Several years ago one of my friends had a baby with a heart condition, who
eventually had surgery and is now doing beautifully. She carried him in a
sling almost all the time, so that he wasn't using up any energy crying or
comforting himself, and she was right there to nurse him every time he
seemed at all interested. Like the baby you describe, he usually only nursed
for short periods of time, but she used breast compression to help him get
lots of milk while he was on the breast. He nursed quite frequently -
probably several times in an hour, with some longer stretches - but I think
it helped that he was in the sling and his mother could pick up on even his
smallest signals. His heart condition was quite serious, but the doctors
were impressed by his weight gain and good health, and his recovery after
surgery was the fastest they'd ever seen. This was the mother's fifth child,
so the sling also made it possible for her to care for him while managing
the rest of her family.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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