Over the past couple years am seeing many mothers trying to trigger The Gape
by placing nipple on philtrum. Baby looks blank. As soon as move baby into
chin-to-breast position (nipple at but not necessarily touching top lip),
wide gape and can move easily into deep latch. So, Kika, am doing pretty
much what you are: baby snuggled against mom, cheek to breast, baby starts
rooting with wide mouth and will latch. Or I place baby right away
(skipping the cheek business) so that chin is on breast in the classic
offset position and away we go.
Happy breastfeeding thoughts –
Joanna Koch, IBCLC
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2015 19:03:55 +0200
From: Kika Baeza <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Latch issues - rooting reflex
Please bear with me ince more... I think this is crucial to our daily work.
So, medical literature (and experience) says that the rooting reflex (that
is, baby turns head and gapes) is triggered by touch on the cheek. When a
baby is in the biological nurturing position (or resting on father´s
shoulder, or grandma´s chest) she will turn her head towards the cheek that
is being touched and open wide, right?
When baby is on mom´s body, it´s his cheeks he rubs around till he gets his
mouth on the breast, not his philtrum...
What I mean to say is, I see the widest gapes when something touches baby´s
cheek, not when something touches baby´s philtrum. Do any of you agree, or
am I totally off? What I observe is 1. Breast on cheek stimulates root and
gape, 2. baby places chin on areola under nipple, 3. baby places tounge
(thanks cathy, I learned to see this after hearing you a few years ago) 4.
baby latches
So, as you see, I have philtrum issues :-) Many of the moms that come will
say "I´m doing everything that is on the books, I put my nipple on top of
his upper lip and he does not open his mouth." So I tell them to bring baby
in close and put his cheek on her areola; the baby then roots, turns his
head, gapes, sets tongue and latches.
Anyone else have this experience (philtrum vs cheek)?
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