Lactnetters,

I have a mom with exceptionally long nipples -- probably about 1 1/4 inches
long & about 1/2 inch in diameter.  Second baby -- she nursed her first
beautifully (after an initial struggle to get weight up) for 10 months, and
is very committed to nursing this one.  However, she's getting very
discouraged.  Baby has a short tongue (not a short frenulum), and he simply
can't get back far enough on the areola to compress the lactiferous sinuses.
 Despite fact that mom is producing copious amounts of milk, baby is taking
only about 1 ounce total from the br before moving to "hanging out".  He
LOVES to have the breast in his mouth; loves to suck, but isn't "eating."
 She religiously does alternate br massage to try & pump a bit more into him.
 Ends up pumping and supplementing via cup or fingerfeeding.  He gets nothing
but Brmlk, and she can pump a good 15 ounces a day above what he is taking
from the br -- he generally takes another 13 to 14 ounces which is helping
him gain at about 1 ounce per day.  I'm sure it is an anatomical difference
--  if she had shorter nipples, he would be able to get a bit closer to the
areola and do a bit better at compressing the sinuses, even with his short
tongue.  Or, if his tongue were lovely and long, he could probably compress
the sinuses better.  Punkin is 5 weeks old now, and she just wants to
breastfeed him without all the rigamarole.

Any suggestions out there in lactnet land?

Jan Barger, Wheaton, IL  -- 6 inches of snow dumped thanks to the Alberta
Clipper!
http://members.aol.com/bsccenter