I have to echo Cathy Genna on this one.  Tongue tied babies often get frustrated when the flow slows and they simply are no longer capable of triggering another milk ejection reflex.   

Is the snacking because the baby really can't get enough from the breast?  How often is she supplementing?  How often is she pumping?  Has she been trying so hard to keep the baby on the breast when the baby can't do it that the supply is dropping? I often find mothers will keep trying when the baby really can't get more milk out and they drop the frequency of pumping and the supply falls apart. 

How's the weight gain?  How's the intake pre and post feeding on the good feeds and the bad feeds?  Laurie Nommson-Rivers has debunked the notion that diapers alone are sufficient for adequacy of intake.  

If mom has been trying to avoid pumping and bottles and the baby is slightly undereating and cluster feeding to compensate all day long, it could be that the baby is falling apart when she finally is so ravenous that she can't take it any more. Typically these babies will then guzzle down a lot of milk to compensate.  If that's what she is doing, smaller supplements more frequently will lead to a calmer baby and a less exhausted mother. If the mother is on her own and the baby is doing "hours of snacking" she may not have time to pump and that could lead to a drop in supply.  

Jack Newman's bottle is often a nice way to try the tube on the breast without a big investment.  

Best Susan Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC

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

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