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Date: | Wed, 21 Sep 2005 20:40:55 -0400 |
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The topic of hand mitts and breastfeeding is so interesting. One of the
most common situations I see as a private practice LC is "what can I do
with his hands". I also work part time in a hospital and always see the
hand mitts. I explain hands this way to parents: your baby spent all
his time in utero involved with his hands ( I try to mimic this for
them). The hands now are the first step for the baby in a path of
reflexes. First step, hands, second, open mouth, third, rooting (which I
tell them is looking for the breast, and I define as failure to find
it). I tell mom her job is to have the breast in the right spot, keep
baby as close as possible (everything Cathie Genna talks about is
relevant here) and let baby do the work. Sometimes, if baby has little
rooting behavior, I encourage getting the hands in the mouth so that
step two, baby's open mouth, can be reached. I mention that this is
like the Discovery Channel: every baby has this instinctual pathway and
the parent's job is to be in the right place at the right time so that
baby learns what feeding is. And that little head shake a baby does
before they latch; doesn't it look exactly like all other mammals?
As for swaddling, some babies really need this to be well organized and
feed well. Probably some of these really unpleasant births are the
reason why, so what Annie says also makes sense.
Use what works.
Now, baby's head is a whole different story...
Kate Sharp
IBCLC, LLL
Manhattan, NY
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