Jan writes;
>>My question to throw out to the group is, how well do we learn a new skill
when we haven't eaten anything in two days.  Are we going to be at our
sharpest with no food in our system -- glucose, protein, and otherwise?
A baby who is not breastfeeding is telling you something is wrong
-- is he more apt to learn a good motor skill after being starved for 24 or
48 hours?<<
 Great questions Jan!!
I do think that when you are talking about a newborn, however, you may not be
able to make this, what seems to be very obvious, comparison between us and
them. I believe that nature builds in a little "lull" time and  maybe this
lull time varies from baby to baby.
Those of us that have worked with hundreds or thousands of newborns know that
some come out seemingly starving and "having eaten all along" and some appear
uninterested for DAYS. Of course we are all much more comfortable with the
feeding machines but the fact is that some newborns don't each much of
anything for the first day...or two......or three(??!) AND seem quite alright
with that. We all should be carefully watching for signs that the babe is
jumping on that downward spiral while also carefully aware of the idea that
time is but one factor, much like weight loss.
As a related aside, "first, feed the baby" CAN be accomplished by fixing the
breastfeeding. DUH???!! you say!! I don't blame you, but i think often times
in many settings when it has been determined that the baby isn't feeding well
at the breast and that he immediately needs a supplement, it is assumed that
because the babe HASN'T that he CAN'T and that he won't receive the same
(better!) immediate nutritional benefit from a "correct" latch to a "milk
just in" breast.
Lynn Shea Rn,Bsn,Ibclc
Franklin,Massachusetts

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