Nikki - Thank you for writing the following:

"Cathy Watson Genna reminds us of the MAIN collaborative trial (430 women)
that got the same results as Midwife Jo Alexander did in her study (96
women): giving women things to do in pregnancy didn't work, and undermined
breastfeeding.

Babies don't need nipples to breastfeed. A newborn can suck a nipple out of
your cheek. Babies need unrestricted skin to skin in the first 3 days to get
lots of practice with soft breasts before the milk volume increases."

 

Lee now:  Many years ago (20+?), I remember having a discussion with a group
of LCs regarding flat/inverted nipples and sharing that I had read that they
did not matter;  mammals could nurse if they were left to nature.  Some
examples I recall were whales and seals; they have inverted nipples and
don't run to a pharmacy/hospital/LC for nipple shields or shells; their
young just nurse.  I don't remember where I read that and that is why I
hesitated ever mentioning it on LACTNET (no "research" to back me up, only
experience and what made sense).  IMO, nipple shields or shells for
flat/inverted nipples are needed in our culture because of all the
interference from medical institutions/practices.  The shields/shells help
because we are undoing the harm done by medical staff and women who want
interventions because they do not know the harm caused by drugs during
labor/birth or by letting the infant spend ANY time in the nursery.  No
flames please; I told you it was my opinion.

In most average cases, breastfeeding is simple and easy.  Why are there so
many problems?  Our birthing and breastfeeding practices create the train
wrecks; they are not normal.  We need to remember that because what we as
LCs see are mostly the train wrecks.  The serious medical situations are a
different story; but they are rare.  Not rare, however, are the hard,
engorged breasts caused by the lack of frequent breastfeeding in the first
1-3 days by an undrugged baby who has been with its mom since birth.  It's
so simple but our hospitals and women don't do it.

 

Warm regards,

Lee Galasso, MS, LLLL, IBCLC, RLC

Westchester County in NYS, USA

"Children Are Born with the Need to Breastfeed"

 


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