Thursday, August 7, 2008

Pacifier


While rocking Juniper to sleep, she rooted towards my arm, lunged toward it and started sucking.  I offered her my breast instead, but she was unhappy when the milk came out.  She didn't want to eat, just to suck.  I offered her my pinky finger, too, but that wasn't quite right.  She wanted my arm.  So I let her suck on my arm a bit, until I noticed the red welt that formed!  (See the picture and the mark on my bicep.)  So then I gave her the pacifier.  And it helped her to calm down and eventually she fell asleep for her nap.

We recently got two new pacifiers that are orthodontic shape, meaning they are pre-shaped to duplicate the shape of the mom's nipple during sucking.  She likes these better than the pacifiers that are symmetrically rounded at the end like a regular bottle nipple.  She also likes the orthodontic bottle nipples better, and we have been using the Medela orthodontic nipple for bottle feedings.

I have been hesitant to use a pacifier, and I want to make sure we use it only in moderation.  I have been using it to calm her at times (especially for car and bus trips, which usually are upsetting for her).  And once she has calmed, I try to ease it out of her mouth and she usually will stay calmed for a bit without it.  Or, if it falls out of her mouth and she is calm, I don't put it back in unless she is upset again and I can't calm her another way.

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