Newborn and pacifier??

Krissy2911

I gave in the other night and gave my LO a pacifier because he wanted to be up from 11am to 3am straight breastfeeding for the 5th night in a row and it helped but now I have a problem. Anytime he is awake and not breastfeeding he cries nonstop unless I put give him the pacifier.  He never did that before and was always calm and content.  Anyone else ever dealt with this?  Am I ever going to be about to have my LO be awake without needing his pacifier?  Any suggestions? Do I need to wean him already? I'm also afriad that he could be hungry and I'm missing the cues because of giving him a pacifier? 

 Thanks!

summerbrideDC

I'm assuming your baby is only a week or two old?  He's going to do & need a lot of things he's "never" done or needed before. You do what you need to do to soothe a newborn--whether its nursing or giving him a paci or rocking him or whatever.  Don't worry, even if he has a paci in his mouth every day for the next year or two, he won't go to college w/ a paci.  

jettagurl

summerbrideDC:

I'm assuming your baby is only a week or two old?  He's going to do & need a lot of things he's "never" done or needed before. You do what you need to do to soothe a newborn--whether its nursing or giving him a paci or rocking him or whatever.  Don't worry, even if he has a paci in his mouth every day for the next year or two, he won't go to college w/ a paci.  

Yep!

Use the paci and get some rest/enjoy the quiet snuggles.  I had 2 paci-loving girls - one weaned herself around 14 mos, the other I stopped cold-turkey at about  16 mos... and both are fabulous sleepers/content kids (at 2 and 3.5).

 

lsufan

If the paci makes your life easier right now, then give it to him.  I only had one paci addict, and it was really no big deal.  After about a year, we limited it to bedtime and naps, and eventually he gave it up altogether without a fight.  I don't understand why you would need to stop breastfeeding him?

ETA:  I also would not worry about missing his hunger cues.  If he's really hungry, the paci won't satisfy him.  If he just needs to suck on something, the paci may hold him off for a while. 

Cbidt's girl

Your baby is crying more now because the "sleepy period" of the first weeks is over and the wakeful period had started. The first 3 months are about survival, yours and the baby's. Do what you need to so that you both make it out alive. For me that met holding or wearing DS2 23 hours a day. For you it may mean paci. Their needs change tremendously over the first few months. You can worry about using it more judiciously later.