In a message dated 12/15/2002 8:23:38 PM Eastern Standard Time, Teresa P
writes:
> Elsewhere Dr. Karp has commented that his techniques won't calm a truly
> hungry baby. I suspect that's true most of the time, but I have seen and
> worked with babies who were not gaining or were actually losing weight and
> yet they were easily soothed or encouraged to sleep with a pacifier or
> other
> techniques.
Yes, my experience is that hungry newborns can be calmed, at least briefly,
self calmed or by caregivers.
For newborns this can be hazardous if *extended* leading to missed
opportunities to feed the baby.
As an example of missed opportunities to feed the baby, I tell new parents,
for example, that if a newborn is sucking on a pacifier or his fist for
several minutes, he may use up all his limited amount of energy for nothing,
no fluid or nutrition, and after a while may certainly give up and go to
sleep, ...we have missed an opportunity to feed the baby.
These missed opportunities can add up to too much wt loss in the early days,
dehydration, and/or not enough wt gain in subsequent weeks.
So, we teach those early hunger cues, "6 S's", and to promptly feed the baby.
We may well teach parents how to calm a crying baby primarily in preparation
for a feeding, as it is easier for a calm baby to latch and Bf.
But, often if the newborn is crying, it means we missed the early hunger
cues.
Debbie Tobin
RN BSN IBCLC LCCE
Springfield, Virginia USA
In the Fairfax County suburbs outside the Washington DC beltway
<A HREF="www.BestBreastfeeding.Info">Planning For Breastfeeding Success Outline</A>
<A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/dltobin/index.html">Planning For Breastfeeding Success Quiz</A>
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