> Lisa,

I see this sporadically too.  Why is it that certain challenges seem to come in
waves-don't see if for some time, then it seems like every other baby has the
same problem?  Something in the air or water?
Seriously, though, I think there may be a variety of contributing factors.
1 - Some babies may have been given something from a bottle and they immediately
learned to control the flow by curling the tongue and pressing it against the
bottle nipple.
2 - Some babies seem to have "found" their tongue in utero and learned that
sucking on it is soothing (just like the ones that found their thumbs or other
body parts that come out with "hickeys" on them).
3 - Like pervious posters have commented, some may have developed it as a defense
technique if they have been put to the breast too assertively.
4 - I think it was Cheli Marmet who suggested allergies may cause an "itchy
palate" which baby tries to "scratch" with the tongue.

The 3 things I have found have the best chance to turn the situation around are:
Football position with baby semi-sitting by mom instead of more on the back as in
the usual approach.  This may help encourage the tongue down by gravity.
Getting the lower jaw as far on the breast as possible.  The more breast tissue
in the mouth, the harder it will be for baby to change the tongue placement.
Having baby suck on a finger (LC's or parent's) while the finger is gently
pressing down and forward.  With this problem, I would probably choose finger
feeding if alternate feeding becomes necessary as it allows for some training
because the person doing the feeding controls when baby gets any milk and how
much.   Baby only gets something when the tongue is placed well (or at least in
the beginning is making progress toward better tongue position) and gets nothing
when the tongue is in the wrong place.
Winnie Mading

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