Rob, I think there are two minds on this - the English view is that NOTHING should be in the baby's mouth except mom, so that they can experiment and learn to get it right. In the US (and even more in PR) LOTS of "bad" things have gone into the baby's mouth - and I have found that if I get the baby to suck on my finger for a while (I sometimes do it while getting a history of the mom or having mom pump if her breasts are too full, or while calming mom and family down enough by talking out their fears and frustrations) - and I mean over 5 minutes and with my finger "way" in so that I get the long, good sucks we need for nursing - then I can often get the baby right on, and moms say to me - "oh there wasn't anything wrong, was there?" Then I point out that I have: 1 - let the baby know that not everything going into the mouth is negative 2 - taught the baby to let something in to the mouth (some babies have terrible gag reflexes and I slowly introduce my finger until I have either accustomed them or they have been desensitized). 3 - praised the baby when he/she opens wide, sticks out tongue, or allows me to get further in 4 - massaged the tongue to stimulate the long, slow sucks we need. Sometimes baby starts sucking well before I am done with the history - then the history-taking stops and I get baby on, then continue talking. Baby Leads is my motto in all the mom-baby visits. So - I am quite non-English in my approach, but it works for me. Find out what works best for you, and go for it! The old LLL saying - take what is useful and leave the rest - is true for most of the "art of breastfeeding". Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, IBCLC, LLLL mailto:[log in to unmask] Project Director - Proyecto Lacta - Puerto Rico http://netdial.caribe.net/~prlacta/ Lactancia Materna '98 - La Mejor Inversion