Feeding All the Time!!

My son was like that. What we strated to do was giving him rice cereal or oatmeal sereal for infants in his forumla..It seemed to keep him full longer. Then he wouldn't want to have anything to suck on for a while..

J.,
my baby is the same way but i found that actually when i put her in a back pack you know the one facing you. She will be content that way but i know what you mean she wont go in her swing, boucy or tummy time mat she just want to be picked up nonstop even wants to sleep on me i have to wait like 30 minutes after she falls asleep for me to put her down and even then the blanket i put her down on has to be warmed... heres hoping the back pack works for you.

H.

My daughter did the same thing. She sucked practically ALL TH TIME. Even more so at night at times. The only difference with my little girl was that she NEVER took to a pacifier. I tried them all and in retrospect, I am glad since I won't have to wean her from it. But I digress.....

Our pediatrician, who is a breastfeeding advocate/supporter and La Leche League Advisor, explained that the sucking is not necessarily because she is hungry but at times is just comfort sucking....I noticed that after he explained it that there was a difference in the strength of her sucking at times so I was able to determine when she was eating and when she just wanted some comfort.

We never used formula for any reason....even when I thought I was empty, the reality of it is that even if you are empty, if your baby sucks, you produce more milk.

All the advice on using a sling is right on. I used a Nojo and it was just the ticket. My baby just wanted to be close and I could get things done. BUT sometimes, with a new baby, you just need to ignore the rest of the world to concentrate on your baby.....Its hard to do, but the rest of the world will have to wait, your baby cannot...they grow so fast!

My son was the same way for the first few months - I thought I was going to go crazy too. Hang in there, your baby will start to go longer in between meals. Remember that breastmilk is easily digested (because it's made for them of course) so it goes right through them. The only advice I can think of is to make sure your little one is not falling asleep at the breast too soon - make sure your baby feeds for at least 10-15 minutes on each breast at each feeding. You may have to wake them up during feedings, but that might help - it helped me. Good luck and congrats on being a new mama!

J.,

I had to do the same exact thing with my son for about 2 weeks after he was born. I had to nurse him every 30 mins or so to establish my milk supply. Once my milk came in more he went to about every hour and a half to two hours that he would nurse. It does get better with time and once your baby gets old. However, depending on the age of your baby you might want to discuss this with your pediatrician. If your baby is closer to 6 months he/she might need more to eat than just breastmilk. I actually was advised to start my son at about 4 months on rice cereal because he had such a big appetite. Don't lose hope. It does get better and feedings aren't as frequent. I would continue to try using a pacifier. You might need to try different types. I had to try about 3 or 4 different kinds to get my son to take one. He finally took the MAM kind. Good Luck.

My daughter is 6 months now but when she was newborn I had the same problem. Are you breastfeeding? How new is your baby?

It depends on how old the baby is and what "all the time" is. Sounds like a lot of women here are saying babies like to suck a lot and that is normal, which is mostly true I think. Except my son went about 1/2 hr.-45 min. between feedings at the most until he was 4 mos. old. That is not normal, but it is OK. I got told it was because he wouldn't take any nuk and was looking for comfort, but he could self-sooth sucking on his hand and ate activly when he nursed. Then I was told he must not be getting enough milk, so I pumped and found that I can get 8-10oz in 20 min. and he emptied me out every time. So I just stuck with it and supplemented when I couldn't. If it feels like your world is run by your baby's nursing, that's ok as long as it is ok with you. I mean, give yourself a break when you need it, but this really won't last forever. My now 4 yr. old son has a VERY high metabolism. He eats 3 full meals and 2 snacks a day and weighs a whopping 32 lbs. He is healthy but very very active and his body just burns fuel fast.

My first daughter was like that, but she was sucking so much she was spitting up because she was eating so much. Her doctor was afraid she would start to lose weight so he recommended I try a pacifier. At first she didn't like them but I tried several different shapes and kinds. I had to try a couple times until she finally found one she liked. Also sometimes just offering it a few times will help.

I had to put my child in daycare where he had no choice but to take the pacifier. For a while he would only take it from the provider. Now he takes it from me, his sister and he will put it in his mouth by himself. It takes time mommy don't let it frustrate you. There is light at the end of the tunnel called breastfeeding.

J.,

It is normal. That is how your baby and your body cooperate to establish your milk supply. Try to be patient. This stage only lasts for a very short time.

T.

i nursed my daughter for a year. i am asuming that a nuk is a pacifier if not try one if so. your baby will get use to not sucking all the time.. dn't lt the baby determin what you do man if the baby gets that control now you will be in serious trouble when your baby grows up

I had the same problem when my son was born and I was going nuts. I tried 3 diffrent brands of nuks before I found one that would work. He eventually took the MAM 6+ months one. I guess he needed one with a bigger nipple on it. It really was a life saver for me. I hope you find something that works for you.

My son also had and still does have a very relaxed suck. So I think his other issue was he was just not getting enough to eat and was taking just a little all day because that was all he could get. I saw a lactation consultant and we found something that we were both happy with.

