Teresa, your post made me think about this whole discussion.  The poor  
newborn, I have observed, can be made to do many things that they may not prefer  
or find comfortable.  As the baby gets older they learn to fight or resist  
these actions or activities that they find uncomfortable.
I am going to give some examples and would love to hear what others think  or 
have observed. These examples are based on observation and what I am reading  
in the literature.
 
1. Newborns can be made to bottle feed by prying open their mouth, pushing  
the nipple into the mouth, tipping the baby back to increase the flow, moving  
the nipple around in the mouth to increase sucking, and stroking the chin and  
throat to increase intake.
2. Newborns can be forced onto the breast, with their heads buried into the  
breast tissue and chins flexed onto their chests.
With the second example babies tend to learn very quickly that this is not  
comfortable and will start arching and crying when brought near the  breast.  
Then again this is usually after they are home and the poor mother  does not 
understand what is going wrong.
The first example may take awhile for a baby to protest.  As they get  older 
they get better at resisting being force fed.  It is well documented  that a 
baby being force fed with bottles can develop an oral aversion (seen more  in 
preemies).
Bottle feeding is not the norm or the easiest way of feeding for  newborns.  
That is what modern day society does not get.  The waters  are so muddied on 
this subject.  Until parents and health care providers  learn how to properly 
feed a newborn and infant with other devises than the  breast, the confusion 
will continue.
Babies are just not given enough credit that they know what they  need.
Ann Perry, RN IBCLC
Boston, MA

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