Our nursing adventure began shortly after my son's birth. James was aggressively suctioned while being born and then again a few minutes later. I put him to my breast as soon as possible and he began to nurse. He ate at the breast two more times that first day. The nurses at the hospital thought his latch looked good and didn't see a need for me to meet with a lactation consultant.
Two days after being home my nipples were cracked and terribly sore. I couldn't let James latch on because it was so incredibly painful. I didn't know how to feed my baby. My husband and I used a syringe and I hand expressed my colostrum into a shot glass and we measured every drop he ate. We were in desperate need of help and luckily a wonderful lactation consultant came into our lives. Cathy Holland, our lactation consultant, came over after our second visit with the pediatrician. The pediatrician told us James needed to eat more and suggested we supplement with formula. Cathy tried to help us get James to latch on, but he had no sucking reflex. What I, and the nurses in the hopsital, didn't notice was although our son appeared to be nursing he was only chewing on the nipple. Cathy also noticed that our son did not turn his head to the right, even when the breast was on that side. Our pediatrician never mentioned this, leading us to believe that it would have gone undiagnosed if not for Cathy. We worked with our son to encourage him to stick out his tongue and open his mouth wide while dripping milk into his mouth with the syringe. After he accomplished these two goals we inserted a pinkie into his mouth, along with the syringe, and would only administer milk while he was sucking. We had also tried full-time skin-to-skin contact, immersing him in water to "reset" him and just trying to "pop him on". Despite these efforts along with making sure I was holding him in the correct position, offering him the breast correctly and offering the breast every time he showed a hunger cue, he did not nurse.
Cathy had suggested Cranio-Sacral therapy as another way to help James. At our first CST appointment I was skeptical and nervous. The session began with our therapist, Michelle Mintz, helping me to release the anger and disappointment I felt due to the suctioning. I hadn't realized it, but there was a lot of tension in my stomach and once it was released I felt more relaxed. The most amazing part was that I was holding James while releasing the tension and when I had finished he sighed with relief! Michelle gently touched James' head and neck. Immediately she noticed that there was torque in his neck making it difficult for him to turn his head to the right. They worked together to relax his neck and allow the tissue to readjust. Again, he sighed. Michelle continued to work with James, but he would not allow her near his mouth during this first session. Later that day we noticed his head was turning to both sides and his suck had improved.
Our second visit with Michelle was even more amazing. This time, James did allow her to enter his mouth. Michelle and James worked together to improve his suck and continue to loosen his neck. Two days after that visit James began to nurse. At first it was only a few minutes at a time. Then, he nursed for 20 minutes, an entire meal at the breast! We were thrilled and relieved.
However, James did not continue to eat at the breast. He also stopped bobbing to the breast when in our favorite skin-to-skin hold. After consulting with Cathy we realized there must be something affecting our son and interfering with his desire and ability to nurse. We made a thirst CST appointment. This time, however, we saw another therapist named Kelly Handyside. Kelly held James and they started to relax and reposition his spine. James twisted and turned and Kelly gently held him. He continued to sigh and smile as his body was aligning itself. Kelly inserted a pinkie into James' mouth and they released the tissue in his neck, back of the skull and throat. Kelly also worked with James to improve his sucking rhythm, so it was more effective.
Two days after our third, and final, Cranio-Sacral Therapy appointment James nursed. He has continued to eat at the breast for every meal.
Two days after being home my nipples were cracked and terribly sore. I couldn't let James latch on because it was so incredibly painful. I didn't know how to feed my baby. My husband and I used a syringe and I hand expressed my colostrum into a shot glass and we measured every drop he ate. We were in desperate need of help and luckily a wonderful lactation consultant came into our lives. Cathy Holland, our lactation consultant, came over after our second visit with the pediatrician. The pediatrician told us James needed to eat more and suggested we supplement with formula. Cathy tried to help us get James to latch on, but he had no sucking reflex. What I, and the nurses in the hopsital, didn't notice was although our son appeared to be nursing he was only chewing on the nipple. Cathy also noticed that our son did not turn his head to the right, even when the breast was on that side. Our pediatrician never mentioned this, leading us to believe that it would have gone undiagnosed if not for Cathy. We worked with our son to encourage him to stick out his tongue and open his mouth wide while dripping milk into his mouth with the syringe. After he accomplished these two goals we inserted a pinkie into his mouth, along with the syringe, and would only administer milk while he was sucking. We had also tried full-time skin-to-skin contact, immersing him in water to "reset" him and just trying to "pop him on". Despite these efforts along with making sure I was holding him in the correct position, offering him the breast correctly and offering the breast every time he showed a hunger cue, he did not nurse.
Cathy had suggested Cranio-Sacral therapy as another way to help James. At our first CST appointment I was skeptical and nervous. The session began with our therapist, Michelle Mintz, helping me to release the anger and disappointment I felt due to the suctioning. I hadn't realized it, but there was a lot of tension in my stomach and once it was released I felt more relaxed. The most amazing part was that I was holding James while releasing the tension and when I had finished he sighed with relief! Michelle gently touched James' head and neck. Immediately she noticed that there was torque in his neck making it difficult for him to turn his head to the right. They worked together to relax his neck and allow the tissue to readjust. Again, he sighed. Michelle continued to work with James, but he would not allow her near his mouth during this first session. Later that day we noticed his head was turning to both sides and his suck had improved.
Our second visit with Michelle was even more amazing. This time, James did allow her to enter his mouth. Michelle and James worked together to improve his suck and continue to loosen his neck. Two days after that visit James began to nurse. At first it was only a few minutes at a time. Then, he nursed for 20 minutes, an entire meal at the breast! We were thrilled and relieved.
However, James did not continue to eat at the breast. He also stopped bobbing to the breast when in our favorite skin-to-skin hold. After consulting with Cathy we realized there must be something affecting our son and interfering with his desire and ability to nurse. We made a thirst CST appointment. This time, however, we saw another therapist named Kelly Handyside. Kelly held James and they started to relax and reposition his spine. James twisted and turned and Kelly gently held him. He continued to sigh and smile as his body was aligning itself. Kelly inserted a pinkie into James' mouth and they released the tissue in his neck, back of the skull and throat. Kelly also worked with James to improve his sucking rhythm, so it was more effective.
Two days after our third, and final, Cranio-Sacral Therapy appointment James nursed. He has continued to eat at the breast for every meal.
She healed dd1's birth trauma (also due to deep suctioning 
-- she would nurse, but not without a huge amount of screaming). And if you've read any of my blog entries about my CST sessions, those were all with Kelly too 
. I 
.
. Did they suction him for mec? What hospital were you at?
. You will be in very, very good hands 
