Help! Baby won't sleep w/o a boob in her mouth!

goody2shuz

Newborns biggest reflex and need is sucking. Have you considered using a pacifier?? I nursed as well and when I knew that she was fed well I would remove her from the breast & slip the pacifier in. Also...the body warmth is big too.....I believe that they have a sheet warmer for cribs for this purpose. What I would do is gently rock her back and forth slowing it down gradually to a standstill just before placing her down...seemed to work like a charm. Babies go very much by routine.....be consistent and before you know it your boob will have some relief and she will be happily sucking away on the pacifier. If she cries, and you know that she is fed & dry, slip in the pacifier that she has moslt likely lost and rub her back/side gently and in a soft voice reassure her that you are there and softly coax her back to sleep. Good luck......Goody

kitkat77

Your sweetie is going to have to accept a pacifier, plain and simple. The trick is to find her one that she will like. Some babies will take the orthodontic ones and others (like my first son), spit those out. There was an elongated shaped type with the end ballooned out (nipple shape and not orthodontic) that did work, but they were very hard to come by. I noticed just today that these are plentiful (now made by Gerber), so I suggest you go buy one of these, and in latex - not silicone. Make sure that it is the right size (0).

Also, if she doesn't take to the pacifier right away, don't give up! Offer it to her immediately after her next feeding (best time is right after eating) and be persistent. She needs to know that there is a difference between sucking for milk and sucking for comfort.

feelbad

I totally agree that getting the pacifier that she likes is the key here.my first son had no problem with the nuk we tried the first time around but we were not that lucky with my second son.We tried a whole bunch of different shapes and sizes before he finally felt one he liked.Just be patient.marcia

Altson

I'm right there with you. My daughter is 7 weeks and only wants to nurse to fall asleep. She is my fourth child, so I thought I knew all the tricks to Mommyhood. I was wrong. Even my hubby is frustrated. We have bought EVERY pacifier that I can find, and all sizes. We started from day one since that worked with the other kids, I had 1 that liked a pacifier and the other 2 could take it or leave it. We've all been very persistent. We've remained calm, etc. We take her outside, we go for drives. I have the patience of Job since I have 3 other kids but even that is wearing thin.

During her fussy time from about dinner to 10 when she finally goes to bed, she only wants to nurse, nurse, nurse. She's not gassy, not cold or hot, and doesn't have reflux. I even bought that fake boob bottle thing, which I must say looks VERY strange, but if it worked, I was willing to use it. I'm beginning to feel trapped by her every evening, and I don't want that.

I've been going out to run errands during some of those hours and leaving her with hubby or Grandma, but they feel very frustrated also when they can't sooth her, then by the time I get home, she is just beside herself, and everyone else in the house is frazzled.

The only thing that keeps me sane and going is that I know it will pass soon enough, usually around 3 months or so. I'm also lucky because once she crashes around 10, she goes right to bed in her crib and doesn't wake until around 2-3 for a feeding and will also go right back to bed after that.

SO - that being said, does anyone have any advice for her desire to suck, other than a pacifier and me, the human pacifier?

goody2shuz

I once watched a show where there was a doctor who shared the 4 S's that would calm even the fussiest of babies. I am happy that I can remember them.

1) Suck.....Babies love to suck....it's their greatest pleasure. So find a way to provide for this need. Be insistent & keep trying until you find the right pacifier.

2) Swaddle....A baby needs the tightness of the womb and the security of being cocoooned. Wrap her in a blanket. Take a square blanket, fold one corner down about 8 inches or so. Place baby at shoulder level at this folded end making sure that shoulders are not above blanket. Placing both arms at baby's side, take one side of blanket and wrap towards other side around other arm and pull behind back. Take bottom of blanket and bring up onto babys abdomen. Then take other side and wrap around other arm of baby bringing it behind back once again. Remember each time you wrap do it as tight as possible.

