# Over-supply and Comfort Nursing ???



## Mama2Mila (Jun 27, 2002)

I hope someone here can help me out with some info: My DS (2weeks old) is a very efficient nurser and deals with my supply as good as he can. However he spits up frequently after his feeding, up to an hour later...he's not fussy or crying (so I'm hoping the spitting up doesn't hurt him) and gaining weight quickly. He was born at 7/12oz. and is no up to 8/15oz. at 2 weeks old.

My question now is this: How do I know that nursing is "well established" so I can introduce a pacifier? Does it refer to knowing that there's good milk supply or that baby has a correct latch? He wants to nurse all the time, but my oversupply with the spitting up/gas after feedings just doesn't allow for extra non-nutritive sucking (I'm feeding for 6 hours per one breast already to bring my supply down some more and it seems to slowly be working). My DD used a pacifier as well (I had even more oversupply/overactive let-down with her), but she was older (2months) when I made that decision. With this one I just don't want him to be uncomfortably full all the time...My LC at the hospital said to introduce a bottle around 4-6 weeks old if I wanted so I could feed expressed milk once in a while...so does that time limit also stand for pacifier use?? I just don't want to confuse him, but also give his poor tummy a rest from being stretched out to the limit with all my milk









Anyone BTDT?

Alex


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## mama_in_atx (Nov 10, 2004)

Alex,
I'm personally not a big fan of pacifiers because they've caused nipple confusion for both of my sons, even when introduced at about 8-10 weeks when they seemed to need it. That was when they really benefitted from me wearing them in a tummy-to-tummy carry, and they both seemed to take to sucking on their hands/fingers when they weren't nursing. They both eventually used a paci again a couple months later, but only when I felt desperate to give it to them to calm them even when they had a full tummy and nothing else worked. If you feel you are at that point, I suppose you could try it for a short time but remove it once baby is soothed or asleep.

HTH!


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## virgoat (Sep 22, 2005)

This is all I have, take it or leave it as you will. My second son was given a pacifier at just a few days old for this reason. He did fine with nipple confusion. I used a gerber nuk in size 2-3 years I think? It was the biggest you could get, my theory here was that if the pacifier filled more mouth like proper nursing does, it would prevent latch issues. Also I chose the nuk, because it's shape seems more like that of a mothers compressed nipple in the baby's mouth, AND finally - it was softer, so not so conforming of a baby's mouth - if that makes any sense. Feeding was never an issue with him, he would launch that thing right out of his mouth when he was ready to eat. Even at night while mostly asleep he would spit it out and root for the breast, and then when full he would spit my breast out and root around for the pacifier. Now he did become hooked. He had that thing until he was well over three, and had been weaned (by himself) since like fourteen months old, however for my dh and I this wasn't an issue, because we saw our son needed this comfort, and had no issue with him having it until he felt better about whatever. And when he did drop it, he did it on his own just like nursing and potty-training. Anyway, I may not have direct advice for you (sorry 'bout that) but, just to let you know that it doesn't always kill a good nursing relationship AND every kid needs different things. Our eldest never touched one, and I hoping River doesn't either, because the little buggers are always getting lost, or forever fuzzy, and they leave ring-around-the-mouth! lol!


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## its_me_mona (Feb 2, 2005)

Alex,
LLL recommends that parents refrain from introducing artifical nipples until the baby is 28 days old. Remember that when you do introduce one to use it sparingly and _only_ when you know baby does not "need" to nurse. I use the term "need" loosely because I truly believe that a baby absolutely needs to nurse anytime they show the signs of wanting to.

Your oversupply really should correct itself by about the 3 month mark though so you might try to hold out and possibly just offer your pinky finger, nail-side down to baby when he's needing to suck.

Also, I suppose it should go without saying that if/when you do introduce the pacifier, if you notice any inkling of nipple confusion that you immediately stop using it.


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## Fisherb (Mar 25, 2004)

I'm no expert... Far from it... But, we introduced a Soothie paci at about 3 weeks. I only use it after he won't feed anymore at all, he's burped, changed, and basically suffering from sensory overload. He gets it in the dark bedroom with some rocking, and he absolutely KONKS out, then drops it. We need to use it almost every day, but not all the time by any means.

I have other issues going on, too... So who knows... Maybe I'm reaping what I sew.


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## Lula's Mom (Oct 29, 2003)

I had the same issue- oversupply, baby who wanted to suck, but was getting too much milk. He would actually get mad and cry when the milk came out. He didn't know how to comfort suck so that he didn't get anything.

At first I used my finger. But I couldn't do that all the time- my arm was always sore from twisting around to do it for half an hour in the car. I gave him a pacifier, and had to convince him to use it. He was about a month old, and we used the size 2 Nuk latex ones that are softer than the silicone ones.
After my supply settled down, he did learn to comfort suck. At that point I encouraged him to use me instead of the binky whenever he wanted comfort.

We used it as sparingly as possible and in the car only after that. He has not taken it in a few months now- he's 9 months now.

I do think it can be a very useful tool. I'm just really cautious and use it only when it's really necessary, and stop using it as soon as we can. And before anybody says 'it never is necessary'- when you have a baby who needs to comfort suck but won't use you or his hands, it sure is!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I had oversupply but never used a pacifier.

-Angela


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## katerkat (Aug 13, 2005)

I had oversupply and I gave him a pacifier at 3 days old. He desperately wanted to suck and would yell at me for shooting milk at him every time he tried to suck for comfort. We gave in and tried the pacifier and he loved it. In the beginning, he used it a LOT, which I hated - now we're down to just for naps and in the car.

He never had nipple confusion - we went from bottle to boob to boob with shield to pacifier without one bit of trouble. And my supply finally corrected itself around 6 weeks.


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