I agree with Lisa Marasco. My colleague & I will occasionally use brief finger
feeding to encourage tongue down, mouth open or to just get baby interested in
feeding. We work on a Mother-Baby unit, so we are working with babies less
than 48 hrs. The finger feeding is used for only 1 or 2 feedings and the amout
given is less than 15ml. The reason that we have experienced, educated people
working to help with breastfeeding is to properly assess the situation and
make appropriate suggestions & interventions for that situation. Perhaps the
difference here is that the parents are not taught to finger feed for the
purpose of supplementation. Babies less than 48 hrs old should rarely need to
be supplemented.

PS-Why have my last couple of digests come with a red background color? Is it
AOL or is there some other problem? I really need to take a computer course!

Laura Hart, RN, BSN, IBCLC
in warm & wonderful Winter Park, FL where our new director just established
that I will spend 20 hrs. a week doing nothing but Lactation Services!!!  I'M
SO EXCITED!!!