Carol wrote about her frustration with: <<.....every single person who teaches
a mother to "help" her baby to latch on by pulling down vigorously on the
baby's chin, and forcing the baby's mouth open with a finger.>>

I agree this forceful intervention is not helpful.

In a message dated 11/26/98 8:02:53 AM, Jeanne writes:

<<In the first day or two of latching a baby on, baby may have a tendency
to tuck in the lower lip.  After latch, I may show a mom or dad how to
use their finger to flip the lower lip out while baby stays at the
breast.  This is done gently, quickly, and mom usually reports greater
comfort immediately.  Nursing is more vigorous and effective instantly.
It's a "miracle".>>

Yes, I teach something similar when/if that bottom lip is tucked in and
therefore probably too close to the nipple causing pain and less than optimal
compression of the sinuses. After latch and after gently checking to see if
the bottom lip is tucked in, very gently ease the chin down. This widens the
baby's mouth, the bottom lip automatically flips out to a flanged position,
and as Jeanne has seen, *walaa* (english for voila sp?), you've performed the
magic they pay us for. I too have seen that most often moms will say this
feels immediately better. Have Dad or Sig Other watch then return demonstrate
so that they know how to be gently helpful in the right way. Moms can adjust
position temporarily to do this themselves. There is nothing forceful about
this technique. Anything more than easing will mess up the latch altogether.
After a while the baby will realize "Hey - when my mouth is open really wide I
get the milk out so much better - so I think I will just do this myself every
time!!"

Deborah Tobin (who now knows what can eventually happen when you have in your
offline mailbox over 1,100 Lactnet digest plus all the mail you've ever sent
(23megabytes), your mailbox filing cabinet can become "corrupt" and lots of
unread mail can just POOF disappear into thin air never to be seen again. My
apoligies to anyone who sent me mail about two weeks ago. Pat told me last
year to "pump and dump" but I just wouldn't listen.)
RN BSN IBCLC LCCE - Hospital based
Springfield, Virginia USA
In the suburbs outside the Washington DC beltway
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