[ann_of_loxley]

Looks like I have another 'sucky' son.<br>
My first son was very sucky. Because of his tongue tie with lack of support and advice and knowledge at the time, I ended up pumping for him full time. We used a dummy. This little man has had his tongue tie snipped and it has been a hellish two weeks - but we are breastfeeding! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"> ... I was kinda hoping to be the dummy - but that doesn't work all the time.<br><br>
Not convinced about nipple confusion. I actually find this ones latch is better after he has been on the dummy for a little bit when we both need to calm down from getting frustrated. He seems fine during the day, but its like he forgets how to latch on at night or something! - Maybe it is cause he sleeps a bit longer and wakes up that much more hungry.<br><br>
But I am finding that sometimes he gets pissed off with me cause he doesn't want the boob - he just wants to suck. He had his dummy for a whole hour this morning until he was actual hungry for a feed.<br><br>
Is this alright? What do you do with your sucky baby? I find he ends up spitting out a lot of milk if I manage to convince him to latch on. Seems so wasteful lol - and then my boobs get all full up more than they really need to be.

 

[Melly24]

Congrats on your new son!<br><br>
DD was a sucky baby. She would get majorly mad at me if she just wanted to suck and not want milk. She'd either throw up from being overfull or throw up from being so mad AND so full. We introduced a dummy at about two weeks old and the difference was amazing. We had no nipple confusion and a happy baby.<br><br>
As long as you can tell when he's hungry (and it sounds like you can) you're all good <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up">

 

[JayJay]

Well, Bella's the same way - I kind of encouraged her to find the thumb - she never would take the paci. So now she sucks both thumbs AND lately, her two middle fingers too! It took her a while to be able to find them all the time though. It's terribly cute... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"> XXX

 

[SilverFish]

oof... i have one of those too! i introduced a pacifier at about 7 weeks? before i was just letting her suck my pinky (which was exhausting!). i didn't want to use pacifiers because i'd seen toddlers walking around with them and thought it looked really dopey... i didn't even think about nipple confusion. but i finally broke down and bought her one, and it made a huge difference. it isn't hard to tell the difference between her wanting something to suck and wanting milk... even in the early stages. she makes totally different noises and actions for hunger. she's getting a bit better at finding her hands now, and sometimes seems to prefer them, but they aren't quite as obedient as the paci, so we stick with that for now. i'm not really even worried about her getting dependent on the paci, it seems like she doesn't really loooove it, but knows it's the best option available (until she finds the milk on/off switch on my boobs, anyway!).

 

[marinak1977]

DS went through a sucky period and a paci was a lifesaver. He would get so frustrated with milk and it was hard on my breasts. He grew out of it now though (he's 4 months) and is no longer taking it, so it looks like we're through that phase.

 

[ramama]

My second DD was this way too. I used my finger for a while, but eventually went to a pacifier. It was such a vicious circle! She would get too much milk (my production was likely a bit too high since I was tandeming) because she couldn't suck without getting milk, then she would projectile vomit *everything* up. Not spit up, throw up. After she threw it up, she's be hungry again and nurse more, my body would respond by making even more milk, and she'd vomit more and so on...she also used to get so angry and frustrated! Ended up introducing the pacifier, and she weaned herself off of that after a few months, about the time my milk supply stabilized.

 

[Ellien C]

I talked to my Dr. about this. For what it's worth, she's not a big proponent of "nipple confusion" with a paci. It's not like a bottle that gives milk. When they are really hungry, they won't take the paci. If there are not growth issues, I don't think it's a big deal. I have a 7 week old and we're sticking that paci in when I'm "nursed out."

 

[ann_of_loxley]

Well we had a really great night last night. No crying (from either of us! lol) - and no frustration/getting pissed off with me!... We had two good nursing sessions where he was really hungry and latched on straight away and then a few other times he just wanted to suck so I offer him the dummy and he was content and I wasn't sat there thinking 'am I doing something wrong?' (cause he wasn't getting frustrated with me offering him a nipple that he clearly wasn't wanting!). Hopefully not just a fluke!

 

[Ellien C]

One thing I can say about the frustration is that it help me to talk baby-talk through it.<br><br>
Sometimes I'll be like: No - that's your hand. That's not what you want. oops - still your hand. Oh your trying so hard and your not finding it. I can help you if you'll let me. No? Mama can't help, you'll do it all on your own. This way, that thing your looking for is this way. You're facing the wrong way. It's over here.<br><br>
And sometimes I'll be the baby's voice: It's here! It's here! I know it's here somewhere. Gotta find it. If only I could find that milk thing! Wait that was it! Where'd it go? I had and I lost it! Where IS that thing? I LOVE that thing! ahhh - the yummmmm!<br><br>
It really brings my blood pressure down and helps me to think and be patient while we're getting latched on and he's wailing.