>Hi, All:  I saw a blurb on the news a couple of weeks ago in which 
>the reporter
>said that recent research is finding that the ideal position (mom's) 
>for nursing
>is semi- or fully reclined.  I can't remember if they said where 
>this came from. 
>Does anyone else remember seeing or hearing this or know the source?


This sounds like Dr Suzanne Coulson's work on biological nurturing
http://www.biologicalnurturing.com/

This is research-based and draws on a lot of what is known about the 
biological, endocrinological and emotional connection between a 
mother and an infant - breastfeeding is at the interface of all these 
aspects, but it is also done with formula feeding mothers to enhance 
mothering and bonding.

It is very hand off. Mother is indeed semi or fully reclined.

This whole approach is in direct contrast to much of traditional 
teaching about positioning when feeding - there are books and 
leaflets which have very prescriptive rules about sitting with your 
back straight, your arms in a certain position, your knees raised 
(feet on a stool or even telephone books), bringing the baby on.

BN is much more baby-led, and it is more about holding and relating 
and loving and enjoying than actual feeding....in our experience in 
the UK, where this approach is gaining a lot of fans, the most 
comfortable and effective feeding can indeed happen with BN, and it 
is very empowering to women, especially to those who have had a 
distressing birth experience. It also works with mothers and babies 
who have not been feeding well - it is genuinely therapeutic in this 
way.

I would say BN is currently more influential with us who are not 
healthcare professionals -  we have never trained our workers to be 
hands on, and in fact I have never touched a mother and baby pair in 
this way (I am *not* saying this should never be done - it's just not 
the way we do it in our work).

Some maternity units -  a very few so far - are incorporating BN into 
how they support mothers as of course it sits very well with skin to 
skin which is more common than it used to be.

Heather Welford Neil

NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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