Sandra:
        My first guess as to the mother with numb arms while
breastfeeding is that this is a positioning problem.  Is mom sitting in a
chair with padded arm rests that are the right height for her?  Is she
using pillows to position baby, and hold him/her at the proper level for
her?  Is baby supported well?  Numbness in the arms can be caused by back
strain at the mid thoracic level (between shoulders) or pressure at the
elbows, especially if elbows are higher than what is being held.
        Have you seen mom nurse at home?  If you can, that will tell you
more than you could learn over the telephone.

Hope this helps,

Margie Forrest, LLLL, RN, BSN, IBCLC, down the road from you in WPB.