I recently worked with a mom and baby who were struggling with latch
after the (10 lb 4 oz) baby was born after 4 hours of pushing.
When I placed my (I must admit ungloved) finger into the baby's mouth to
feel what the palate was like, I was amazed to discover that I could
almost go in to the bottom of my index finger (and I have piano-players
hands that can reach ten keys easily on the piano).  The baby's skull was
very elongated...
The mother pumped and we supplemented with a periodontal syringe at the
breast (rewards for trying her best!).  When mom was feeling bleak she
would switch over to an orthodontic nipple on a bottle.
The baby began to nurse better after about a week and a half - and at
about a month a digital assessment showed that the baby's palate was much
closer to "WNL"!
I'm convinced that pumps can be a life- well - a breastfeeding
relationship saver (and that is a life-saver!) in situations where the
mom feels overwhelmed.  Once you get past those first hard days you can
begin to get some perspective on what's throwing you so bad - the
breastfeeding or just new-mothering! (I've had my Lamaze students call me
the second time around and say, "I'm breastfeeding this time!  I thought
it was the nursing that was making it so hard and now I know it was just
the new parent part that was so hard!")
   Dawn (FACCE&IBCLC) in not-so-sweltering today Southern Vermont