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Expert Q&A

	By Melissa Clark Vickers International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Moms & Babies Huntingdon, Tenn.

I'm having latch on difficulties with my 5-day-old son. The delivery was long and difficult. He was suctioned at birth and had to be given oxygen, but managed to get a 6-9-9 apgar. During labor he had very good heart rhythm and variation, except for a 6-7 minute period of bradycardia at 60/minute that started with me vomiting. He sometimes gets a good latch on, but most of the time it takes up to more then an hour to latch on, and even then I have to complete the meal (This was only started on the fourth day because he wasn't urinating much). My positioning was evaluated and is adequate. I know the suctioning might be the cause of the problem. Could he have brain injury? Could the latch on problems be secondary to those injuries? Should I persist with my attempts to breastfeed? I'm getting exhausted, but cannot convince myself to stop trying.

You and your baby have been through a very difficult birth, and you are asking some important questions. Suctioning may be contributing to the problem, as can positioning and even brain damage. However, this is not something to be evaluated over the Internet. Please contact an Internationa l Board Certified Lactation Consultant or accredited La Leche League Leader to work with you directly. She can better evaluate positioning and milk transfer. Sometimes what seems to be good positioning is irrelevant if baby is not latched on well, and sometimes even a minor change in positioning can make all the difference in the world. I wish I could give you more help, but there are too many things that could be going on that would take too long to uncover by email. The answer may be very simple (like a change in positioning), or may just involve some time for both of you, or may require more in depth help.

Please take care of yourself through this difficult time!

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