Celine We have had some discussions about this dilemma before on lactnet. There are opposing views on the subject. There are those that totally "practice" baby led attachment and there are those that are more hands on. Some folks feel that if you latch the baby for mom that mom might not be able to do it by herself, and also it is too pushy and forceful. Then there are those who feel that if mom isn't getting it, she often gives up, and if you could just get the baby to latch, then mom would get a boost of confidence, and baby will get some experience, and it'll often be easier next time. Now remember, no one can really latch the baby. The baby latches him or herself. But the mother does assist quite a bit, in my opinion, by good positioning and support of the baby and, usually, her breast. I really question baby led latching, that it is totally baby led, unless mom is unconscious or asleep. A baby could latch in this scenario, if placed near mom and if he's a healthy vigorous infant. However, the videos I've seen of baby led latching, do show the mother helping quite a bit, in my opinion. So what is so wrong with that? What is wrong with an experienced person lending a hand? I am a more hands on person. I've tried it many ways. More times I have seen mothers just go right to the bottle, if baby does not latch at the first try. I think in different cultures, or with different levels of commitment of the mom, baby led attachment can work. This is the ideal. I think a homebirthed baby or a baby from a non-drugged mother would latch much more easily, and if the birth setting "allows" mother and baby to stay together 24/7 and latch at baby's own time frame, and not be worried about baby's 45 blood sugar. You are in a hospital setting, as I am, and I see virtually no drug-free babies, and much mother/baby separation. In fact, most of our births are inductions and about a third are premature. Maybe that's why I, like you, see mother's struggling, and in the most uncomfortable positions, where the baby just can't latch even though he is trying. It is nice and best to talk the mom through, but I really don't see any harm, and haven't had any negative consequences from putting my hands in there and showing mom. Do so with permission and not in pushy way, but in my experience, mothers are grateful. Best regards, Laurie Wheeler, RN, MN, IBCLC MISSISSIPPI USA *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html Mail all commands to [log in to unmask] To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask]) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask]) To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]