[webjefita]

My four-month old has not had an easy time nursing, ever. He has never seemed to enjoy it all that much or nurse for comfort. While that may be partly his personality, I think there is also a physical reason(s), and I'm trying to pinpoint the problem and see if we can rectify it.

I saw a new LC on Fri. and she commented on the noises he makes while nursing--a constant "clicking" sound. He's always done this. She suggested "suck training" with my finger. Okay, so I tried that last night. He doesn't really suck on my finger. He moves his tongue around, plays with my finger, although his tongue is kind of bunched up in the back, and then he bites down with his gums.

He does the same things with my nipple and with a pacifier. Last night I gave him one, and he did his usual: suck, suck, spit (it out), suck, suck, gag. Whether it's his own saliva on the paci or breastmilk, it seems to gag him. It seems he hasn't learned to suck, swallow, and breathe in the correct rhythm.

The only time he does nurse well and suck well is when he is sleepy or sleeping. My gut is telling me there is something wrong with his suck. It could be because he was tongue-tied for 8 weeks and never learned to get his tongue all the way out for sucking.

Help! What else can I do to help him learn to suck correctly? I'm afraid he's going to wean early.

Given the situation, do you think the pacifier will help or harm? If it can teach him to suck better, I'm all for it, but I don't want him to get his comfort sucking from it. *I* want to be his pacifier.

BTW, I nursed my first son for 27 months so I should know what I'm doing. And this son weighs 17lbs at 4 mos, so he's getting lots of milk (I have lots of it) and so everyone thinks that he will be fine and I shouldn't worry. But I am.

 

[KimProbable]

In my opinon, using a pacifier will only make the problem worse. A baby uses their mouth and tongue completely differently when sucking on an artificial nipple and sucking on a mother's breast. Using a pacifier could teach him how to suck on it, but could cause further problems during breastfeeding.

 

[alegna]

I would not use a pacifier. I doubt it would improve things but it could make them worse.

-Angela

 

[Valian]

I don't have much advice except to say that my Ds won't suck correctly on anything but me. Pacifiers he chews on, fingers too or else he rolls them around in his mouth. He also did the chomping with gums thing too but that was a problem with his latch not the sucking pattern.

I have heard the clicking as related to a tongue tie. If he can suck correctly while sleeping, is the problem that he's simply distracted nursing during the day and while awake? .

 

[webjefita]

Okay, so we will give up on the pacifier. I think my stressing about this may not help.

It is interesting that his suck is different when sleeping. He just nursed to sleep fine. He started out "clicking" but then settled down. Maybe it is something about the position of lying down?

 

[CalebsMama05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by webjefita Okay, so we will give up on the pacifier. I think my stressing about this may not help. It is interesting that his suck is different when sleeping. He just nursed to sleep fine. He started out "clicking" but then settled down. Maybe it is something about the position of lying down?

my 1m/o is the same way. I just ignore it. he obviously is getting milk fine and hes not making my nips sore.

 

[shelbean91]

My ds1 had MAJOR problems. they finally resolved about 4 mos.

I'd keep working on retraining the suck using your finger. My ds couldn't nurse, so we had to fingerfeed, which eventually retrained his suck and he nursed until 22 mos. I nursed dd w/few problems until 20 mos, so it was a problem for me, as well.

The finger works to retrain b/c you can get it back to the soft palate and it's harder for the tongue to try to push it out. The paci probably won't help and it could hurt your efforts.

Good luck.

 

[lilsparrow]

My baby nurses better when he is sleepy and he definately prefers to be laying down. I am hoping this is simething he will outgrow.

Anyway ... good luck with your precious baby.

 

[aja-belly]

i may be totally off here, but i had the exact same issues with my ds and it was because i had so much milk and it came out very fast. he hardly sucked because he didn't have to and he often even clamped down on my nipple (making it kinda shaped like the end of a stick of lipstick) because it slowed the flow down. it was better when laying down because gravity was not working to make the milk come faster.

maybe try pumping alot and then nursing him to see if he sucks better when you don't have as much milk?

it just sounds soo similar to what we went through and that was definately the cause to it (and it did get alot better between 4 and 6 months when my supply evened out).

good luck whatever it is. nursing problems of any kind are no fun.

 

[webjefita]

Aja- yes, that is a problem too. Thanks, that gives me some hope that this will work out sooner or later.

We will continue to do suck training with my finger. Thanks everyone!

 

[Eli's_mommy]

My babe does the same thing and I have a pretty low supply...

:

 

[kezoo]

I have a friend who took her baby to an OT for the same problem and it was only off and on for a few months and now the baby is nursing just fine. Perhaps ask the LC or ped about that?