Pamela, Even though you were addressing a different post, you gave a perfect description of the use of the "teacup" hold on the areola: <4. Now ... with thumb and index finger mother takes a "pinch" of that very soft areolar tissue, just beside the nipple (that would be about 3 or 4 o'clock on the left breast) - this makes a kind of "handle" for the nipple, which can be stretched forward.> The only difference I can imagine in the way we customarily do it in our office is that we grasp this "teacup hold" somewhat further from the nipple and closer to the outer edge of the elastic areola, in order that the fingers be more out of the way of the lips and jaws unless the baby is tiny. At any rate, thanks for articulating it so beautifully. And thanks, Kay and Barbara, for including it in your upcoming edition.There was a time not long ago when one almost dared not discuss the idea in lactation-savvy circles, as the "good latch" was almost dogmatically construed only as one where the baby was put "on the breast", not where the "nipple was put into the mouth". Any touching of the areola (cigarette hold, etc.) was OUT. <I usually find that the baby may only need this special help for several consecutive breastfeeds, and then he learns to create his own teat from that soft tissue and the mother can then just offer the breast in the usual way - cupping, stimulating gape and quickly bringing baby close enough to get a reasonable mouthful!> Yes, oh for an adjustable areola and a reasonable mouthful! I am all for teaching moms how to add "adjustability", what constitutes a reasonable mouthful, and how great a miracle the MER is! Before lactation experts and pillows and insights into the anatomy of the infant mouth came to be, isn't it wonderful that latching must have somehow been possible for a large majority of babies and mothers simply because women learned from watching other women how to handle the breast as a feeding tool! Jean ****************** K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC Dayton, Ohio USA (who agrees with Pamela, who doesn't believe that nipple-confusion needs to be a problem if you can get the latching right! [one way or another]) *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html