Ann: I am a little behind but hope this can still help.
We had the same situation several months ago. What worked the best was
to prop moms breast on a pillow, on her lap infront of her and then have
baby in side lie on a pillow (at the nipple). Yes the baby was almost
out of arms reach for her,so for the first week or so she needed
++++help, (her husband was quite helpful here). Once the baby knew what
to do she could latch him herself and went on to breast feed for several
months. Marie

I need some help in figuring out the logistics of nursing for a new mom
I worked with yesterday. This mom is very motivated but is having a
difficult time. She weighs almost five hundred pounds, and she had a
c/section birth. She is having trouble moving her legs.  Her baby is six
pounds, and is sleepy.  Her breasts are very long and large, larger than
basketballs, and the areola is underneath the bulk of the breast. Her
breasts reach the top of her thighs.It is difficult for her hands to
reach her areola and nipples, and her nipples are very flat and thick
skinned.  Even with pumping, the nipple does not protrude much and is
the diameter of a quarter. It is difficult for her to see her nipples at
all. We finally tried a nipple shield last night, but she cannot see to
put it on, and it has to be placed by someone else.  The baby will latch
with it, but once he gets tucked up close to her, falls immediately to
sleep.  We would wake him up, and he would suck a bit and then he would
fall asleep.  Mom pumped after and we fed him colostrum with a syringe.

Please suggest some positions that might help this mom and baby. She
does not fit into any of our chairs at the hospital, and in the bed we
can slide a pillow alongside her and get him into football hold, yet he
seems precariously perched there, as she fills most of the hospital bed.
If we put him under her breast, he gets so cozy he doesn't suck at all,
just sighs and goes to sleep.  Hopefully he will be waking up better
today and she will be feeling better as well. If anyone could offer some
suggestions for me, I would appreciate them very much.
Ann Calandro, RNC,IBCLC

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