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Subject:
From:
"Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 15 Dec 2002 14:27:41 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
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Harvey,
You misread my email.

I am NOT advocating dietary change for colic.  I am assessing
breastfeeding for fussy babies, and finding that most of them are either:

underfed and hungry (they are happy once we get the
latch/sucking/breastfeeding management right)

unable to cope with the milk flow (I have seen moms that spray milk from
8-10 nipple pores simultaneously, and have also seen infants who have
difficulty with coordinating sucking, swallowing and breathing with a
normal flow.  Once again, once this is corrected by assisting the baby
using gravity feeding, giving the baby total control of his or her head
so they can let go when they need to, and reducing the maternal
oversupply, the baby is happy and stops crying)

or rarely, the baby has some sensory issue and is easily overstimulated,
easily disorganized, or is sensory defensive to one or many modalities.
  These are the kids who are referred to occupational therapists for
additional help after we work with their specific breastfeeding needs.

Allergy does exist, and when it does, 24 hours of maternal elimination
of bovine milk or soy is usually enough to make a huge difference in the
child.  But this is NOT the first thing I consider.

I think you are coming from a different place than we are - when a
mother calls a lactation consultant, there IS something wrong with the
feeding.  Mothers are wise, and they usually know when breastfeeding is
not going well.  Your methods are helpful to organize and calm a young
baby who needs some TLC when all basic needs are met, we LC's mainly see
infants who are having difficulties with one of their primal needs, and
soothing is not gonna cut it.

THere's also a cultural component, infant crying is considered a normal
part of parenting in the US mainstream culture, whereas it is considered
a sign of unmet infant needs or infant distress in many cultures that
practice attachment parenting.  I'm glad your work is promoting the idea
that crying is NOT a necessary part of infancy, and promoting the
meeting of infant's needs for parental closeness.  There is good
research on autonomic regulation of infants held skin to skin with
parents, and infant's need for tactile and vestibular stimulation
certainly don't end at birth.  We can all agree on that.
--
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  New York City  mailto:[log in to unmask]

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