Snacker Who Won't Take Pacifier

Mine wouldn't take a pacifier to save my life either. Call the doc and ask about give him some water at his age. As for the breastfeeding just keep nudging and waking him up so he'll eat as much as he should before go to sleep. Then set a time that he would be eating and stick to it, even if he does have to cry until time. He might be apts to eat a regular sitting. This is a tough one to break just keep trying to keep him awake.

Maybe he's just hungry. My kids would never take a pacifier either. It's difficult now, but it will pay off when you don't have a 2 year old with messed up teeth that just won't give the thing up. My little girl was constantly eating. Have you had a lactation consultant give you advice. They know a lot about these things. They can weigh him after feeding. He may not be getting enough milk. I saw a video on breastfeeding once that said when they fall asleep, there is probably not much milk coming out. If he can get more in a feeding, then he will probably sleep longer. Maybe you can tickle his feet or put a cool cloth on him to wake him up long enough to switch to the other side, and then he can get more milk and sleep longer. Good luck!

Hey, I'm a breast feeding peer counselor and I have some advice that I hope you will use.It's been my experience that breast fed babies do not do the pacifier because the texture is different from the nipple they have come to know and love.Also, being next to your heartbeat, feeling your body warmth and smelling your natural aroma is what lets your baby know mommy is here;cherish these tender moments...they go by fast.OK, to be practical, your baby's stomach is as big as his fist, it doesn't hold a lot and breast milk is easily digested so he will nurse every 1 1/2 - 2 hours or so.
1. While he is nursing, you need to make him UNcomfortable. No blankets keeping him warm & snug. A little noise like the TV may distract him; i recommend changing the channels
2. Another trick is to tickle his foot bottom while feeding
3. Nurse him for a few minutes then sit him on your lap to burp and then resume feeding; that will wake him up as he starts to drift off.
4. Pump and have your husband feed him breast milk instead of formula which can mess up his digestive system. ***be advised, formula lasts longer in your baby's system only because his body has to work very hard to break down the components***
5. Don't carry him all day...nurse him laying down and them put him down in his crib...if he is full let him entertain himself...he doesn't need a pacifier or to be constantly on the breast
6. La Leche League International is your best resource. Go to the website www.llli.org...register, ask questions and get your advice from the pros who have been doing this all over the world for 50 years!
7. Lastly, be patient...learn your baby and trust your own instincts; you chose to breast feed for a reason. Ask for help and take at least 1 nap with the baby everyday; no need to be super woman
8. I'm a mother of 5 and breast fed 2 children until 14 months of age.I counsel new moms on proper techniques and offer emotional support. go to the website www.llli.org everything you need and more is there...the advise I gave is what I learned as a peer counselor and used on my own children.

Hi J.,
If he's sleeping after eating, you may want to try to reverse his pattern (as they suggest in the book "On Becoming Babywise", which helped me so much!). It says you should feed immediately after waking up, then play or change diapers or give a bath, then put down to sleep, so that the baby is most alert when feeding. This helps establish a good routine and also gives you the most break (eventually). That's what really worked for me and my girl when we started... hope that helps! She never wanted a pacifier either, so I had to find other ways. A swing worked wonders for us too... she was content in a swing, the way she never was laying down at that age. I have to admit that I used it more than they recommend, because it allowed me to take a decent shower, cook a meal, and even sit down by myself! :)

Good luck, I'm praying for you,
K.

Dr Sears has excellent books on breastfeeding. Another great favorite of mine is 'The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers' by Jack Newman MD and Teresa Newman. Dr Sears may label your baby as 'high-needs' as was my daughter. There is nothing wrong with that! He just loves you! Try wearing him in a sling (I like Maya wrap or Hotslings). This way he is close to the breast all the time and you can get up and do stuff hands-free. Perhaps he just has a bad latch? Or is not getting enough of your areola in his mouth?

As for the pacifier, they are not necessary in life - they only create an unnecessary need that has to be broken later.

But calling La Leche League (or a certified Lactation consultant or midwife in your area) is the best thing any new mom can do! Breastfeeding is natural and normal but so is walking - nobody got it right on their first time out!

