baby wont take my breast

the first few nights my daughter was home, all she wanted to do was suck. i sent hubby out immediately and had him get a pacifier. she used it from 5 days old until 19 months. it was a godsend. she/we were so reliant upon it, that if we forgot it when we went out, we had to stop to buy a new one!

i would give that a go. otherwise, you are going to have very sore breasts! the other thing about it was that when she cried and was not satisfied by the pacifier, we KNEW she was hungry! right now, it seems that the only way you know of to stop the crying is to offer your breast. i understand, that was how i felt, too.
 
thanks carang! i will try that.

and bart i just recall, have you tried feeding on your breast with the tube thing? I can't remember it's exact terminology but it (wait let me google: Breastfeeding: Using a Lactation Aid) will help your baby learn to suck from your breast too (i heard from sarah at the LLL)
 
Solidstars - I can`t say it`s always obvious when the baby is done, but the advice I read is to let them suck until they go off it themselves. When I know my baby has had a really good feed is when he lets go, and does this fabulously cute stretch and then when I`m burping him he looks completely out of it. Like a drunken sailor, as someone noted before.
In my early weeks, I had no idea how much my baby was getting - he just sucked and sucked and I tried to get him to switch breasts and timed our sessions and all that. And sometimes it took forever.
Then it got better. And also I relaxed a bit and just followed his leads. I definitely favour feeding on demand, particularly with a small baby, because they are too young to manipulate or `want` things. They want to feed when they are hungry, and that`s that.
I read - and I don`t know if it`s true - but I read that the main milk flow from let-down only lasts for 20 min and after that it`s more comfort sucking. But I think the baby might still be trying to get more milk if he was not satisfied.
I know, it`s so hard to tell right now. But have him weighed and that will be the best indication. My boy came out at 2.9 kg and at one month he was at 5 kg so I knew something good was coming out of my breasts, hehe.
 
thanks shenzhennifer! he's definitely gaining well so i'm not worried about that. the nurse at the clinic did say to pull him off at 20 minutes but he looked so dissatisfied i stopped doing that after one day trial (of 20 minutes). Now i just let him go on and on and on... I'll try what carang suggested once i go and get myself a pacifier.
 
Well, if he`s gaining well you`re doing an awesome job!
Not to poo poo on anyone`s pacifier parade but I would just make sure he isn`t missing out on any nutritive sucking with the pacifier. Maybe you can squeeze your nipple to see how much milk is coming out at that point.
Sometimes I don`t mind if my baby goes on and on for a while. I notice he does it a lot when he`s feeling unsure (like in public sometimes) or when he`s tired and just wants a bit of mama.
 
if the baby is gaining, there is REALLY no need for him to be sucking constantly.

i never used a pacifier with my first. he hated it. NEVER took it.

my daughter was different, as is every baby. she needed to suck. it was her comfort. (she still does it now and she's two! she drinks a bottle of milk every night at bedtime. she eats a lot during the day and she doesn't need the extra nutrition, it's merely for comfort.)

if solid is having a hard time with the constant sucking, a pacifier would provide the comfort and allow her to rest her nipples for a while.
 
carang i've tried giving him a pacifier but he just won't take it and keeps looking at me (or the pacifier?) like we're aliens... it's a bit funny actually

i've tried expressing some milk over the pacifier but still not working... oh well...
 
my son wouldn't take it either... my daughter LOVED it... just keep trying... maybe it will work, maybe not.

good luck!
 
I never pushed it with my son, who spit it out the couple of times I put it in his mouth over the course of a couple of months.
Soon enough he found his fingers and thumbs and now thinks they are delectible:)
 
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