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Subject:
From:
"MARCIA L. FODGE" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 24 May 1998 04:43:06 CDT
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I am so happy I just caught up on all my digests and my e-mail is
totally empty. So please excuse these late responses.
I recently attended the annual BF conf in Des Moines and learned
several new things. One was that at 4-5mo. babies lose their reflexes
that they have been using to BF and become cognitively driven. So the
rooting reflex, the touching the lowerlip and the mouth gapes and
the suck being elicited by the nipple touching the palate, all disappear
and babies start using what they have "learned" to BF. Unfortunately
in some babies their little brains haven't caught up, and there is some
lag time. So it seems to make sense that some babies may not wake
automatically to feed and sleep longer starting that whole vicious cycle
of-longer between feeds, less Bf, less milk supply, and ultimately
losing weight. It might be very appropriate with these babies to wake
them at 2-3hr intervals for feedings until they really have learned to
BF.
  The post about the baby being very fussy before the "milk has come
in" was very interesting. When I had my son by c-section 18yrs ago.
We stayed in the hospital 7 days. He was also given formula because he
was fussy and my milk wasn't in. I was not an RN then or LC and I
didn't know any better. Our first night at home was Bloody H--l. He
cried and cried and cried. I fed him often, his diaper was dry, I had
lots of milk, he latched on well. I just didn't know what was wrong.
Many years later an LC told me it was the "1st night home blues". That
my son was just over stimulated and was not adapting to his new
surroundings very well. i.e. It smelled different, the bed was different
his clothes were different, it sounded different, the lights were
brighter or dimmer, he had been handled by many visitors that day and
just had to much going on. So it really wasn't anything I was doing
wrong it was just to much. Eventhough babies spend much less time in
the hospital now, going home is different and some babies don't adapt
to changes as well. So now I tell all my postpartum mom's that sometimes
that first night at home can be rough. That if they have fed the baby
and changed the diaper and met all their needs and they still are fussy
and crying it is not that the parents are doing something wrong!!!!
The babe may just not have adapted well to his new enviroment. Maybe the
lights need to be left on, or there needs to be some noise (tv or radio)
left on. I suggest to them that they try different things to settle
the baby, and if nothing works just sit in the rocking chair and cry
right along with them like I did. (This is also a primetime for PP
Blues to set in.)  I also tell them that babies cry for many reasons
not just that they are hungry or wet. So if they are told this, they
realize that there may be nothing that they are doing wrong and find it
easier to cope with the fussiness.  marci fodge

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