[NOTE: In my personal opinion, Babywise is not breastfeeding friendly and can pose hazards to their health]

Hi J.. That's a tough one. What does the pediatrician say? My daughter did the same thing after she was first born..just in the hospital. She sucked on me for 3 hours straight. It was in the middle of the night, so I didn't ask the nurses about it. I did mention it in the morning, fearing my milk was not enough. The nurses told me that she was just using me as a human pacifier, and that after she was done eating, to just take her off my breast. I am concerned for you, because if you keep going like this, you will exhaust yourself. New mamas need as much sleep and breaks as they can possibly get. If it were me, I would space out the times he is on your breast. It could be that he is getting little bits all the time, so therefore he is never REALLY hungry...hungry enough to nurse for long. That would make sense as well, if he only nurses for a short while, he will be hungry soon thereafter, and not sleep too long. I would try to space out feedings at least every 3-4 hours and see what happens. He may not be happy with you, but he will learn other ways to comfort himself. He is probably rejecting the pacifier b/c you give him a better option. A warm boob is much better than cold plastic. If he doesn't have the option of the boob all the time, you might have better luck with the pacifier. I never used them...I prefer all natural. My daughter found her thumb, and used that when she needed to suck. Just make sure he is following a proper growth pattern. In the rare chance that your milk is not enough, and he is not gaining weight, you may need to supplement..but I am pretty sure that is not the case. Good luck..and give yourself a break! I know how it feels to want to sacrifice everything for a little one...but trust me, it catches up to you. Good luck!!!!

Soooo... you said he is always eating, so I am assuming you are putting him on the breast because he is fussing and you take that to mean he wants to eat/suck. You just need to find other ways to occupy and soothe him throughout the day (bounce him, rock him, play music while he stares at NOTHING so you don't overstimulate him, play a mobile above his head, etc). Some babies just won't take a pacifier and that's just the way it goes. You said you tried 5 different ones, though, and he is only 9 weeks old, so it seems like you didn't try any one type for very long before giving up and trying a different one. A couple of generations ago they didn't have a variety of them-- you took it or you didn't. I suggest picking ONE and trying again-- stick with it for a while before you give up. If he spits it out, try again later. Don't try when he's already hysterically upset. I do agree with the method of feeding the baby as soon as he wakes up, then helping him learn to fall asleep later on without nursing. I understand that Babywise is similar, but I read and highly recommend Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. I started reading it probably around the time my son was 9 weeks old and it CHANGED MY LIFE!! He still never took a pacifier, but he only seemed to nurse when he was hungry and he was (and still is) the BEST sleeper! I didn't know about ANY of this with my first born and all he took were cat naps-- he was miserable and so was I

J., i was in the same position as you a few years ago when i had my son. He did nothing but stay at the breast and would not take a pacifier. I had 3 older children that i had to take care of to and i was always on the couch nursing constantly all day long! I finally found this pacifier made from playtex and he would take it for a bit and then try to spit it out but i would hold it there and make him have it because he actually sucked on it for a bit, so when i lay him down i would put a little toy or blanket folded up so it wouldn't fall out or he couldn't spit it out. He quit using the pacifier at 8 months and was still nursing but thank god didn't use me at that time as a pacifier he was older and ready to eat then go play. I just had 2nd son last September and I wanted to find the same pacifiers for him but i couldn't find them anywhere and i looked up online and found out they were recalled because of choking hazzard they fell apart easily, yikes! but i did go through a lot of pacifiers to find one he would actually take for a bit before he realized he wasn't on my breast. Gerber has a nursing one that is a circle like if they were at the breast i believe, just buy different types and see which one he might like the best, because you really can't have him think he can be on you all day because it will become problem later just like when kids do get attatched to a pacifier or toy you will be the attatched one and he will be upset and you will never get any rest. I hope this helps, let us know what happens Good Luck
S. mom to 5 beautiful children 16yrs,9years old tomorrow!6 years old, 2years old,and 11months Check out my son's journey at www.liamlockhart.com

