Dear Friends:
    Some of the mainstays of my lactation work are  skin-to-skin care,
remedial co-bathing, hand expression of milk, and  self-attachment. I have observed
something that neonates (babies that are no  more than a month old) do when
they are skin-to-skin on mom's chest, working to  self-attach, with the mother
doing nothing but making a friendly fence with her  arms to prevent baby from
falling off her chest. (Mom is reclining on her  back.)
    These babies go through cycles. They start to seek  the breast, then have
some emotional outburst. They wail and cry and may flail  their arms and
heads a bit. They may attach to the breast for a suck or two,  then detach and
start crying. They may get red and roar they are so powerful in  their emotional
expression. Then they rest. This cycle of seeking, emotional  outburst and
rest may be repeated up to 4-5 times. Once that cycling is done,  the next time
they seek, they will self-attach and stay feeding. This is a huge  first step
to breastfeeding recovery.
    One of the elements of craniosacral therapy is  somatoemotional release.
If any of you had have an emotional surge during a  massage, you've had a
somatoemotional release. Feelings are stored in the cells,  and are released when
the conditions are right. A safe, warm and  dim environment with a calm and
open atmosphere make for right  conditions.
    I have seen this pattern of behavior enough that I  can predict it, which
helps mothers to stay open, talk to their babies, and  listen to their
babies. The babies are telling their story. I see this a lot  when there is birth
injury or when there is forced latch and mother goes  home fighting with her
baby to breastfeed. This pattern is part of the  breastfeeding recovery process.
    Has anyone else observed this?
    warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE
Maternal-Child Adjunct  Faculty Union Institute and University
Film Reviews Editor, Journal of Human  Lactation
Support the WHO Code and the Mother-Friendly Childbirth  Initiative

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