Pure Parents

Question:

alt.parenting.solutions,"gregory garland" >Hi, Sara here. My 7 month old Audrey has never excepted a pacifier or a >bottle, ever! She breast-feeds and to get her to settle down in the after >noon for a nap, I cuddle her and let her suck on my pinky.

<wshew!> Do you have any idea where I thought that this one was gonna go, based only on the subject line? I was all prepaired to try to give a good explaination, in words, on hot to properly "give the finger" cuz I have seen it done so ineffectually so often and, frankly, it kind of diminishes the gesture. Anyway — glad that I didn’t have to go there. — Do not underestimate your abilities.  That is your boss’s job. It is your job to find ways around your boss’s roadblocks.

Response:

I think it sounds so nice and wonderful to be able to cuddly with your baby the way you do. You must know yourself that she won’t be wanting to suck on your finger for the rest of her life.I don’t think I would worry about it just yet. Susan

Response:

>So >when she wakes in the night from teething, I don’t go in there and she goes >back to sleep just fine.SSOOO, my question is (after I tell you my life >history!) is do you think that I should not be cuddling her with the pinky >before a nap, or do you think that it’s okay? I really enjoy the time we do >spend cuddling before she falls asleep, we do our biggest bonding during >that time, I’d hate to cheat her out of that.AACCCKKK!!!suggestions would be >much appreciated!-Sara

Okay, just my 2cents, okay?  *grin*  (and maybe my life story too!! LOL) I see nothing wrong with cuddling- Nate and I cuddle too, and I love it, as does he. But I woudl think that if you gave her your pinky to suck on while putting her down that would be the same as a paci?? Nate does/did use a pacifier.  He woudl nurse(then bottle feed) until he was so full, he would get sik and bring it all back up.  SO a pacifier was a must need.  Figured out when he was full, since he will over eat, and then paci became his friend.   I didn’t want to se it- but the doc assured me it woudl be okay, and it was. Plus I keep the pacifier cleaner than my hands (pettig our animals, and cleaning, and running around on hands and knees chasing babies, etc)(my floor isn’t as clean as I would like it to be, lol) Right now Nate only uses his paci a couple times a week.  And mostly when he’s sick.  We’ve broken im of it… So don’t get rid of the cuddling- cuddling is wodnerful!!  (We did start to let Nate put himself to sleep occassionally once he was about 8-9 mos)  And if she wants the pinky- I see nothing wrong with it right now- but you can break her of that gradually too.. =-) She’s still little!!  Let her enjoy those "little times" Mel, mommy to Nathan Chad (9-19-98) http://www.angelfire.com/nh/FrogiElla/

Response:

Hi, Sara here. My 7 month old Audrey has never excepted a pacifier or a bottle, ever! She breast-feeds and to get her to settle down in the after noon for a nap, I cuddle her and let her suck on my pinky. I started this when she was born so I could give her the sucking satisifaction, but now when we cuddle, she gets upset if I don’t give it to her, and the worst part of it, is that she really won’t go in the crib unless she cuddles with the pinky. At night, I nurse her to sleep, so I really don’t ever just put her in the crib and expect her to sleep. Now that she is getting a little older I’m just starting to worry about it. She has been teething the last few nights and I read that you aren’t supposed to go in and take them out of the crib because they will start to rely on you being there in the middle of the night(she’s been sleeping through the night since she was 2 mo. old.).So when she wakes in the night from teething, I don’t go in there and she goes back to sleep just fine.SSOOO, my question is (after I tell you my life history!) is do you think that I should not be cuddling her with the pinky before a nap, or do you think that it’s okay? I really enjoy the time we do spend cuddling before she falls asleep, we do our biggest bonding during that time, I’d hate to cheat her out of that.AACCCKKK!!!suggestions would be much appreciated!-Sara

Response: