little feet, big sky

Katie’s observations are confirmed by research – in one Canadian study where carrying was increased throughout the day, (in addition to carrying which occurred during feeding and in response to crying), infants cried and fussed 43% less overall, and 51% less during the evening, and studies at Columbia University with mothers and infants considered at risk of failing to form secure attachments, showed that increased carrying led to increased maternal sensitivity, which resulted in less crying and quicker bonding. – Velcro Baby – The Baby That Clings!

Lactation consultant Diane Wiessinger offers the following analogy: take two magnets and hold them far apart. There is no tension between them. This is similar to a detached style of bottle-feeding. Now, stick the magnets together. Again, there is no tension. This represents an attached style of breastfeeding. Now hold the magnets a little distance apart, but don’t let them snap together. There is a huge tension between them. It’s exhausting to keep the magnets at that close-but-not-too-close distance and you’re glad when you’re finally allowed to keep them farther apart. This is what it means to breastfeed like a bottle-feeder, she says. It’s hard work, a kind of martyrdom, not a kind of joy.

Making Breastfeeding Harder