Breastfeeding Advice...

I breastfeed my daughter. In the beginning, she sometimes made a clicking sound when she would lose section. I've always heard to try to get as much of the aerola in her mouth as possible, especially the bottom part. Good luck.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/clicking-when-nu...

Hope this helps! :)

I'm not sure about the clicking, but my daughter is a thumb sucker. She used the pacifier for about 1 or 2 months and every now and then would be able to find her thumb, but shortly after that she would only take her thumb or fingers.
Once she gains better control over her hands you will be able to tell. I would say prob around months 3.

Contact la Leche League - http://www.lllusa.org/

they have a hotline to call any time of the day! or call your local chapter - you can search on their website for your area.

I highly recommend you check out the general support message boards on www.breastfeeding.com . You can get a lot of good info from the women on there.

It's been a long time since I've nursed a newborn and I can't remember what is "normal."

Good luck to you!

L.

My son was a thumb sucker, but not until around 6 months or so. He used a pacifier for the first 3 months and then I took that away. In between, he just fell asleep to nursing or bottle. He could find his thumb, but it was so tiny, it didn't do him any good! I took the pacifier away because it was also falling out! he sucked his thumb until almost 2 years old and just stopped on his own. I never did or said anything about it even though people told me I should try to stop him. I never cared and if he was still doing it now at 2.5, I wouldn't care. I think he stopped on his own BECAUSE I never said anything.
I don't really know about the clicking, but if she isn't having gas pain after nursing, then her getting too much air is not and issue, so I think she will be fine.

My third daughter made a clicking sound also. Everytime she sucked in it was a weird clicking sound. I breastfed two daughters before her and niether of them made that sound. During a visit with the pediatrician I let her observe the sound. The doctor told me that little Sophie was sucking really hard. Check with your pediatrician. As long as she's not appearing to swallow air and she's getting enough milk, then everything should be ok.

Good luck.

My son made the same clicking sound and it could have become a problem if I didn't take action to fix it. I started to notice a bubble on my breast. It didn't hurt, but I thought it was strange. I asked a friend of mine about it who had nursed her daughter and she told me that she had the same problem. At first you think it's kind of cute because they make that sound, but what you don't realize is that it's affecting you. The bubble on my breast was because my son wasn't latching on correctly. It could have gotten worse if I had let it go any longer. I too was at the point where it didn't hurt, but that doesn't always mean that they are on the correct way. I recommend taking her off your breast when she starts making that noise and making sure she latches on correctly again. I have what I consider large breasts too, so I completely understand what you mean. Just make sure that she's opening her mouth wide enough to fit around your areola. My son eventually stopped making the noise when he was on correctly, but it took a little while to retrain him. Best of luck!

Hi J.,

About the finger sucking: In our case, my daughter would be a finger sucker if I did not breastfeed her as often as she needed, so it was a matter of how much breastfeeding she received. Often she wanted to latch and suck but without any milk arriving, it was just for comfort (which is just as important IMHO!).

I think in other kids it may be just something they do. She's our only child so I haven't seen other scenarios of "born finger suckers" etc.

BTW She would not take a pacifier so I had no comparison there.

hi J.,
Way to go giving nursing a try again - it can't be easy with two other kids running around. As for the clicking - I think she may not be latched on totally. When a little one is really latched on good you may hear gulping but the clicking is probably her coming off slightly and sucking a bit of air. I was totally amazed at how much further in the baby's mouth the breat had to be to make a good seal (not to get graphic). Try encouraging a bit more of your breast in to get a really good (and pain-free) seal. Hope this helps.

Relax! The clicking is good! That means she's making perfect suction. Here's the best advice I received before I began breast feeding and it worked like a charm---make sure her lower lip is puckered out, that it's not tucked inside her mouth. This will make the latching on much easier and maintain the suction. What you are hearing is a contented little lovey enjoying her special time and getting lots of nutrients! The actual click you hear is her toungue doing its job!

According to Freud, and yeah he's been "updated", he said if you deny a child the oral fixation they require during this developmental period, they will spend a lifetime trying to make up for it---thus his theory that smokers snd thumb suckers are actually people who didn't get to nurse long enough---just a little humor, don't freak out!

Dear J....as for the nursing...my son does the same thing from time to time - I think it's just them playing around with their tongues. Also the longer they nurse the more efficient they get and the more efficient your boobs get so the milk flows more...which may cause a gulping sound as well...I nursed my first for 4 months and am at 3.5 months with my second...keep up the great work i know how difficult it can be at times!

Take care,

L.

My little girl did that same noise. I found it quite amusing. She is now 4 months old and stopped doing that noise about 2 months ago. I never worried about it myself, I thought it was cute. Kind of like a sound of satisfaction.

I've been very fortunate in that nursing has come very easily for both of us. Just stay positive about it and you will be able to do it as long as you and her need you too. As for the finger sucking, I don't know that's there's any way to know who will and who will not be a finger sucker. My little girl did not take to a pacifier. She found her hands pretty quickly. It has been great since she has been able to suck on her fingers because she is quite successful at soothing herself now. Before 7-8 weeks old if she wasn't sleeping, she HAD to be in my arms. I loved it, but it was tough at times when all I wanted to do was take a shower. I never thought she was going to be capable of just sitting in her bouncey seat or swing without crying 5 minutes later. I now know that when she's tired, the thumb is her finger of choice. Other times when she's sucking her fingers she doesn't discriminate, any one, two or all will do! I think there are pros and cons to both finger sucking and the use of pacifiers. A pacifier becomes a habit, but at least you can take a pacifier away. Thumb sucking is a habit, but I can't take away her thumb! I'm not worried about it though. I just read in "What to expect the first years" that you may as well not try to stop the thumb sucking before three because it's most of the time useless. A high percentage of children tend to grow out of it on their own. Good luck to you!

I nursed my daughter and now my 3 month old son – both were “clickers”. I notice it with my son as soon as the milk starts flowing. It’s attributed to the fast flow of milk. My daughter used to sputter and pull off, then once the milk had a more “even flow”, she would stay on longer. My son, however, is a chugger and just merrily clicks away until the flow slows a bit.

My son has found his thumb, and sloppily sucks it when hungry. My daughter was, and still is, a thumb sucker. She only does it when she’s tired or bored and it’s more just resting her thumb in her mouth. Pediatricians and dentists say that it doesn’t become a problem until the permanent adult teeth start to come in (most people need braces anyway) and it depends on the intensity of the sucking (intense sucking is worse than light).

Hope that helps!

~J.