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When I was in the hospital having my first because I was breastfeeding they wouldn't give my baby a pacifier. Part of the whole nipple confusion deal (which is not always the case. My sister breastfed 3 of 4 of her children all of which also had pacifiers) But my son was constantly "rooting" and was fussy. I stuck my pinky in his mouth and he settled down. I mentioned this to one of the nurses along with "I can't set around with my finger in his mouth day and night" and she said if I wanted to give him a pacifier to do it and just not to let the other nurses see it. So my sis went out and bought one for me. At first we didn't let the nurses see it then thought, what the hell its our baby. Once we told one of the nurses she asked if we were going to give him one once we left the hospital anyway, when we told her yes she went right to the nursury and got him one that they carry (for newborns). He was never "confused" But they were willing to let him stay fussy instead of trying the pacifier.
Breastfeeding did not come easy for us either. My son would suck backwards. Instead of pulling his tounge in he would push out. My second day home from the hospital my son had gotten so fussy. He wasn't getting enough to eat and because of the way he was trying to suck it was only hurting me to the point that I think I was ending feedings before he was ready because I was so sore. I called the lactacation consultant who told me different things to try. My milk also hadn't come in and she assured me it would get easier but not to give in to feeding him formula. And went through all the advantages of the breastmilk was for him. By midnight that night my son was flat out screaming, I had gotten so upset that I had started crying too. Since it was so late I decided not to call her back but instead to call the nurses at the hospital (who when we left the hospital said we could call anytime with any questions) The nurse could hear my son screaming in the background and I was crying as well and she told me to go ahead and give him the formula. THe most important thing of course was that my son ate.
The next afternoon I called the lactation consultant back to ask her if by my feeding him formula through the night meant that I couldn't breastfeed anymore. This was my first child and I knew nothing so I was upset thinking I couldn't breastfeed anymore. She assured me that it was ok. That a lot of mothers will feed their children both, especially working moms.
That was when I really got upset. Now I know their job is to motivate and encourage you but when I had spoken to her the day before she told me not to give the formula. Then the next day she said it was ok to do so. I know she probably thought by telling me I could give formula that I would probably quite breastfeeding, then once she heard about my night she said that giving him both was perfectly fine and I shouldn't worry.
What bothered me though if she would have just told me this when we first talked I wouldn't have gotten so upset that night before and trust me I was very upset, not to metion the state my poor son was in. If she would have told me first off that if was fine to give both I wouldn't have given up and went straight to the formula because I really did love breastfeeding. I think she really should have given me ALL the info even if I did end the breastfeeding. The most important thing should have been that my son ate, whether it was from me or from a bottle. I soon got a pump and had to give him breastmilk in a bottle because he just wasn't getting it either.
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