Fione said,
"I would say my daughter was one who stayed latched as much as possible.
 I spent the most of the first night waking up frequently to latch her
back on because as soon as she'd loose the nipple she'd start
fussing/crying.  She was pretty much a perma-latch baby for a long time."

What a lucky baby it is that has a mother that provides that constant
closeness/nurturing.  As a hospital nurse it is frustrating to me when a
baby is asking for that
but mothers hesitate to provide it.   The mothers are not encouraged and
reassured in hospitals  that it is normal for some babies to demand to be
close and to latch-on frequently, or "perma-latched" as Fi's and my babies
did.  It appears to me that the expectations of most mothers (and nurses) is
the behavior of formula fed babies -gulp down their feeding and then be but
away to sleep soundly  for a few hours.   I  wonder if we perpetuate that
belief in our education by saying babies should breasfeed every 2-3 hours.
This seems to be interpreted as "no more often than 2 hours" and so when a
baby exhibits "needy" behaviors  (wanting to be at the breast much more
often that every 2-3 hours) mothers and nurses believe there must be
something wrong.   We need to reassure mothers when they have a "needy" baby
(of course after assessing the latch and making sure that there is
swallowing going on) that they are so lucky, their baby is normal and is
going to get their breastfeeding off to a great start.   Unfortunately,
because the 2-3 hour guideline is interpreted as "no more often than 2
hours", scheduled feedings continue to live.
Then there are the mothers who, after being informed, still choose to put
their babies off.   Poor babies.
Sally Myer RN, BSN, ICCE, hope to become an IBCLC in 2004
Nebraska

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