Sucking but not hungry?

[CommanderShepard]

I appreciate this is a probably a daft question but is it normal for a baby to want to suck and suck and suck and suck without being hungry? The Commanderling insists that she's not hungry but is going to town on Husband's efingers right now. I've read that this might be comforting since she has a reflux diagnosis and saliva neutralises acid, but I'm a bit concerned that she seems to choose sucking over eating.

She's 8 weeks old; I guess her need to feed all day will lessen from here? She is up at about 0130 and 0500 each night though (sometimes also at 0300).

Sorry for this; my brain is fuddled today...

yes, newborns will suck on anything!

preferably a breast, though.

what signs are there that she's not hungry?

She won't latch on and pushes away from me if I offer a breast.

how frequently is she feeding each day?

how is her latch?

What are the nappies like? plenty of wet ones?

what are you doing for the reflux?

is she gaining weight well? content?

sorry for all the questions!

It could be a comfort thing? My son was sucking anything and everything he could get his hands on from around 7 weeks, and cut his first tooth at 12weeks. He got tooth number two the day after!

Feeding is on demand but anywhere from 6 to oh-my-god-I've lost count. Since midnight she's had 5 feeds, according to my shiny new app. I've offered the breast whenever she's fussed but am met with outright refusal, even though she's sticking out her tongue and eating her hands

Latch is good though she breaks off to adjust recently, especially at letdown and sometimes likes just to lick. I've been down to the Baby Cafe who said it all looked good and Sally Inch(?) runs my hospital's breastfeeding clinic so once it opens again I'll nip down - I like a bit of fine tuning now and again! :)

Loads of wet nappies- we use cloth and have to boost them at night now else she leaks. Only one dirty a day this week and more solid; a bit like play dough.

Gaviscon for reflux which has worked well though I administer sparingly - her moses basket is also propped up and I keep her upright after feeds, usually in her sling.

She weighed in at 5.6kg yesterday - up 400g in 3 weeks and has never lost weight (she's now apparently a minor celebrity on the postnatal ward I was on, according to a friend who has !). She is, with the exception of reflux episodes, a cheerful little cabbage who settles easily.

Often during the day I am lucky if I can keep her at the breast for more than 5 minutes - should I worry or put it down to her having very strong sucking skills and me having an embarrassment of riches? She's been that way since birth and even then would only feed 10-15 minutes at a time.

then everything sounds like it's great!

you obviously have a very efficient sucker!

it doesn't sound like there's anything to be concerned about based on what you've posted, but good idea to go to the BF clinic - i like going to meet people and for reassurance that everything is normal, as well as queries.

You are so lucky to have the Oxford bf clinic and baby cafes. They were amazing for support with DD1 but we've moved away now and I can't find good local support. Is Chloe still there too?

The play dough poos will be from the gaviscon. Although the makers/ GPs insist it doesn't do it, it does in almost every baby I have ever heard of :)

belindarose having a baby has made me realise how fantastic the services are in Oxford(shire) - we're incredibly fortunate. I didn't know there was a children's centre at the end of my road! I had quite an epic birth that left me mentally wrung out and the support has been fantastic - my mum is a district nurse in another PCT and was saying there's nothing like what I've received for perinatal women in her area, which is rather rubbish.

I was reading your thread and was going to ask if you were anywhere near Oxford but then saw you moved away :( I don't know a Chloe, I'm afraid; I've mostly seen Lisa Mansour (I think that's her name) via the baby cafes.

narmada thanks - I'd heard that too - she had an explosive movement this morning after a Gaviscon-free day yesterday (seemed much less refluxy/uncomfortable yesterday - phew). It was impressive and I think I'm going to have to do a pre-rinse before that whopper goes in the wash!

Lisa is so lovely and helped me so much through an epic bout of thrush at 5 months.

Nothing like it in Devon!