The topic of hand mitts and breastfeeding is so interesting.  One of the 
most common situations I see as a private practice LC is "what can I do 
with his hands".  I also work part time in a hospital and always see the 
hand mitts.  I explain hands this way to parents:  your baby spent all 
his time in utero involved with his hands ( I try to mimic this for 
them).  The hands now are the first step for the baby in a path of 
reflexes. First step, hands, second, open mouth, third, rooting (which I 
tell them is looking for the breast, and I define as failure to find 
it).  I tell mom her job is to have the breast in the right spot, keep 
baby as close as possible (everything Cathie Genna talks about is 
relevant here) and let baby do the work. Sometimes, if baby has little 
rooting behavior, I encourage getting the hands in the mouth so that 
step two, baby's open mouth, can be reached.  I mention that this is 
like the Discovery Channel: every baby has this instinctual pathway and 
the parent's job is to be in the right place at the right time so that 
baby learns what feeding is.  And that little head shake a baby does 
before they latch; doesn't it look exactly like all other mammals?

As for swaddling, some babies really need this to be well organized and 
feed well. Probably some of these really unpleasant births are the 
reason why, so what Annie says also makes sense.

Use what works.

Now, baby's head is a whole different story...


Kate Sharp
IBCLC, LLL
Manhattan, NY
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