I saw a baby today who has been gaining a pound a week for a month.  (We
ended up dealing with over-supply issues, tho mom on phone expressed concern
that baby only fed for 3 min every 3 hrs. and must be starving.  We did a
test weight and discovered the baby was taking in close to 3 oz in 3 min.
What a chugging contest!)  Anyway, this mother and baby had pretty terrible
positioning.  Baby flat on back with head turned, etc.  But mom wasn't sore
and baby was rotund.  So I didn't interfer.

However, I think a theoretical understanding of infant suck (ref. Ardran and
Kemp, Smith's ultrasound studies of nursing infants, and Mike Woolridge's
descriptive work in this area) constitute the basic skills of LCs and must
be thoroughly understood so we have a sound appreciation for the
physiological basis of breastfeeding.  Then, if we watch someone like Chloe
Fisher (by video), we can see the WHY behind the re-positioning process, and
understand how to employ it in the service of the compromised dyad who is
having trouble, and for whom technique becomes more critical.

I refer interested students and anyone looking for a good review to Diane
Weissinger's insightful article on positioning which appeared last year in
JHL

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSEd, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates, Austin, Texas
http://www.jump.net/~bwc/lactnews.html

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