I agree with one of the mother's here that babies stomachs aren't that big and can't hold much so it digests quickly. My daughter is 8 weeks and won't take a pacifier unless we are in the car and even then doesn't really like it. Some babies just don't, it isn't the real thing. But it sounds like there are a few problems here, not just one. Your letdown reflex may be slow and your son may prefer faster milk flow, which is why he gulps in the beginning and then goes to nibbling. Try massaging the milk down your breast after he stops gulping and see if you can't help him out. Also, whenever he takes a break from gulping and lets go, try burping him and then reattaching. Also, if your son is having trouble sleeping, it could be that he's not getting enough hindmilk. How often do you switch breasts? If you switch during a feeding, STOP! As long as you can express milk from your breast easily, you shouldn't really switch. This will ensure the baby gets enough fatty hindmilk, (which will hold him over longer)and should help you increase supply so that, he gets the faster flow he may want. Also remember, that he may not be hungry, he may be thirsty. Breastmilk is more than just food, its a multivitamin, its medicine if he's not feeling well, and its water when he's thirsty. I really recommend trying to nurse while lying down. Once my daughter and I mastered this (although it took about 3 weeks to get it perfect) now I sleep a full night through except for one diaper change and she nurses whenever she wants. She is perfectly capable of rooting for the nipple and attaching properly during the night. Have you met with a lactation consultant? Hospitals and health departments usually have them for free. So does your local WIC office. Its possible that if your son isn't getting a perfect latch, that he's getting milk and he's not hurting you, but isn't getting a lot of milk, or activating your let down reflex enough. An LC would be able to help identify if this is your problem. Please don't feed your son formula. Many people believe that of course breastfeeding is best, but formula is fine. Actually, breastfeeding is the baseline and anything else is not good enough. Yes, formula will keep your baby alive and I know a lot of moms are going to say "my kid was formula fed and is a perfectly healthy baby." And that may be true. But look at those breastfed kids and their formula fed counterparts 50 yrs from now and measure their immune systems, endocrine systems, and cardiovascular systems and you'll notice a big difference. Nursing isn't just for healthy babies, its for healthy people. Ps. As far as feeling like a human pacifier...I feel you. But honestly, breasts were the first pacifier, and pacifiers are simply trying to meet an unreachable baby standard of being as satisfying as the breast.

if you are anywhere near miami I say go to Mercy Hospital to Faith Ploude or anyone in the Lactation Consultant office- they are AMAZING and WORTH THE TRIP for the appointment!

www.kellymom.com is also an excellent resource

do you have OAL (overactive letdown) by any chance?
http://www.lalecheleague.org.nz/articles/gaining_gulping_...

oh & you can also call The La Leche League Breastfeeding Helpline - US began on June 1, 2007. Everyone in the U.S.A. will have access to toll free breastfeeding help 24 hours a day. Just call 1-877-4-LALECHE (1-877-452-5324).

Have you read the book <I>The Happiest Baby on the Block</I> by Harvey Karp? He offers many soothing techniques that might be useful for your situation. The one thing that came to mind right away is that some babies have to be "taught" to use a pacifier. He suggests that you continue to offer it when your baby is content. Then, when he does start to suck, give it a slight tug like you are going to take it away. His reflex will be to suck harder. This will teach him to use the pacifier. I would also suggest that after he eats, he should have a little time to "play"--whether you take him for a walk in his stroller, put him on the floor for gym time or tummy time, sing to him, or whatever. Then when he starts looking away, you'll know he's getting tired and you can try putting him in his crib. Good luck!

I had the same problem with my second son. He would always want to nurse. Not because he was hungry but because it was soothing to him, just like sucking your thumb..which he now does. What I did was put him in a light outfit like a onesie no blanket or anything (when babies are warm they fall asleep) i would also stimulate him like tickling his feet to keep him awake.
I would also suggest getting him on a schedule. Like say he sleeps from 1am to 8 am, I would nurse him at 8 when he woke up let him play alittle and then at around 10 or 11 nurse him again and then put him in his crib for a nap..he may not like this and may fuss, but after a couple days or so of this he will get use to it and you will have a little bit of a routine. Usually babies this age take 2 naps so you can even do it again a little later in the day.
Another thing is, babies who nurse usually don't like pacifiers because they aren't shaped like the nipple on the breast. Try to find a pacifier with a longer nipple that isn't short and turned up like the traditional ones. Here is a website with some examples: http://babies-kids.pricegrabber.com/baby-pacifiers/m/3016...
Here is also another website with some good advice:
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/comfortnursing.html

I hope this helps you!

