Hello, I'm new to the list and feel this groups wealth of knowledge about
lactation is wonderful and overwhelming at the same time! What a group of
Minds! Your loving interest in the women you serve is so clear. I'm a
postpartum Doula And Doula service owner that only serves breastfeeding
mothers and families.Last week The New York Times interviewed me about being
a doula.  I managed to get the message about support and care for the family
thats breastfeeding into the interview.
  This is my first posting, I've been reading mail for the past week.I hope
my info is useful though I have not read about this method in any texts.
Accept my appoligies If I should be crediting you with this invention, and
don't hesitate to let us all know you.


"Topical Review and Bibliography of Literature on Breastfeeding" Edited By
Mary-Margaret Coates Published By LLLI has some resourses to help prepare
you for this topic. In a very popular booklet with the SNS it is
In my opinion I have noticed the Medela booklet does not instruct the finger
to be inserted deep enough into the mouth,this way the baby is not just "tip
of the finger feeding".

 Ruth Strunk's request for info resources about fingerfeeding caused me to
remember a great idea I observed  Laura Best of The Beth Israel
Breastfeeding Center In NYC use.  For use when  very frequent feeds by
finger is neccesary, a mother or father or staff member who was in need of
fingerfeeding to help the baby from creating pursed lips around the finger
and have a closed mouth type of suck imprinted.
Take a silicone breastshield (the only thing I personally think there useful
for) cut off the nipple tip and slide your finger through ( with the SNS
tube taped in place first) this creates a more normal open wide flanged
mouth even on the finger. It seems to  ultmitaly help to get the baby back
onto the breast somewhat eaiser. Since thats the usual final goal.It's a
most helpful technique if fingerfeeding is very frequent and the mouth and
tounge is getting imprinted with "finger sucking" only.

Good luck,
Ruth Callahan
 Email [log in to unmask]
Personal Web Page about postpartum Doulas   http://soho.ios.co./~mcallah