In a message dated 7/13/00 1:37:17 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:

<< Today mom tells me she pumps out
and baby takes about 3 - 3.5 ounces per feed in bottle, but when she bf mom
feels baby gets only 1 or 2 ounces. She has to pump the rest to feel
"drained." She feels that the baby is "biting her" into the feeding. This
still points to me that the baby is not effectively latched or in some way
not milking the breast. >>

Test weighing (not debating its use!) has shown that mothers and observers
are often wrong about how much milk babies take at the breast. However,
assuming the mother is right, haven't we all observed babies who are over-fed
when given a bottle, thus convincing the mother that her baby must be
underfed at the breast where the baby has better control? Also, couldn't we
attribute the "biting" to nipple confusion? I am confused about why this
mother is not supplementing at the breast (*if* supplements are really
needed), since her nipples are healing well. Is she fearful of putting the
baby to breast due to past trauma?
    If this mom has a good supply (sounds like she does) and the baby's latch
is good (perhaps getting worse since she was last observed due to artificial
nipples), then I would use constant skin-to-skin, co-bathing, co-sleeping and
breast compression and have the baby evaluated by a competent caregiver for
structural/nervous system trauma. This may sound odd, but I usually can tell
by looking at a baby and being w/ him that he needs bodywork.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

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