Thank you all for your suggestions and personal and professional stories in
response to my post about the baby who is just not interested in suckling.
She was severely suctioned at birth and seems to continue to have something
of an oral defensiveness.

The OT whom I use is out of town until Wed. of this week and baby was
continuing to not eagerly suck, so I decided to have mom give some milk in
a bottle to see if we could create an interest.  Another reason was that
there were several family events that mom didn't feel she could handle with
pumping and spoon feeding.  I was fearing that I was "losing" her. She had
missed a lot of activities and was rather "low" about that.

Baby is drawing the teat into her mouth, keeping her tongue down, and is
opening her mouth better now.  I've talked to the Ped and the parents about
the OT and we will pursue that when she returns.

We've followed some of the suggestions that you have made, but I believe
that baby's mouth is not ready to effectively approach the breast yet. She
doesn't "go after" either the teat or mom's nipple yet. I haven't seen the
baby since Saturday and mom says that baby is opening wider and seems more
eager than before.  She keeps asking me for assurance that we are going the
right direction and that she will, in fact, go to breast. She is offering
the breast before, during, and after feeding, but never to any frustration.
Sometimes baby just sits there with her mouth on the nipple, and I tell her
that that is fine, because she likes to be there.

She had a dip in her milk supply at the end of last week and was having a
challenge to pump enough, but More Milk came to the rescue and she has
plenty now.  Baby had a great weight check on Friday, which boosted
everyone's spirits. She is happy, responsive, and gives great smiles.

After the work with the OT, I plan to have mom return to spoon feeding or
cup feeding. I'm betting on baby's having enjoyed sucking so that she will
then want to latch onto the breast when there is no teat.

I know that she would go to breast in time anyway, but mom is a teacher and
I would like for her to have some good relaxed breastfeeding before she has
to return to work in the fall.

I will keep you posted.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee


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