... my pinky, that is. This baby has a strong, strong need to suck all day long, and since she can only find her hands when she's not tired or on her back, naptime is kind of a nightmare. She really really really really wants to be a thumb sucker, but isn't there yet with the dexterity. She's content to slurp on her fists or the occasional finger she can figure out when she's wide awake, but the minute she gets sleepy she loses it and gets frustrated and cranky. She HATES the pacifier (and believe me, I have tried many different kinds, lots of different techniques, etc., but she still acts like I am trying to gag her), and lately doesn't even really want the nipple unless she's actually hungry (which is a change). She only wants to suck on my pinky... for hours and hours if she could!
So, to get her to nap at all, I either have to be wearing her and walking really vigorously, or giving her my pinky to suck on until she's really asleep, and then I can only slip it out if I'm really quick and she's really out, and I still have to kind of press in on her chin to make her think she's still sucking, or jam her mouth up against my side, and even then she wakes up half the time and demands more pinky action. She takes really short naps and mama has to work hard to get her to fall asleep and stay asleep... if I get up or put her down or even take away my pinky or pressure against her mouth, she usually wakes up within 10 minutes, even if she's deep asleep. Luckily the nights tend to go better once the sun's down, so far.
So, what is the deal with this crazy need to suck all of the time?! She's always needing a lot of sucking but now it's finger-specific and not the boob. Maybe it's because my milk letdown is pretty intense and she usually gets totally full in about 5-10 minutes tops? So she's not getting enough normal sucking?
And my main question is - when will she figure out how to suck her thumb or fingers when she's tired?! She seems almost there, but has for weeks. Sometimes she can get a finger in but not at the right angle (again, she almost gags herself) and never when she's tired.
I want a thumbsucker, future orthodontia be damned! I cannot emphasize enough how intensely she wants to suck on my fingers for so much of the day, and nothing else will suffice. I'm burning out!
So, to get her to nap at all, I either have to be wearing her and walking really vigorously, or giving her my pinky to suck on until she's really asleep, and then I can only slip it out if I'm really quick and she's really out, and I still have to kind of press in on her chin to make her think she's still sucking, or jam her mouth up against my side, and even then she wakes up half the time and demands more pinky action. She takes really short naps and mama has to work hard to get her to fall asleep and stay asleep... if I get up or put her down or even take away my pinky or pressure against her mouth, she usually wakes up within 10 minutes, even if she's deep asleep. Luckily the nights tend to go better once the sun's down, so far.
So, what is the deal with this crazy need to suck all of the time?! She's always needing a lot of sucking but now it's finger-specific and not the boob. Maybe it's because my milk letdown is pretty intense and she usually gets totally full in about 5-10 minutes tops? So she's not getting enough normal sucking?
And my main question is - when will she figure out how to suck her thumb or fingers when she's tired?! She seems almost there, but has for weeks. Sometimes she can get a finger in but not at the right angle (again, she almost gags herself) and never when she's tired.
I want a thumbsucker, future orthodontia be damned! I cannot emphasize enough how intensely she wants to suck on my fingers for so much of the day, and nothing else will suffice. I'm burning out!
so I have been hoping she'll get better at it soon. But I have no idea and started getting scared it could be months and months.
