Nikki says,
<<It would be easy if mother and baby were left alone together to figure
it out. I have seen lots of 'incorrect' latch at home visits, where
baby is thriving and mom is comfortable.  Breastfeeding is not a visual
art, it is a feeling activity.>>

I agree with you Nikki.  Though I think it is often more complicated
than that, as I said earlier, breastfeeding is a "feeling" activity and
one of our important functions in helping moms is putting them in touch
with their feelings and with the baby's.  We are guides, essentially,
showing them what these behaviors and cues mean.  They are often
delighted to inform me at a return visit how they knew to feed the baby
because they were sucking on their hands or knew they were full because
their arms were limp.  I think our help goes beyond the mere mechanics
of breastfeeding to putting mothers in touch with their own innate
mothering ability.  Learning to "know" someone is a very powerful
experience and for mothers, it is even more so, since their child cannot
speak and tell anyone what it needs.  We are, in essence, their baby's
voice for many moms initially, until they gain self-confidence.  Thanks
for always bringing us back to empowering the mother, Nikki!  It is
probably what drove most of us into this calling in the first place.

Marsha

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future
generations as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John S. C. Abbot~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

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(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html