This analogy may have been used before, so I apologize, but I was just
thinking about actors and performances and how it relates to babies and
breastfeeding.  There is an actor who is born with the talent for acting.
He is getting ready for a very important performance.  He is introduced to
the theater in which he will be performing.  He even gets to practice a few
lines and gets a feel for the stage.  Someone comes and removes him from
the stage and places him outside the theater.  This is very confusing to
him.  He tries to communicate with people, but nobody lets him back into
the theater.  Awhile later he is brought back to the stage and asked to
begin performing.  Because he is talented, he is able to do some acting,
but not his best.  After a bit he is again removed from the stage and
placed outside.  This cycle continues and he is repeatedly asked to begin
performing when brought back to the stage.  He even has people moving him
around and telling him where he should stand and what he should do.
Eventually, this becomes too overwhelming for the actor and his performing
becomes worse and worse until he is switched to another career that
requires less talent!

I was thinking about this while I was assisting a mother with
breastfeeding.  Babies are born with the talent for breastfeeding.  They
get a feel for the theater (mom) and even get to practice performing in the
beginning, but then they are removed and wrapped in blankets.  Their
attempt to communicate is often ignored.  Then they are brought back to
the “stage” where they are asked to perform.  Since they have some talent
they may perform well, but certainly not their best.  Again they are
removed and placed outside (bassinet).  The cycle continues.  If they show
the slightest hint of  “stage fright” then someone is quick to intervene
and “show” them what to do.  I have seen many babies become overwhelmed by
this and refuse to “perform”.  The parents assume that baby is just not
talented enough so they switch him to a new  “career” (bottle).

If a baby is allowed to remain skin-to-skin with mom then his inborn
talents will allow him to give a performance that deserves a standing
ovation!!  J

Christine Lichte, IBCLC, LLL Leader

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