Ok folks.  Enough bashing and complaining.  I have a story with a happy
ending.

        I was in my hospital to make up folders for the monthly breastfeeding class
when one of the nurses asked me for the cleft palate information.  A second-
time mom had delivered a baby with a cleft lip and palate, and no one knew how
to put the baby to breast (which is why they hired me in the first place....).
I grabbed the LLL booklet, read it on the way to the room and mentally
reviewed everything I've ever read on Lactnet about clefts.

        The mom was grateful when I handed her the booklet and showed her the
resource list in the back.  Mom told me that baby's pediatrician was "really
pushing" her to nurse the baby because of the surgeries baby would need to
endure, but she didn't know how....first baby was bottle fed.  I assessed the
baby....cleft ran all the way to the soft palate, about 1/2 cm wide.  Baby was
able to maintain suction on my finger on digital suck exam, finger inserted
way back in mouth.  I assisted mom in positioning baby, seated facing mom.
After a few tries, baby was able to maintain suction and suckled.  Mom was in
tears.  Baby was only 12 hours old at this point.  I encouraged mom that most
of baby's behavior was due to age, and baby would learn to latch and suckle
without difficulty in the next few days.

        4 days later, I received an e-mail from a LLLL friend, who is also a friend
of the mom (hi Lisa!).  She told of being at this mom's house during a
birthday party for the older sibling, when mom ran out of pumped milk.  Mom
had been pumping and bottle feeding.  With Lisa's encouragement, mom put baby
to breast, and baby latched and suckled easily.

        I received a message on my answering machine from the mom yesterday (2 days
after the party) thanking me for my help and encouragement.  Baby is now fully
breastfeeding!  She went on and on. :-D  Isn't our job great sometimes?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

Margie Forrest, RN, BSN, LLLL, IBCLC in warm West Palm Beach, FL