3) Swing......Once baby is swaddled & sucking swing her side to side in a gentle flowing motion in your arms in front of you. This will relax her. When she dozes slow the swing to a slower motion until stopped and then place her down to sleep with the pacifier in place.

4) Shhhhhh.....when the baby is crying hold her swaddled and firmly shush her in her ear....saying shush over & over again until she calms but in a gentle but firm way almost like willing her to do so. Believe me I observed this guy doing this to a screaming infant & it did work When she calms place the pacifier in and go to #3.

Hope this helps.....Goody

siren1024

My DH is GREAT at this. This still works to calm my 22 month old for bed when he's upset or wound up!!! It works wonders on Camille, too. DD is not fussy, really, she just squirms and roots constantly. She doesn't really cry that much. It's just hard for me to sleep when she's constantly waking because she's in our bedroom right now! We're still waiting on the Air Force to move us to a bigger house, so she'll be in our room til then.

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Summerrainel

I do NOT agree with that. Six weeks is PRIME TIME GROWTH SPURT! She is nursing you like crazy cause she knows your breasts need the stimulation to provide more milk for the growth spurt!! This will soon pass and you will be able to sneak the boob away. Use your lansinoh to ease your nipples and cherish this time with baby. Pacifyers arent any good, they cause nipple confusion and can mess up babys latch. Your kid knows what she's doing when she looks at you like yer nuts stuffing that rubber or silicone thing in her mouth trying to convince her its just as good as warm, soft boobie . Keep cosleeping and eventually you will learn to sleep through her "snacking" and comfort nursing. Women let their babies nurse for comfort long before a pacifier was invented. Keep up the good work, they dont stay little for long.
With Love,
Marie

nyxin

i think that every family has their own dynamic that works best for them. if you choose a passy-- which i have, i have found that the ones you get in the hospital to work the best. i believe they are called soothies. i have had very good luck with the pacifier, but my now 23 month old won't let his go, but oddly enough he won't steal the 8 week olds. i do co-sleep with my 8 week old son as well. he nurses 2x a night and falls right back to sleep with out the pacifier, but come 5:00 pm the fuss switch is turned on and he is a wreck. i don't understand how each time everyday he can become such a mess. this usually lasts until 8-9:00 pm and then once he clams down and nurses one last time he is out until 1-2:00AM. i guess you should find a passy that looks the most like your nipple and keep trying if you choose that route. Also, the 4 s's i know of as well and it does work wonders. if my son isn't swaddled tightly and he gets his arms free it's all over. hope you find the secret to your baby. good luck

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Rubydoo

My baby sounds exactly the same as yours right down to the looking at me like i'm stupid when i try to give her a dummy. Have tried many brands and she just wont suck anything but the boob! We have totally seperated nursing and sleeping. She still falls asleep in the boob all the time but i keep waking her up to make sure she has had enough. When she has totally stopped drinking and been comfprt sucking for a while i just take her off, she screams for a bit till i distract her with walking about and talking to her. She is then wide awake and we have play time then when she starts showing tired signs we have a big cuddle and i put her in her hammock and leave her for 5-10 minutes. No dummy, no boob. She cries for a bit, i go back in and bounce her (the hammock is the ultimate for soothing, rocking doesn't work so well but bouncing puts her to sleep everytime) then leave her again for another few minutes. She is now 3 months and most times will just go off to sleep on her own after a few minutes of crying. It was a long slow heart breacking process to go through but she is great at going to sleep now. She still always falls asleep on the boob and looks so peaceful and fast asleep but as soon as it's out of her mouth she's rooting around desperatly. We have just learnt from experience that she is never going to go from asleep on the boob to asleep with no boob. I still let her comfort suck quite often and have a wee nap on the boob but i know she's not going to go into a deep sleep from there.

Good luck.
I am really glad that we have made it without the dummy now as it's something we won't have to wean her off.

friday13

OK I just found a pacifier that is supposed to mimic breastfeeding - gerber "Gentle Flex" pacifier. 2 for $4.60

can try it???