Hi, I agree that if you haven't read it, try reading On Becoming Babywise. It gives tips on how to keep baby awake during feeding (like if they fall asleep, strip them, or play with their feet, etc). But think about this for a second. He is snacking. So, he is NOT going to just start eating longer.. he isn't starved and has a totally empty stomach. You have to hold off feeding him for a little (yes that probably means enduring hearing him cry for a half hour one day- but that's life.. it happens). As long as you don't just ignore him, it won't hurt him. Take him outside for a walk around the yard (or have your husband do it).. rock and sing to him, etc. Just use a clock and make sure you push back the time in between the feeding.. then, when it has been an hour and a half or more (hopefully 2 hours, but that might be hard the first try), then offer the breast. He should eat better, but when he falls asleep- WAKE him back up. If he will eat more, let him. If not, play with him (do patty cake with his hands, whatever... but try to keep him awake for a good half hour if you can). THEN let him go to sleep (without nursing him again first). He should eat VERY well at the next feeding.
My kids started out this way too.. and they refused a paci for a while.. but eventually took it. Just keep trying it.

PS
After reading some of the other posts, check with your doc or a lactation specialist to be sure he is getting enough milk. I don't think it is common to have supply issues at this point, but it can't hurt to be sure. Have you tried offering him a few ounces of formula to see how much he is actually consuming? (since I know you cannot have saved any pumped milk, the way he is nursing)... If he downs 3 or 4 ounces immediately, especially if you have just nursed, then perhaps it is a supply issue.
Best wishes..

PS
An added bonus to using the On Becoming Babywise method is that your baby will learn to sleep through the night earlier than most. We used this book and both our babies slept through the night much earlier than what lots of people consider "normal" (read some of the posts on here about sleep issues; some ladies are having problems getting their babies to sleep 8 hrs a night at a year old). Our son slept 7 hours or more straight by 12 weeks, and our daughter did it by 7 weeks. They are still wonderful sleepers.

Good luck to you.

How is his weight gain? I thought I had the same problem, that she was just a snacker, but after seeing a lactation consultant I found out she was not getting enough. I went to the lactation consultant at Broward General and I would highly recommend them.

I agree with Sara, as I had the same problem too. I would recommend talking to a Board Certified Lactation Consultant just to rule out any supply problems. It is not a very common problem, but can cause a baby to act the way you describe.

With my first, by the time he was five weeks old, he was literally nursing for hours on end – all day, all night. Other moms advised me that this was normal, or that he was a snacker, or that he was using me as a pacifier, so I just thought it was par for the course when breastfeeding and just went with the flow. By the time he was six weeks, I really felt like it wasn’t normal. I could not get him to take a pacifier, and if he was not on breast he would just scream and scream. I tried everything to distract him and soothe him, but he just wanted to nurse. I thought "you can't possibly still be hungry!"

Turns out, he was literally trying his little best to stimulate my milk production, and it just wasn't working. He would fall asleep on my breast because he was so tired of sucking, but then wouldn’t sleep long because he was still hungry. I had a pretty intensive session with a lactation consultant and she could tell by various symptoms that I simply was not producing enough milk for him, and she advised me to supplement with one formula bottle a day. And, it worked. It satisfied his appetite, and then he was able to nurse normally the rest of the day, getting what amount I was able to supply. I think if anyone else would have told me to give my baby formula, I would have balked (actually, my DH was the first to suggest it, and I chastised him) but coming right from a lactation consultant, I knew it was the right thing to do.

I am not saying to start giving you baby formula right now, but I would recommend a session with a lactation consultant just to be sure it is not a supply issue like mine. Trust your instincts if you feel like something is wrong, no matter how many people tell you if is perfectly normal.

BTW: She could tell it was a supply issue based on a combination of things. None of these alone are cause for concern, but when combined can identify a supply issue:
1.I brought baby to the appointment hungry (and screaming) and the LC weighed him before and after a full 30 minutes on each breast, and he had only transferred 1 oz of milk
2.When my milk “came in” I never got engorged or uncomfortable
3.Baby was gaining weight consistently since birth, but was on the low side for normal weight gain.
4.Baby’s behavior of nursing for hours with little break between nursing sessions

Neither one of my kids ever took a pacificer. Hang in there you are doing the right thing continueing to nurse. Just think that's a bad habit you will not have to break. Your orthodontist may be sad but they'll be the only one. Try letting him suck on your pinky finger, my daughter liked that.

