Anna has decided that she would love to be permanently attached to her mother. She did have a big growth spurt over the last few days and nursed every hour and a half (yes, I'm exhausted), but now she just wants to latch on and not drink between nursing sessions. She actually looks annoyed when the milk starts to let down sometimes. Heh. Rather than have a fifteen pound baby at one month, we have decided to introduce other sucking options. At this point, she is still so little that neither option is readily available to her without our assistance....so we have a decision to make! The thumb sucking is sooo adorable and I can hardly keep from kissing her over and over again when she gets her thumb (with help)....but the thumb unfortunately will still be around when she is five if she so chooses to use it. On the other hand, I wouldn't have to search around for the lost pacifier five times a night once she learns to get her thumb on her own. Andrew used a pacifier and had such a hard time giving it up that I hesitate to encourage one with Anna. Any suggestions or advice, anyone?? Please don't tell me just to keep nursing her every half hour....I'm already dehydrated. :)
3 comments:
No advice here. Just wanted to say the photos are so adorable! When Katie had colic, we tried desperately to get her hooked on the pacifier, her thumb, anything and everything that could staunch the river of tears for a while. She rejected all of it in favor of playing with her belly button...lol!
You've pretty much presented the ups and downs of either choice, and it's a toss up! (Helpful, aren't I?) :) Hang in there!
I think we are going to go with the pacifier. Several people have now told me horror stories about how difficult it was to break the thumb habit. (But it's SO cute, isn't it??) *sigh* I still remember the day Andrew Finally decided to get rid of his pacifiers in exchange for a "big boy" purchase from Walmart. Um, he was three. At least I can actually take the pacifier away where as the thumb could be secretly sucked for years!
Hi Sarah! I love the pictures of Anna! She is simply adorable. I've had one thumb sucker and two pacifier babies. From my experience, I like the thumb sucking habit better. I know I'm probably in the vast minority though! As unbelievable as it sounds, Isaac decided on his own to stop sucking his thumb when he was about 6 years old. (He's 8 1/2 now.) We talked about giving it up for a couple of years though. But, when he decided to stop, he stopped without tears. On the other hand, Graham and Owen both had the pacifier taken away at ages 3 and 2. They both had trouble learning to put themselves to sleep without it and we had lots of tears! Bryan and I both come from families of thumb suckers so I don't have a lot of the "shame" issues surrounding it. But, as they say each child is different! You will make a good decision for Anna and your family.
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