And then, there was the "Australian" position, where the mother was flat on her back "like a platypus", sometimes mentioned at least 40-45 years ago in the 1960's, back when I still worked floor duty in the hospital. Our hospital had always "allowed" husbands in the labor room since long before I worked there. But we felt we were providing a "big deal" - "allowing" husbands (married fathers, only, and no other support persons could be given substitute privileges) in the delivery room, recovery and postpartum rooms, (but never any parents in the "premie nursery"). This was part of the new ICEA recommended "Family Centered Maternity Care" which we had instituted in 1954. Mothers who had had spinals needed to remain flat for 8-12 hours then, and so through use of this position could be given the opportunity to nurse their babies in the recovery room, no less, through use of the "Australian" position". 

I always thought it was particularly great because the weight of the baby's head helped the baby get a deeper latch - which we were calling "grasp" at our hospital. I also felt it taught moms a position that permitted them to doze now and then while nursing, somewhat helping to mitigate sleep deprivation in the early weeks at home. I wrote an article  describing all this to submit for the first issue of some new clinical journal , but it must have gotten lost in the shuffle as I never heard anything back after submitting it. I as never savvy enough to observe the babies "getting into it", crawling etc., probably because they were not only bathed first, and fully clothed, but who knows, maybe swaddled????

The word back then was that the Australians "didn't like it". I don't know whether that meant they didn't feel the position was helpful, or that that name had been attached to it, as though this gave the impression they all (???) used it most of the time, or that it didn't drain the breast adequately, or what. 

I was always impressed with the "platypus" part of it, and sometimes called it the "platypus hold". Then again, maybe I wasn't so deeply impressed with it for that long, though, because I never remember using it in recovery room after my last birth 44 years ago, NCB and the "full 9 yards" with Pop there and all. In retrospect, my first few weeks could have used a little gravity for nipple comfort! I'm glad it's "modification" of "biological nurturing" has since been researched and spead more widely!   

K. Jean Cotterman RNC-E, IBCLC (also one of the original cohort certified 27+ years ago;)
WIC Volunteer LC    Dayton OH

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