I loved the posts on Dr. Dettwyler's observations in Mali (and those
letters--like someone said "WHEE!").  The post on intimacy was very
poignant, we have such problems with intimacy in our culture, and too
often have to overcome a lifetime of a lack of it when we work with new
parents.

Regarding finger feeding, two moms I have worked with have finger fed.
One was inducing lactation for an adoptive baby who was 8 weeks old and
used it to help him wean from the bottle, as he was initially resistent
to the breast.  Another had a baby, 3 weeks premature but not too small
and very healthy, who nevertheless did not latch-on to the breast for 6
weeks.  Both used a tube system.  The only problem either of them had
was that baby kept sucking the tape right off!  I have had some success
using the finger as a stimulus to induce suckling with babies who are
fussing and fighting the breast. Some of these little ones get so
disorganized from crying that latching on is hopeless.  When other
attempts at soothing baby are fruitless (or when he or she starts
fussing again when placed back at the breast), I suggest to mom that she
let baby suck on a finger (in the nursing position)by stimulating the "S
spot", which soothes baby, then after a few seconds, quickly remove
finger and reintroduce breast.  Nine times out of ten, in my experience,
baby will latch on like magic and nurse quite nicely.  Kind of like baby
says "Oh, yeah, now I remember why I'm here!"

Also, kind of a late post on pillows.  I am personally a big
pillow-lover. I just use regular pillows, though, and have never tried
one of the specially designed ones.  I think they can be real useful for
comfort and for positioning in the early days.  Sometimes I wonder if
there isn't some "Hawthorne effect" when moms are observed for
positioning.  She may be so concientious about wanting to be seen doing
it correctly when a helper is there that we see a proper latch on. But
when it is just her and baby "on their own", maybe she isn't so careful,
or able to remember every little thing.  So when we observe, we don't
see any problem with latch-on or positioning, but there is one indeed.
Just something I wonder about sometimes...

Andrea Simmons, LLLL
St. Louis MO (Who is very sorry to have forgotten to sign her last
posts! I thought my signature line was working.  Oops!)