Jean writes:
"I respect the insights of all whose pathway has led them to "hands
off" style. But my pathway has honed the sensations in my fingertips,
(and perhaps enlarged that area of my cortex?). My sense of touch
helps me visualize what might be going on deep beneath the skin,
especially during the dynamic changes happening in the first 7-14 days
postpartum. I believe simple kinesthetic teaching can be of great
value to new mothers who accept the offer when asked permission to
touch their breast."

I see no contradiction in being "hands off" when helping a mother and
baby with first attachment at the breast, and being "hands on" when
trying to determine what is going on with a hard, painful breast or a
baby who isn't attaching and suckling, at any stage.  Midwives need to
have well-developed abilities to palpate places they can't see when
trying to figure out why a labor is stalled, or to assess fetal lie
and presentation, and such ability is applicable in troubleshooting
feeding problems as well.  It's a matter of knowing when to keep your
hands off, and when touch will add something worthwhile to the
encounter.  Few topics are more reliant on embodied knowledge than
birth and breastfeeding, and some really essential skills and
knowledge can best be imparted kinesthetically.  I think my midwifery
background made me very ready to adopt RPS as one of my tools,
especially since most of my work is with women at the stage of
breastfeeding when it is most acutely needed.

There is a lot of leeway between a completely hands off approach andh
physically 'latching' a baby onto a breast without active
participation by mother or baby.  I rarely see any good come of the
latter method but I have seen plenty of situations in which being
completely passive myself is inappropriate.  It doesn't mean I need to
be physically involved with baby and mother during the actual
attachment sequence but my kinesthetic sense helps me to guide them
with minimal verbal suggestions.  Fortunately it is not necessary for
the mother to understand all the complex stuff we know is going on, as
long as she knows the signs that the baby is well attached and
suckling effectively.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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