In a message dated 4/12/97 1:10:26 PM, you wrote: <<When I asked her to feed the baby, she laid him on a pillow in front of her and without holding him or bringing him to the breast, she offered the breast to him, holding firmly to the areola just behind the nipple.>> Karen-- If that baby took in over 100ccs that feeding, he did great! It does sound like the mother's detached positioning has a lot to do with the possibly low intake. I'm wondering if she's doing this out of fear of that baby being fragile, or if perhaps her detachment is emotional, fearing a possible loss later on of his life. Adding to that may be the baby's uncuddly posture, as it sounds like he is hypertonic. I'm sure you already know about flexing the baby to help him organize his suck, and it sounds like you already did a great job of re-positioning mom and baby since he took in so much after your adjustments. Maybe you can talk to mom about her emotions, how she is feeling about this baby. Just verbalizing her fears to you may help her. Also, you may want to explain to her about hypertonic babies and tell her how much he needs her help in "connecting", since his muscle tone is naturally stiff. Non-cuddly babies are at higher risk of attachment problems, so early support may be very crucial and helpful to your mom. -Lisa Marasco, BA, IBCLC