set feeding times and no snacks between meals

I had this problem with my second baby. He wouldn't take long naps and had short feedings so he was hungry more often like your baby. My pediatrician recently told me how important it is that the baby nurse for a long enough period on the same breast to get the hind milk. He said it takes a few minutes, sometimes up to 10 minutes, for the baby to get past the sweet milk and get to the fattier, more nutritious hind milk. He had a patient who's mom would feed her baby constantly....sometimes every 15 minutes because the baby would fall to sleep or lose interest. He counseled her over and over but she didn't think it was too big a deal. Eventually, the baby became mal-nutritioned and developed rickets because of this. He stressed how important it is for the baby to stay long enough on the breast and have long enough feedings. I am no expert, but I would talk to your pediatrician about this for sure. With my son, my mother, who had 5 kids and nursed them all, suggested that I not let him eat for a longer span of time even if he cried. I would extend the time between feedings by 15 minutes, then 20, then 30, until he was waiting at least 2 hours between feedings. Then naturally, he would eat much longer and sleep much better. And during his crying spells, I would give him the pacifier which he finally took because he was hungry at first til he got used to the time elapse between feedings. It was hard at first to deal with his crying, but it worked! Sometimes, if I couldn't stand it anymore, I would feed him and he would eat much better even if he hadn't waited the entire time. So listen to your own intuition. A bottle of formula is not a bad idea either. I think if you rotate some feedings with formula, your husband could help you out and you could get a little break. The baby will be fine and you are a better mother to him when you feel your best.......not when you are exhausted. At 9 weeks, your baby should soon be falling into a better schedule so I would try to help him into one already. Talk to your Pediatrician first! Hope this helps! Good luck!

I drove all over Palm Beach county (it seemed) looking for every possible different kind of pacifier for my son and he wouldn't take any of them! He eventually (around the same age as your son) found his thumb and has been happy ever since!
BTW... he was breastfed... as was my DD (until 9 months). She took a pacifier right from the start.
As far as the "gulping"... I always joked that my son was a speed eater (a Hoover!) His feeding sessions were about 5-10 minutes long. He is 22 lbs at 9 months! You can't necessarily judge how much they get by how long they nurse. (How much you pump in the same amount of time might give you an idea.)
Good luck.

Omg your request is what I am going throu to the T. and Daddy says the same thing. I tring my best to be strong and Keep breastfeeding after all my friends gave up. But its soo had. Daddy, and my family and his keep telling me she is hungry and to feed her formula!! If you found a salution please please tell me.!!!!

I would not feed him any more than every two hours. He may get upset, but it would be a good idea to break the habit now. My son was the same way, and my pediatrician recommended to feed him every two hours and not before. Try to entertain him if he gets fussy. I read "On Becoming Babywise", and followed it loosely. Try reading that for some more suggestions.
T.

My first daughter was a nibbler. Since she was my first and I was home full time with her, I never minded that I was her human pacifier. I never offered her a pacifier so I never had to deal with that issue. She wanted me and only me and I was only too happy to be available for her. She too would fall asleep, nurse some more, fall asleep again. My 3rd child was the same way only he had a weak suck to complicate matters and he wasn't gaining weight. At 2 months I had no choice but to supplement with formula, as his weak suck diminished my milk supply. With all that said, I'm assuming that you are not having a weight issue with your newborn. Ways to wake up a sleepy baby are as follows: unwrap him, take his sleeper off, put a cool cloth on his cheeks or forehead, tickle his feet. As soon as your newborn falls asleep, unlatch him, rouse him awake and relatch him to your breast. I wouldn't offer the pacifier. It will only complicate matters later on...

The key is to unlatch him when he falls asleep...wake him up, make him cry if need be (then you will know for sure he is awake) and then relatch him. Good luck...

This too will pass. He won't always be a snacker and light sleeper. My first did the same thing. I had time and enjoyed just letting her nurse and sleep all day in my arms. By 3 months she was taking naps in her crib or co-sleeper and eating longer and farther apart. It sounds like you need a break. You can using your finger instead of a pacifer. Hold your pinky upside down to protect his pallet from you nail. Some babies don't like plastic but will substitute with a finger. You can also try holding him off a little. So when you think he is hunger or wants to nurse, wait 10 min. Try distracting first. Go outside, sing, use a toy. If that calms him, then he was bored. If it doesn't then he will really get busy at the boob and may eat more. You can also try a sling. That way he can nurse and you can walk around. Just remember that his eating habits now probably won't be the same ones in a week. He will only 9 weeks once, enjoy it.

