Deborah,

Just a few ideas on reading about your mum and 6 day old baby:

I would try everything possible to get the baby sucking well at the breast
before resorting to longish-term finger feeding, etc. You mentioned he will
give a few soft sucks before getting upset. Perhaps try at this point (when
doing first few sucks, or even as baby first goes to attach) squirting a
little EBM from a periodontal syringe, into baby's mouth to cause him to
swallow. His natural reflex should be to follow the swallow with a correct
suck. (This is based on the "suckle right or drown" principle - Kitty
Franz's I think) If mother has plenty of milk and MER works quickly, he
should get instant reward with more milk and may hopefully continue to suck
effectively.

I would suggest the mum uses the alternate cradle hold (baby lying along
her arm opposite the breast she is feeding from, with her hand supporting
baby's neck and finger extended just enough to support base of head).

Mum could encourage her MER before trying to attach baby, by warmth on
breasts, nipple rolling, breast massage and express a little by hand, so
milk flows quickly when baby starts to suck.

If these sorts of things don't work, and you still suspect the baby may be
suffering from birth trauma, I would suggest getting baby thoroughly
checked by Dr, and possibly by a chiropractor experienced in treating
babies and children. (I suggest chiropractor here because I have had
experience with babies whose necks have been put out of alignment by
traumatic births, and which have had problems resolved when adjusted by
chiropractor.)

Hope some of this helps.  :-)

Joy Anderson
Western Australia