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Subject:
From:
Rene R Fisher <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 18 Jan 1999 09:57:12 -0500
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Hi,     
        Yesterday I went to see a mom that I had been helping over the
telephone, the baby is 3 weeks old and he had been given many bottles.  She
was trying to get him to nurse,  for two days prior she had been using a
finger feeder because the baby was nipple confused, da.  I couldn't see her
immediatly because it was her sabbith so I had to wait until Sunday.  I
made up a packed of BF info for her and figured I would find a nipple
confused baby and we would go from there.  When I got there I looked at the
baby, he has Downs syndrome.  The mom never told me, even after I got
there.   I stood there trying to figure out if and how to ask her about the
Downs.  I asked her about his birth, about when he went to the pedi, what
did the dr say, everything going well,  how did he nurse in the hospital(he
didn't)? she said she had all this milk and she decided after she came home
to nurse.   I said well he has such a small and beautiful mouth,  lets see
his tongue.  I figured if she wasn't going to say I would just proceed.  He
sucked rythmicly on my finger and I did some sucking exersizes with him and
then we tryed to get him on.  And we tryed and tryed and finally he didn't
just grasp the nipple and he got a good latch and he nursed, ya know one of
those moments where you feel "thank GOD he's on".  He nursed for a while,
and came off.  Supprisingly the mom's supply is not a problem she pumped
with a hand pump for 30 seconds and had about half an ounce.  
        Well anyway,  I still wanted to talk to her about the Downs but we
worked with the latch and his sucking, and positioning.  Then after we
couldn't get  him on  again she finger fed him the half ounce and he didn't
want anymore.  She looked at me and said, you knew he was Downs, didn't
you.  I just smiled and said yes.  What a relief for her to say, now I
could talk to her about that.  Should I have said something before?  What
if I was wrong,  she had a round face, could he have looked like Down's and
not been?  Why didn't she tell me before, I specificly asked if there was
anything else over the telephone.  I would have brought her Downs
information and I would have prepaired myself better (I've only worked with
two down's babies)  in hindsight I did all the right things with the
positioning but I really wish I would have known in advance and even for
the first hour or so I was there I would have liked to have talked to her
more about it.  Well she was just happy to get him to latch at all and
today I am filling up an envelope with stuff for her,  I'm going next to
the archives to do some more reading! 
Thanks for listening!!  I was all weird when I left there!  I kept
thinking, did I do everything I could of for this baby and mom, I did the
best I could, and the mom and baby are happier.

Its so great to go to a place and tell my story, I'm sure I'm not the only
one this has happened to.

Rene Fisher,  BA,  LLLL,  IBCLC
Middletown, NY
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