You ask about babies who won't latch.  I often suggest that mom tries once/day to take a bath with the baby.  I point out that babies love the skin-to-skin and the warm water, and sometimes a baby will latch in the bathtub who won't latch anywhere else.  I also give them specific instructions for the bath.  And I tell them that sometimes babies still won't latch, but that many mothers have found the time together, one-on-one with that baby, to be so relaxing, enoyable, and bonding that they make it a permanent part of their daily routine, even if they never manage to get to breastfeeding.  I tell them that the bath together gives mom time to just enjoy being with her baby, without all the stress of other stuff that is going on.
   Here's the instructions I give:
Fill the tub with warm water sort of high, but low enough below the nipple line that, if baby does decide to latch, his face won't be under water.  Put baby on a pallet of towels next to the tub.  Mom gets in and sits down, then reaches over and picks up baby.  When the bath is over, BEFORE she gets out, she reaches over tub and puts baby on pallet of towels (a stack, for softness on floor) and then wraps him in the top towel so he isn't cold, and THEN stands up and gets out of tub.  That way, we don't have two wet slippery bodies and the chance that mom will drop the baby.
   I tell mom she can put baby on her chest upright between her breasts and use her hand, a cloth or a cup to keep pouring warm bathwater over the baby. (No soap is used.)  Or she can sit baby in her lap and talk to him.  Or they can "play" by letting baby "float" in the water.  And I always stress that I use the term "float" loosely--she MUST keep a hand on him.  Then I tell her that at some point, perhaps during the first bath, perhaps the third, perhaps not at all, baby may "swim" or wiggle his way towards the breast.  He may even open his mouth.  Then I warn her that she must NOT get all excited and try to bring him in close to latch, even though it will be hard for her to contain her excitement.  I tell her that baby may only be wanting to explore, by batting nipple with his fist, or by licking the nipple.  If he really wasn't ready to latch and mom rushes him, he'll get mad and arch away and scream, and that will definitely spoil the mood.  She needs to let baby set the pace.  And again, I tell her that whether this leads to breastfeeding or not, it is a very pleasant time to spend with her baby.
    This also helps some older adopted babies latch, when they've never known what a breast was for.
 
Dee Kassing, IBCLC, RLC, LLLL

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