I have to agree with Eva on this one 100%. I was going to suggest wearing him in a sling too! I have a 4 month old that also uses me as a human pacifier and is very hard to leave unattended, the only way I can get anything done sometimes is to wear him in the sling (I have a Hotsling). When I started using it I found that he napped a lot longer when I was wearing him in the sling! They really enjoy being close to you and there is nothing wrong with that. Enjoy this time that he wants to be near you because it won't always be that way. Our culture has it so etched into our brains that there is something wrong with that, but there really isn't!
You might want to read this very good article about breastfeeding and sleeping. It has some great points.
http://www.breastfeeding-basics.com/html/night_waking.shtml
Good luck! And don't worry about the pacifiers. Some baby's just don't like them, period.

Also, have you tried feeding him in your bed lying on your side? If you bring him in the bed with you and feed him there, you will both get some rest. I do this on the weekends when I don't have to get up for work. I just bring the baby in bed with me and feed him there lying on my side. He eats, I doze off, and then he goes back to sleep when he's done. And he's getting that close time with you that he wants so much!

J....I am hanging in there with you.I am a mother of three: a four year old boy..a two year old boy and a 5 1/2 month old boy. All of which were /are breastfed. My four year old took to the breast beautfully as did my two year old. My four year old also took to both the pacifer and bottle immediately. My two year old would NOT for anything take a bottle but would a pacifier. My 5 month old was difficult to breast feed, will not take a bottle..still has not and will not take a pacifier...so he is on my breast non stop all day and night...He just started on solids so I get a little reprieve but not much. Lucky for me my husband works night and I currently stay home so after my husband gets up I can feed my 5 month old breastmilk and then solids and can catch a two hour nap...I suggest letting him hold on to the pacifer..playing with it..try different ones...when you do put it in his mouth if he starts to suck tug at it..babies have a natural reflex to suck back. He just needs to learn how to use one..I am in in the midst of all of that with the bottle and pacifier right now. As you can see all children are different :) C.

I breastfed too, and the only pacifier she has accepted and actually loved, was a similar one to the orthodontic "Natursutten Pacifiers". check on internet there are plenty of website that sells it. such as http://www.thesoftlanding.com/narunapacoso.html People thought and told me it was an ugly paci... but so waht... it worked fine for the baby and the parents!
Breastfeeding "on demand" does not mean to do all day, it's not good for their digestive process, and not good for you either. The baby has to learn to take separate "meals" and learn how to take nap and sleep through the night, little by little. if his weight does not increase "normally" though, you may have to supplement with formula, check with your pediatrician. Good luck.

My daughter wouldn't take a pacifier either and she was horrible about falling asleep on my breast (as is my new little one). It sounds like the pacifier isn't working for your son either because he's not sucking for soothing (which is what the paci's are for) but is sucking for hunger.

My pediatrician, just told me yesterday that my new baby should be feeding 20 minutes per breast/per feeding, so the first thing to check is if he is feeding long enough. Don't worry, as their suck gets stronger and more developed then it won't take them as long to feed:-) He may also still need to feed every 2-3 hours, so make sure you are feeding often enough, as well.
As far as falling asleep on the breast, try burping him more frequently, undressing him, changing his diaper between breasts (they ususally go sometime during a feed anyway), tapping/ticking his heals, tickle under his chin and his cheeks, take him off the breast when he falls asleep and put him down (if you are still holding him, then he'll probably stay comfy cozy in your arms and stay asleep), run your fingers up and down his back, try a damp wash cloth on his feet, head or back.
As for supplementing with formula, we did it with my daughter and it worked out great. Daddy and other relatives were able to help out and participate in the feedings. It saved me in the early days, especially before I was able to pump enough milk to have back-ups for breastfeeding. Healthwise, it didn't hurt my daughter at all. She is one of the healthiest kids I know.
So try things out and figure out what works for you and your son to get him full each feeding. And once he starts filling up, he'll probably start sleeping better.
Good luck.