and even then,  in those days (1980) I knew it was
*absolute bull*, I still tried to keep her on for 10 mins and juggled
with the maths to make it so - if she only fed for 8 mins at one
time, I'd try to keep her on for 12 mins the next time.

I knew it was bull, because as a journalist I'd worked  closely with
Dr Penny Stanway whose Breast is Best had come out in (I think) 1979,
and which had explained why timing and scheduling were inimical to
happy bf.  I'd also ben to NCT classes.  I was a good example of
knowing one thing, and doing the total opposite....confused I think
you'd call it : )

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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