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Subject:
From:
Darillyn Starr <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 19 Jul 2004 20:00:25 -0600
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We have seen a few adoptive moms of older babies who have held the finger in front of their own nipple, with the breast exposed, then eventually been able to move the finger and get the baby to latch onto the breast, which is right there.  For most kids, it is best to try this when they are pretty much asleep, but still sucking.  This is especially true for babies who will often open their mouths, with eyes still closed, if whatever they are sucking on is taken away.  

One mom who used finger feeding as a transition, found that it helped to switch to feeding on her thumb for a while, to help get the baby used to opening his mouth a little wider.

Another possibility is to get the baby to take a wide-based bottle nipple with a feeding tube threaded through it, then get the baby used to feeding with the bottle nipple directly over their exposed breast.  I would think that, since this baby is already finger feeding, just holding the finger directly over the breast would tend to work as well or better than the bottle nipple, but it might be something else to try, if they are not getting anywhere with anything else.  Also, feeding with the tube and a bottle nipple over the breast is more convenient than using a finger, because once you get the baby started, the bottle nipple will stay in place over the breast and you have your other hand free.  If the parents are getting real frustrated with the finger feeding, that might help them hang in there a while longer, while keeping the baby feeding close enough to the breast to be able to try to get him to take it.  One never knows what a given little one will decide to accept, but we do know that, in the vast majority of cases, if there is a will, there is a way!  

Aloha,
Darillyn

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