The discussion about distorted nipples/compression stripes (thank you
Barbara Wilson-Clay for your excellent comments)  reminded me of another
latch problem I have seen.  This is the baby who opens wide, latches
well, sucks a few times, stops and then pulls back away from a deep latch
(without coming off the breast) and then starts to suck with a shallow
latch.

I saw a baby like this today.  Baby was less than 12 hrs. old,
non-traumatic birth, no suctioning.  Baby awake, alert, hungry, and
opened mouth very wide.  Mom breastfed 2 others for a year.  Initial
latch/positioning was excellent in terms of the Chloe
Fisher/Newman/Clay-Wilson definition.  Chin close in, head tilted
slightly back so nose was free,  chin was in normal position vis-a-vis
distance from chest, shoulders and lower head supported.

It seemed like the baby did not like how it felt to have so much breast
tissue in her mouth and purposefully re-positioned herself.  Mom said the
first few sucks felt OK but then it started to feel like a biting suck.
This happened numerous times in various positions.

Am I missing something?  Any and all comments will be appreciated.

Mary Cummins, M.Ed., IBCLC
Scottsdale, AZ

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