I second Barbara Wilson-Clay's comments about cup feeding. The importance
of suckling to a baby as a calming mechanism cannot and should not be
ignored. I have seen too many babies told by well-meaning breastfeeding
support volunteers who are frantic from having been taken off breast and
cup-fed or been cup-fed to avoid bottles while still learning (but not
doing well) to breastfeed.

In all such cases, I strongly encourage parents to give baby an opprotunity
to suck for comfort and calming. If they do not like/will not use a
pacifier, fine. A well-washed finger will suffice and is less likely to
fall to the ground to be used by the dog!

Sometimes bottles will do the trick, other times they are the CAUSE of
difficulties. We must remember to individualize the suggestions we offer
AFTER we have actually observed mother's and baby's efforts.  This is where
reports over the phone I find to be notably insufficient to provide
appropriate advice.

The biggest change that occurred soonest when I moved from volunteer
breastfeeding supporter to paid LC was my insistence on seeing mother and
baby and not just taking a phone call for an accurate presentation of what
was happening.

Oh my, the oxygen is getting thin up here.  Next?




Def. of LC service: "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities
brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Homewood, IL)- [log in to unmask]
WEB PAGE: http://www.mcs.com/~auerbach/lactation.html
LACTNET archives http://library.ummed.edu/lsv/archives/lactnet.html