Pacifier and other questions

[chicagomommy]

My son is 10 weeks old and has been exclusively breastfed for the past 2.5 weeks. Previously he was bottlefed on pumped bm. He want to be held always and my nipples are already very sore. I have been using the Dr .Newman's cream but it still hurts. He wants to be fed every 1.5 - 2 hours for atleast 20-30 minutes. My LLL leader advised me that's absolutely unnecessary and it will hurt my nipples even more. Now that I offered him a pacifier today and he's been having it for the past 30 mins but didn't go off to sleep. He cries very badly when the pacifier falls off.

He has 5-6 really wet diapers and 2 poopy diapers.

My questions:-

1. Since he never sleeps after feeding and wants to be held all the times, does it mean he's not getting enough. Do I need to give him any formula?

2. How often would you guys offer pacifier and for how long. I think 30 + minutes is too much without going off to sleep.

3. How can I manage him in malls or anywhere outside. Typically, when I take him out, though I nurse him, he never goes to sleep and keeps crying which embarasses me a lot. How do I handle this situation?

4. He's not happy with the carseat too and cries constantly during the car travel.

Waiting for your valuable suggestions.

[@llli*baby.mama]

4. He's not happy with the carseat too and cries constantly during the car travel.

Waiting for your valuable suggestions.

this is a huge struggle with me & my lo, too. perhaps you have seen my posted thread, "car ride?!!?!?....WAAAAAH!!!" yup. that's us.

i can share some suggestions i've received thus far and you can see if any of them work for you.

-playing an upbeat/soothing cd (whichever lo seems to prefer), sing with it, or find a radio station that is staticy (supposed to be soothing for babies)
-talk to baby along the way
-hanging toys/mirror/pacifier
-readjusting harness..tighten or loosen to comfort level and check angle of carseat
-make sure lo is well fed right before and well rested (unless your lo is the type who could sleep better in the car. then i guess you'd wait til he's sleepy and then go for a ride)
-make sure temperature is rt. some car seats can really keep warmth in.
-check to make sure sun's not bothering lo

hopefully these suggestions might work for you. i've tried 'em all and it's still a battle for us. we just had a "screaming ride" today. i'm considering buying a new carseat that he could grow into but can still be rearfacing being that he's still only just over 4 months old. perhaps he'll find it more comfortable?? trying everything.

well, i feel your pain and wish you the best of luck!

[mj4330]

Hang in there. Things will likely get better. As far as the pacifier use...i was really worried about this myself but ive come to believe that there really is nothing wrong with letting your baby have one. Most babies have a strong need to suckle and its not practical to have them attached to your breast all day. As long as you have fed them then i say go ahead and let your lo suck on a binkie. When he gets hungry again he'll let you know!

It was really hard for me when my lo was born to figure out what she needed. The best advice someone gave me is to run down a short checklist of things when the baby is upset to see what is up..first try burping, then check diaper, etc. and still if baby is upset then try feeding.

I would not be too worried either if your baby does not want to sleep after eating...in some ways this might be a good thing in the long run b/c at some point those babies that do nurse to go to sleep might struggle later on with learning to fall asleep on their own. Have you tried some white noise to help baby go to sleep? Well i do not know how much this helped but hopefully some.

[chicagomommy]

Is it okay to have it for over 30 mins without falling asleep?

Hang in there. Things will likely get better. As far as the pacifier use...i was really worried about this myself but ive come to believe that there really is nothing wrong with letting your baby have one. Most babies have a strong need to suckle and its not practical to have them attached to your breast all day. As long as you have fed them then i say go ahead and let your lo suck on a binkie. When he gets hungry again he'll let you know!

It was really hard for me when my lo was born to figure out what she needed. The best advice someone gave me is to run down a short checklist of things when the baby is upset to see what is up..first try burping, then check diaper, etc. and still if baby is upset then try feeding.

I would not be too worried either if your baby does not want to sleep after eating...in some ways this might be a good thing in the long run b/c at some point those babies that do nurse to go to sleep might struggle later on with learning to fall asleep on their own. Have you tried some white noise to help baby go to sleep? Well i do not know how much this helped but hopefully some.

[@llli*Beccamomof2]

Oh Mama...I feel your pain. My LO was very much like yours. He was very fussy until he was about 12 weeks old. Things started to improve after that.

He HATES the car...but it is getting a little better. I try to sing to him and that seems to help. I think some babies just do not like the car. You should try different types of music. Sometimes it just takes trial and error. Make sure the sun isn't in his eyes. We actually put a DVD player in for our baby. He is 6 months old and I know that is young for TV but, I just couldn't take the crying anymore and I thought it was worth a try. It helps a little. He likes the Classical Baby and Baby Einstein DVDs.

It sounds like your baby needs some help falling asleep. My boy also didn't fall asleep when he was nusing. He does now...sometimes. Usually I would have to lay next to him or rock him. Sometimes I just hold him and he falls asleep with a pacifier. Here is one thing for sure -- you do NOT need to supplement with formula. Your baby is making plenty of wet and poopy diapers. And as long as he has good weight gain, then he is fine. Some babies just don't fall asleep when they eat. Again, it might just be trial and error. Trust your instincts and do what feels natural to you.

A crying baby in public is not fun...but it is a fact of life when you have a baby. Most people understand...and for those that don't -- well, they don't have the joy of having children. My best advice again is to try different things because each baby is different. Have you tried to carry your baby in a sling or a wrap? Some babies even like to sleep in one.

30 minutes of trying a pacifier is probably a long time. Maybe he just doesn't like the pacifier? Or maybe you could try some different types?

From everything you described, it sounds like your baby is fussy...just as mine was. I am here to tell you that it DOES get easier! I promise.

[chicagomommy]

Thanks for your ideas. Hope this phase passes off soon.

Oh Mama...I feel your pain. My LO was very much like yours. He was very fussy until he was about 12 weeks old. Things started to improve after that.

He HATES the car...but it is getting a little better. I try to sing to him and that seems to help. I think some babies just do not like the car. You should try different types of music. Sometimes it just takes trial and error. Make sure the sun isn't in his eyes. We actually put a DVD player in for our baby. He is 6 months old and I know that is young for TV but, I just couldn't take the crying anymore and I thought it was worth a try. It helps a little. He likes the Classical Baby and Baby Einstein DVDs.

It sounds like your baby needs some help falling asleep. My boy also didn't fall asleep when he was nusing. He does now...sometimes. Usually I would have to lay next to him or rock him. Sometimes I just hold him and he falls asleep with a pacifier. Here is one thing for sure -- you do NOT need to supplement with formula. Your baby is making plenty of wet and poopy diapers. And as long as he has good weight gain, then he is fine. Some babies just don't fall asleep when they eat. Again, it might just be trial and error. Trust your instincts and do what feels natural to you.

A crying baby in public is not fun...but it is a fact of life when you have a baby. Most people understand...and for those that don't -- well, they don't have the joy of having children. My best advice again is to try different things because each baby is different. Have you tried to carry your baby in a sling or a wrap? Some babies even like to sleep in one.

30 minutes of trying a pacifier is probably a long time. Maybe he just doesn't like the pacifier? Or maybe you could try some different types?

From everything you described, it sounds like your baby is fussy...just as mine was. I am here to tell you that it DOES get easier! I promise.

[@llli*alyssa.mommy]

DD loves to suck and loves her paci, especially now that she can find it, pick it up, and put it in her mouth.