>Today I received a request for help from a 35 yr. old mom of 3.  Her 8 week
>old woke up at 4am today to nurse and after about 30min of nursing, mom
>reported she was unable to have a letdown.

When I read this story, it didn't make a lot of sense to me. It didn't
really sound to me like a let-down problem at all.

Mom stated that this prob occurred
>at 4 weeks of age when family was in Fl. for vacation and also baby had "the
>sniffles" so mom just chalked it up to changes in schedule and added stress.
>After 48 hours of pumping and giving EBM via bottle after nursing attempts,
>finally was able to have letdown again.

If she had let-down problems, how did she manage to get enough EBM to feed
the baby????

  Mom
>stated that this am her gown was soaked and other side leaked during the
>nursing this am but baby still frustrated at breast, pulling, moving head side
>to side which is making mom even more sore.

This is a sure sign that she *did* let down. To me, this sounds more like a
baby being distracted by discomfort or pain while feeding than anything to
do with milk flow. Colicky or refluxy babies do this a lot. Mothers often
interpret the baby's behaviour as there being no milk and baby is
frustrated.


 Is it possible that this baby is
>having latch on difficulties after 8 successful weeks of nursing?

I'd reckon that the sore nipples are from baby pulling and chomping when
unsettled at the breast rather than a latch-on problem as such.

Now I know some of us seem to have our 'pet subjects' (for several it is
thrush), and mine, as many of you know already, is food intolerance. The
signs I 'hear' here are
- snuffly baby when problem occurred first
- mum taking Tylenol for sinus pain when it occurred again
Both snuffly baby and sinus pain in mum can be indications of intolerance
or allergy problems, along with fussy-at-the-breast behaviour.

Just thought I'd throw this one in as something to be considered.

******************************************************************
Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC
Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia Breastfeeding Counsellor
Perth, Western Australia.   mailto:[log in to unmask]
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