One June 10  I posted about a baby who wouldn't feed.  Baby had been
extensively suctioned and was shut down to oral feeding. Mom pumped and
spoon fed for a while, then when baby would take something into her mouth,
Mom fed breastmilk in a bottle.  Feeding was still rather slow for a while.
Baby wouldn't latch onto the breast or a shield.

I recommended that they see the OT who has worked with infants for 20 years
using cranio/sacral, suck training, and rebirthing.  After the first
treatment that focused on rebirthing, baby latched on for about 5 minutes.
Bottle feeding went much better after this treatment. She was much more
relaxed with feeds and otherwise.

After the second treatment about 2 weeks later, (The delay was due to our
nemesis- Yeast.) baby latched on again a couple of times.  Mom decided to
try the shield and baby took it.  After about a week of this, mom was ready
to give up on the gadgets so she spent a lot of time in the bath and with
the facial/oral exercises the OT had shown her.  Baby is finally totally at
the breast and there is much joy.

There were so many times that Mom wanted to quit, especially with the yeast
struggle, but Dad is a solid breastfeeding advocate and encouraged her, and
took over many responsibilities that freed Mom up to do all of the "stuff."

The whole process took over 7 weeks, which to a new mother can seem like a
lifetime, and, of course, to baby is is.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee

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