I can't imagine a more frightening experience for a baby than being forced to go on the breast when the stuffed nose requires mouth-breathing!

Various babies have had similar problems when I have visited a mom - and my (at the time, prior to laid back breastfeeding) recommendation was ...thinking how I do much better with a stuffy nose sitting up rather than lying down - to breastfeeding in a modified football hold where the baby was sitting up rather than lying down.  

The other part of the instruction was ---follow the baby's cues BEFORE they are CUES - as soon as the baby slows down eating, take that a s a hint that "I need to breathe" and set up a pattern of sucking, swallowing and breathing following baby's rhythm.

Of course the question always comes up - WHY is the baby so stuffy... could the edema in other parts also be affecting the sinus cavity?  Could the baby that was born by cesarean no release the fluids from the nose, either?  It would not be allergies, would it?

In a few days most of the babies I helped were doing this rhythm well...but the stuffiness lasted a long time (weeks rather than A week)....

Jeanette Panchula
California, USA 

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