Susan wrote:
>>>My specific inquiry is about using finger pad up or pad down.  Does it
matter, and can someone please explain why.

It depends on why you are doing it.  These are my opinions based on my
experience and training but in reality I do very little finger feeding or
suck training as I don't find a need for it frequently.

If you are trying to wake the baby up, get it started sucking and hopefully
move on over to breast or perhaps are just doing an assessment the pad up
works best because a gentle contact/pressure on the palate at the junction
of the hard and soft areas elicits suckling movements for most babies.

If you are trying to model/pattern/train the tongue from inappropriate for
breastfeeding suckling movements into appropriate movements the pad down
works best. I usually have to start out pad up and flip my finger after baby
starts sucking - this may be mostly my own comfort issue and/or maybe
because it starts the sucking better - usually.  Pad down works best here
because the curve of the finger with the pad down allows one to hook the
tongue and exert gentle positive pressure down toward baby's chin and out
toward baby's lip.  This is also the position that is most effective for
tongue tapping.

If the suck is fine and you are finger feeding for whatever reason with no
training involved I don't think it matters if the pad is up or down.  Go
with the feeder comfort.

Carla

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