from:Anne Smith,IBCLC
I just had to jump in here with some comments about pacifier use and
thumbsucking.  I have breastfed 6 babies:  all six were nursed on
demand, co-slept, carried in slings, never separated, delayed solids,
and naturally weaned.  The first three all began sucking their left
thumbs (almost as though they knew that they would be right handed
later on, and would need that hand free) and attached to security
objects at around 3 months of age.  Two out of the three needed
braces.  All three weaned themselves (much to my dismay) by the time
they were a year old, but continued to suck their left thumbs
anywhere from 6-10 years.  (One is now in med school, one just
graduated from art school summa cum laude, and one is a college
junior with a 4.0, so apparently intellectual development was ok).
The next 'batch' (who, incidentally, had a different dad) never
sucked their thumbs or developed any attachment to security objects.
They all nursed untill 2-1/2-4-1/2 years.  All three have or will
need to have orthodontic work. One has already had three oral
surgeries and is looking at at least one or two more, and at age 12,
she has already been in braces for over 3 years.  I offered pacifiers
to all six at various times (in the car when I couldn't nurse, for
example) but none of them ever developed any dependence on them.
Thought my experience might be interesting to you guys.
    A few weeks ago I posted a question about the local hospital's
practice of sending bf moms home with a jerry-rigged tube feeding
device which the mothers then attempt to use for weeks and weeks.
Part of this is due to lack of follow up and working with them on
helping the baby to latch.  My question concerned safety issues
regarding the difficulty of cleaning a product designed for one time
use when using it over and over for weeks at time. I received several
private replies, some from LCs who thought it was fine, and some who
thought it was a real concern.  In light of the recent posts on using
products designed for managing lactation problems vs using homemade
devices, I thought I would ask again.  Are there safety issues with
using feeding tubes and syringes in this way?  I'm not talking about
in hospital use, I'm talking about mothers who are using this system
for weeks at a time.  Is there the possibility of contamination of
the tubes, and is this more likely with the homemade system vs the
Hazelbaker or SNS?

Anne Smith, IBCLC, mom of 6 and still mostly sane, and LLLLeader
since 1978

-- Anne Smith, [log in to unmask] on 06/17/2000

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