Hi Diane and all
I haven't suggested a mum to visualise that she was a sword swallower :-))
but I often suggest she visualise what WE do when we want to swallow a drink
really quickly - we tip our head back - lift our chin and open the
oesophagus and airway - and it allows us to swallow quickly and continue to
breath really well. And if our chin is squished into our neck we will find
it really difficult to swallow and breathe at all. This is a great way to
help mums understand what might be happening with a baby who's not coping
with a fast flow and/or big supply.
regards
Del
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Del Smith
Breastfeeding Counsellor
Australian Breastfeeding Association www.breastfeeding.asn.au
----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Wiessinger" <[log in to unmask]>
3. A mother came to me with her 2 week old, after having had oversupply
issues with her first baby. The new baby would settle in, nurse, start to
gulp with the let-down, and pull back. The mother would accommodate him by
taking him off, then restarting. It was frustrating for both and painful
for her. On a hunch, when he started to pull back and she started to take
him off, I said, "See what happens if you snug his back and shoulders in
even closer instead of taking him off." She brought his back and shoulders
closer, which of course put his chest more firmly in contact with her. He
was now slightly arched, which tilted his head farther back. Instantly, he
switched, as I thought of it, "from turbulent flow to laminar flow" - from
gulps to smooth swallows. She e-mailed me just a couple days later to say
everything was fine, and I wondered how much of our "oversupply" is really
just babies who aren't being held close enough to their mothers - who aren't
"looking up the mountain" when they eat. I've since come to think of sword
swallowers as having the same issue. If you want a sword (or a liquid) to
go down your throat smoothly, you don't want it to have to go around any
corners. Put your head back, and the corners go away.
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC Ithaca, NY USA
www.wiessinger.baka.com
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