I have instructed breast compression to improve milk transfer for sleepy
babies, babies struggling to maintain active suck/swallow for years, as
others have mentioned in this thread. Positive feedback from moms and observed
feeds attest to its effectiveness. I instruct moms, only when milk intake
is a concern, to pay attention to baby's swallowing and when it becomes too
sporadic, one to two swallows every few minutes, the use of compression to
push milk forward and if baby handling that flow without gulping, to
continue while baby is sucking, then when baby pauses, release compression but
not to move breast hold which is far back on the breast and not interfering
with breast attachment. Then when breast compression no longer works,
switch breasts. I find moms will let baby stay at breast for too long thinking
the non nutritive suck is giving baby milk. This has been my
interpretation of Dr Newman's handout.
Use of breast compression encourages moms to pay attention to baby when at
breast and understand what active feeding looks and feels like. I also
like to add a bit of humor to my instructions and moms relax more visibly and
remember the process better. I say, squeeze the breast firmly but not to
point of discomfort, keep it squozen (no such word, and this is the chuckle
part), then release when baby stops sucking.
Barbara Latterner, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Brewster, NY
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