I spent a very illuminating 15 min or so drinking from a cup and straw: drinking normally, trying not to move my jaw or giving it free motion, drinking fast or slow, drinking deeply, monitoring my cheeks and tongue and palates, and so on.  All the time really trying to analyze what structures were coming into play.  First of all, it's really hard to know just how we do it all.  Second, it's utterly cool how we can completely separate our breathing from our fluid intake (we can suck in liquid and exhale at the same time, no problem).  And third, it sure feels to me as if my tongue *has* to block most of my soft palate either way, during the sucking part.  Interesting for all of us to play with, just for kicks.  

But, going back to an older question, it all says to me that my tonsillectomy site is pretty much out of play unless I'm really sucking voraciously.  I would think the post-tonsillectomy child is going to avoid painful motions anyway and really doesn't need to be told what is and isn't damaging to those incisions.  Goodness knows we've all seen children who refuse to nurse because of mouth pain of one kind or another.

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY  USA
www.wiessinger.baka.com   

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