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Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 12 Mar 2003 10:56:56 -0500
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>As one who works with her fair share of train wrecks, I empathize with Cathy's
>desire to get things right from the start.  I guess I just worry about the
>amount of unnecessary intervention which may go on if we push for a goal of
>absolutely no pain for all women.

My personal guess is that we're still missing some of the fundamentals of a
good latch, so that what looks fine to the most experienced among us often
really isn't, and that's where a lot of our "don't know why" pain comes
from.  I'll bet in 20 years we'll be doing our *initial* teaching in a way
that prevents a lot of the pain we see today.

Remember the days of "tickle the baby's bottom lip with your nipple"?  That
info is still out there, and still believed by a lot of breastfeeding
helpers.  But try this, based on Rebecca Glover's info and whoever first
told us not to push on the baby's head and to have the baby extend his head:

Push on the back of your own head, which pushes your chin toward your chest.
Now open your mouth as wide as you can.  First, of course, you'll notice
that "wide" isn't very wide.  But while you're in that position, notice the
position of your tongue.   If you're like most of us, I think you'll find
it's lifted in the back to seal your airway.  (And swallowing isn't any fun
in this position, either.)

Now drop your hand to the back of your neck and let your head fall back.
Open your mouth as wide as you can.  First of all, you'll notice that "wide"
is a heck of a lot wider.  But while you're in that position, notice the
position of your tongue.  You'll probably find that it's down and your
airway is open.

We make differences in more than just the gape by changing the angle of a
baby's head, but I don't think we have a clear understanding of them all
yet.  Are there other subtleties that we're missing altogether at this
point?  Wouldn't we all love to know what we'll be teaching in another 20
years!
--
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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