Ok, I am so new to this breastfeeding thing. I wasn't able to breastfeed my first child, so now this is new territory for me. My daughter, who is 6 weeks old, doesn't really like her pacifier. She would prefer to suckon my breast to calm her and put her tosleep.Is this normal? Am I spoiling her or starting a bad habit by giving her my breast when she wants it, but it isn't so much for eating, but for calming and sleeping? She is the type that falls asleep while breastfeeding and goes on sucking on and off for 15 - 30 minutes. My husband doesn't think I should give her the breast every time she "roots" for it,especially after eating. He thinks that she is forming a habit that will be hard to break and will keep me from doing other things or spending time with our son. She is growing and thriving. What to do?
Your baby is at the age where they like to breastfeed it is comforting as well as nourishing. My suggestion would be to not worry about it and just enjoy this bonding time with your daughter. She is growing and thriving and that is the important thing. My son was very similar to your daughter. I stopped nursing when he was 9 mo. and at that point he was willing to take a bottle and a pacifier and I had no trouble weening him.
You ARE forming a habit now, but an excellent one. You are establishing a wonderful, strong nursing relationship that many women struggle for. Your daughter easily latches on and stays on. Not only is this "normal," it is desirable. Personally, none of my three kids ever used a pacifier. A pacifier is a fake nipple. Just give her the real one and then you won't have the habit to break later. It is your job right now to be a human pacifier. It's your job to comfort her.
Next, she IS eating for nutrition, not just calming and sleeping. Her tummy is tiny right and frequent eating is needed.
If you feel you need support from other mothers who nurse on demand and co-sleep, there's a mother's group here this friday and the first friday of each month:
http://www.bodymindandspiritabq.com
Support from like-minded moms would really benefit you and give you confidence to continue doing what you feel is right. And what you're doing IS right.
As your baby gets older, you can do things to teach her fall asleep without sucking. But right now, she is so very young and her only jobs ARE to suck and to sleep.
One last note, breastfeeding makes for strong and proper jaw and teeth development. Pacifiers and bottles won't necessarily ruin this, but do not encourage it as nursing does.
I have a 3 year old that breastfeed just like that until we stopped at 14 months. I know the books tell you not to, but I did- and I thought it was great! I had to really push the pacifer on her though, which I was grateful for in the end because once she liked it, I could just slip that into her mouth instead (besides a bunch of other things I found it useful for & BTW I had no trouble weening her from it once she turned 2). She ended up being a great sleeper- no hours of walking around, rocking, etc. I now have a baby the same age as yours and we are breastfeeding. She isn't liking the pacifer much either, but I'm being very persistent because I know it will pay off. For me, "feeding to sleep" works great! If she is having trouble sleeping, I love to just lie down in bed with baby sucking a little and then sneak away once she falls asleep...
Breastfeeding on demand is wonderful for you and for your baby. And your breast is so much better for her than a pacifier (which is a much harder habit to break). Rooting for your breast is one of the strongest instincts your daughter has and when you offer it to her she is getting the reassurance that you are there for her. That's builds the kind of trust and confidence that will last her the rest of her life and that's why she's thriving. I'm not saying that babies who are not breastfed can't develop this, but I do think that breastfeeding on demand makes a simple and wonderful path to it. If it feels right to you, it's the right thing to do.
My first daughter was the same way, loved the breast, refused the pacifier. She was what they call a lazy nurser. She would nurse for 5-10 minutes fall asleep for 20, then wake up and want to nurse again. This went on for about 3 months, but as she got older and became more active she started a more regular nursing schedule. Now your baby is so little. I would let her nurse whenever she wants to, this also helps your milk supply to build. As she grows she will develope a better eating pattern, but for the time being it looks like the two of you will be attached at the breast :) Enjoy the time and think of how healthy all that breast milk is making your baby.
As for spending time with your son, as you get more proficient at breastfeeding you will be able to nurse your daughter while you do other things. I used to go shopping with my daughter in a sling discreetly nursing the whole time. Also, you can read to your son or play board games, etc. while nursing the baby.
