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AM
21-02-2007, 10:49
I like this article
The Baby Knows How - To Breastfeed, That Is http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/baby-knows-how.html

Quote:
When I learned what Dr. Smillie was doing in her office setting, I went back to my own office and placed six six-day-old babies, clad only in diapers, upright on their mothers' bare chests. Each baby worked his or her way down and over to one breast, wiggling until he or she was at a 45° angle and under the breast. Then each baby magically tilted back its head, anchored its chin on the breast, opened wide, and attached. After more than 33 years in clinical practice, I was in awe.
I watched as these babies fed, then came off the breast all by themselves. What a novel concept—they knew when they were finished. I instructed the mothers to put the babies back upright on their bare chests. This not only provided a great opportunity to burp the babies, but gave them more choices. All six babies made their way to the opposite breast and did the same attachment thing. I was hooked. How could we have missed this simple concept of a baby instinctively attaching on his or her own?

Quote:
All this has led me to ponder why we spend so much time and energy micromanaging "the latch." Mothers can be empowered to see that they don't have to learn any "method" of doing this—the baby already knows.

kymmy
21-02-2007, 11:00
Its amazing!
I read about newborn bonding where after the birth a baby will naturally moves towards the breast if placed on the mother's stomach. Takes a while (maybe an hour?) Call it survival instinct? I want to try it after the birth of my next bub..

cheezelkat
21-02-2007, 11:04
Wow! I had so much trouble with latch and had to ensure squeezing of nipples and breasts (OUCH) that I would be willing to try this. I know that now is I just lie down without a shirt on and Liam comes over so fast and attaches himself.

AM
21-02-2007, 11:05
Definitely amazing survival instinct! I guess we would not have been around for the millions of years we have been if our babies didn't have half a clue, hey?:laughing:

CK - couldn't hurt, hey? I guess we could be so obsessed with ensuring the baby does it right, and 'micro managing' the latch, we don't stop to let them do it in their own time... I will definitely be giving this a go with my next baby.

Madi
21-02-2007, 11:08
So forcefully pushing the baby on at high speed like you see so many hospital staff doing isn't a good idea?? Who knew? :rolleyes:

What a lovely article. :yes:

meme
21-02-2007, 14:18
here is another article on the same concept of baby led attachment. breastfeeding news (http://www.msu.edu/~hmhb/MBFN%20NL%20v1i3%209-03.pdf)