My baby went through a similar time not that long ago. She's 3 months old now and we've managed to get past that phase. The one thing I found was that she just wanted the comfort of sucking. What helped me most was a sling-style carrier which kept her close and comforted while I was able to do a little bit of cleaning around the house. Don't be afraid to let things go a little during this time. Your baby won't be this needy forever - it just seems like it sometimes. And don't fret that baby won't take a paci, it's one less thing to wean them off of later. Best of luck to you!

My son was the same way. I just let him suck as long as he wanted and I can stand it. His nursings mellowed out after a few months and he never did latch onto a pacifier except as a teething chew toy.
One of the ways I dealt with it was by getting a sling. With those things you can position your baby at the nursie and the sling will do all the carrying for you leaving your hands free. Of all the gadgets I bought, that $40 sling was the best investment yet. My son is a toddler now and still can't handle not being held on many occasions, so I sling him onto my back and I cook and clean.
Keep on nursing though! I applaud your efforts to breastfeed and hang in there! Let your nipples get lots of air to dry out when they're not in use...it helps to prevent chafing. Another good thing about babies who nurse all the time is that it keeps your special time of the month at bay, mine stayed away for 18 months until a bad bout of vomiting prevented us from nursing as often.

Congratulations and enjoy your baby!

I breastfeed my son (now 3-years-old) up until he was 18 months. He always wanted to nurse and it felt like he was attached to my breast 24/7. Are you breastfeeding him or using the bottle? If you are breastfeeding him, my son found the Gerber Gentle Flex pacifiers to be the most useful.

This happened with my son. I was constantly feeding him and my breasts were literally drained (they looked like striveled raisins after each feeding!). My son was also hardly getting any sleep, as he was always waking up to feed. After about a month and a half of this happening, I consulted with his pediatrician and she told me that he might not be getting as much milk from me as he needed, so if he still wanted to nurse after about a half hour of feeding, then to supplement with formula. I didn't really want to do this, as I had breastfed my daughter with no problems and didn't have to supplement with her, but after a couple more days of constantly nursing and neither him or I not getting any rest so I could feed him, I broke down. I gave him a couple ounces of formula at first and he sucked it down like he was being starved! He fell asleep right afterwards and stayed asleep for two and a half hours - the longest amount of time he had ever slept. From then on I would breastfeed him and then supplement with two ounces of formula. I eventually uped the formula to four ounces, but it was well worth it, and he was gaining the weight that he needed.

In my experience, it may be that your baby is not getting full. Try adding 2 tsp of rice cereal to your baby's bottle.
I hope it helps.

Hi J.!
It happened to me too, so we tried different kinds of pacis. Our baby seems to like the dental king, forgot the name.
Also try distracting him with toys that have sound, put him in the excersaucer, jumperoo or whatever you have!

Hi J..
I'm not sure how old your baby is, but this is perfectly normal for at least the first 2-3 months. I'm assuming you're breastfeeding; on demand feeding is very important in establishing a good milk supply so that you can continue breastfeeding w/o any problems! And it's suggested by many lactation consultants and pediatricians that you not give a pacifier until breastfeeding is well established (usually after the first month)...breastfeeding is a bit of work for a baby, while sucking on a pacifier is not! Babies can become lackadaisical about breastfeeding if given pacifiers too early.
It was VERY hard for me to settle down and realize that my house was going to be dirty and laundry would pile up when my son was born. But, that's what you need to do. Your baby is WAY more important than some dirty dishes or unmopped floors. Use this valuable time to bond with your baby and get yourself feeling better again (ie-trying to catch up on sleep and eating well). When friends and family stop by, ask them to load the dishwasher or start a load of laundry for you--I found they'll be more than happy to help out! I realize you still need to eat--when you cook, make huge batches of easy casseroles and stews (dishes that don't need much attention and prep time); put half in the freezer and eat on the other half for a couple days. Rachael Ray has become a Godsend for me!
I also had a sling and frontpack carrier for my son, which would allow me to do some chores while still carrying him. We also had a swing he loved and would sit in for a little bit while I got dinner going.
Good luck! Know that what you're doing is going to be extremely beneficial for your baby and that this stage won't last long! I know I will treasure this phase much more with my second baby!

THE SAME THING HAPPEN WHEN I HAD MY FIRST BABY. FROM THE BREAST I TRANSFERED HER TO THE BOTTLE.THE NAME OF THE NIPPLE TYPE CALLED ORTHO???. IT'S THE ONLY ODD SHAPED NIPPLE FROM PLAYTEX. THE ONLY BAD THING ABOUT THE PACIFIER IS THEY BECOME TO DEPENDENT ON IT. WHEN YOU LOOSE THE PACIFIER YOU'LL GO CRAZY TRYING TO LOOK FOR IT.
TRY PUTTING HER ON A VIBRATING BOUNCER. IT WILL CALM YOUR CHILD. DONT FORGET TO GET A LIL WET CLOTH AND WIPE HER GUMS TO PREVENT ANY MILK SETTLEING ON THEM. LEAVEING MILK IN BABIES MOUTH, IT CAN CAUSE THRUSH IF GUMS AND TONGUE ARE NOT CLEANED. I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO MY PATIENTS I'VE WORKED ON.