Breast Crawl... what is the point?

[pollyanna]

I must admit with my third baby that i have just had i am a lot more relaxed and was happier to let this baby set his own pace. Mind you he was a nicu baby and requiring oxygen and gavage feeding;but after that i just wanted to hold him and smell him and feel him next to me. Funny but when the opportunity finally arose to be able to have him skin to skin there happened to be a lactation consultant in the room and she was able to identify the things he was doing (subtle things)that i otherwise would've missed. The way as i was cuddling him he was licking my skin, my arm my collarbone and smelling me. Then he tipped/leaned himself over. I was like"WHoooAA"whats he doing"?She said just watch;don't prop him back up straight-he has put himself in that position because he is seeking the breast. He knows instinctively how to find the soft tender breast and be led to the milk. Sure enough he started tonguing my breast and then my nipple and then he latched on and suckled.I have to admit it was the most primal and instinctual things i have ever seen and it made me overcome with raw emotion. It is a beautiful thing to take the time. SMELL THE ROSES!!or in bubbas case the BOOBIES

[Gabi]

My Bub had his first feed about an hour after birth. I remember he spent most of that hour lying on my belly (skin to skin) just looking at us, and honestly, feeding him just didn't occur to me hahaha! So I don't think either of us thought of it until the midwife suggested it. But he was pretty keen once he saw my breast.

[briggsy's girl]

i checked in at the hospital today - and i was impressed - their "policy" is to encourage skin to skin contact and breast crawl of sorts. they understand some people may not be comfy with this, but their paperwork suggests infant left BF as their primary concern - it's good!

[rufalina]

BG - if you can. no matter what stage you are at, straight after the birth, or three days later, just give the breast crawl a chance if you can. All you need is a hungry baby and a naked breast, and you can do it... I have just read BWs birth story, and I know another girl who when through exactly the same thing, (premi baby and unable to get bf established) and it breaks my heart so badly to know that girls out there are not given the opportunity to do something so natural for themselves and their babies. And that there is such a lack of knowledge and assistance provided to those mothers who are so willing and keen to breast feed, and are not given the basic assistance to get there. UGH... I am so not good with words..... but I hope that you able to understand what I mean.....

[Smoke Jaguar]

Newborn babies can also 'swim' pretty effectively and I don't think any of us would be chucking our babies into a pool to check!

Ummm, I will be! I've had the most positive experience with Cookie Harkin's swimming school in Ringwood (she's sold it to one of her teachers since I started with her, but she still operates out of Blackburn), and have so much faith in her lifetime's worth of research, that I want to get my next baby into water ASAP
As well as do the breast crawl! Thanks for the replies, Barb, Spring Angel and BG - definitely on my birth plan for my next one.
Sue Cox's work is also really great to watch before you give birth, though it's not exactly breast crawl instruction it still encourages skin to skin and minimal contact with non-mummy smells.

[Matryoshka]

I let this happen with DS2. As soon as i pushed him out he was placed on my tummy, i lay for ages stroking him (i was fascinated with his full head of dark hair), he lay for a while but then started sort of pushing his way upwards. He wasn't much off my boobs but he was moving his head around and opening his mouth for the nipple, i moved one closer to him and he eventually got it in to his mouth.

It was the most satisfying natural experience i've had, and sadly so much better than my experience with DS1 where he was taken away for 5 minutes BEFORE being placed on my chest. With him, it didn't feel right, and i didn't attempt to breastfeed until hours later when i was told to. It was this experience which lead me to strive for a better one with DS2 and i got it.

I had also stipulated THIS in the birth plan, i had written that i'd wanted to allow him to self attach to the breast when ready and that weighing etc be delayed, and that he was not to be taken away. THe midwife was so great she even prepared the oxygen nearby just in case he needed it so he wouldn't have to be removed from me. So if you let them know your needs beforehand they will cater to you.

[Gigi]

DS was born last week and was placed on my tummy and they reminded me to lift my shirt up to give us skin to skin. He almost straight away was looking round to attach. He was making quite an effort, but I wasnt able to put him on. I should have maybe asked for some help to do it, but I had to lye there for about up to 60mins while they stitched and checked me etc (placenta took a while to come out too). I was not lying in a posistion that felt like I could put him on even though he wanted to and I feel a bit bad about it, especially as he was making such an effort. My doula said it was fine, as his sniffy and wriggling round was all good for him too - but i dunno?

congrataulations Salsa on your lovely new bub!
how beautiful that sounds to me!

i had the plan, to have baby placed on my chest immed, but so many things went wrong, (ambulance, hospy, two epidurals, emerg c-section, bandl's ring, bilby not breathing) that we got no skin to skin, no chance for rooting naturally. it sounds so beautiful to me.

[Beaksie]

Hi, I just had a comment about my own recent experiences with DS. In the last week or two (he's 9 weeks towmorrow), Ive noticed that if I give him a chance to find my nipple by himself, he latches perfectly. I havent had attatchment issues with me leading him, but this feels differnt, kind of more natural I suppose. It started with me falling asleep during a feed, when he had come off and was resting. I woke to a firm clamp down on my nipple, and was amazed, because he would have had to shuffle forward a bit to reach me. Since then I make a point (not every time) of leaning back with him resting on my breast, and letting him nuzzle his way to what he wants. It still amazes me to watch him, and its sooo cute!