>  I wonder if a lot of the mothers who say something to the effect of, "I
> don't think he's EATING, I think he's just using me as a pacifier" (a phrase that
> causes the little hairs on my neck to stand up and scream out loud....) have
> not been touched a lot themselves as children.
>
> What do you all say when a mom says that to you?

Personally, I throw it back to the mom, somthing like this:
"So you are wondering if he is satisfying his need for food/drink or his need for
sucking and closeness? Sometimes it is hard to tell which of the baby's needs
breastfeeding is satisfying!"
And this can open the door wide for a discussion of
-How to tell if baby is swallowing.
-What other needs babies have (besides for sustenance).
-How breastfeeding is more than a method of feeding.

There is a nice article that an LLL Leader wrote called "Human Satisfier" which
counters the "Pacifier" complaint.
I'll see if I can dig it up.

~Virginia Bobro, IBCLC, CD (DONA)
Casco, Maine



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