Dear Lactnet Friends,
When I have a mother call me who has a baby who is fighting at the 
breast I sometime suggest she just stop "trying" to breastfeed. This 
suggestion is best for the moms and baby who try to latch for 10-30 
minutes eight times a day or more, never do latch, and then give a bottle.
Latching is not working anyway, mom and baby are crying, so why not stop 
for a few days? This works shockingly well. I tell the mom, "the baby 
isn't latching anyway so why not enjoy him instead?" Often mothers cry 
with relief that she can stop trying something that is not working 
anyway and just love her baby. Sometimes she has been working so hard on 
trying to breastfeed that the interactions with her baby suck! What is 
the definition of insanity? To expect different results doing the same 
thing.
I suggest lots and lots of skin to skin during this break, I agree 
completely with Nikki about laid back BF, if the baby heads to the 
breast, great. If not, when I see them, often the baby has seemed to 
forget they were so stressed at the breast. We can start again in a very 
gentle way. I also suggest that the parents use paced bottle feeding as 
well so the baby gets used to feeding taking effort and time.
Good luck!

-- 

Barbara Robertson, MA, IBCLC, RLC
The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor
bfcaa.com

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome