But put a binky in a baby’s mouth and it’s just, “Yup, they have a binky.”

Mother’s are often warned against being a pacifier to their babies.  This doesn’t sit well with me for some reason.  I don’t know, maybe I’ve just gone off the deep end with this whole, mothering through breastfeeding idea, and getting back to nature.  Some people call me crazy, but that’s fine.  And some use binkies and that’s fine too.

But for me, nursing on demand, is exactly that.  Whenever she wants, even if (especially if actually) it’s for comfort.  The act of nursing helps development because you have to physically hold them to nurse, and human touch promotes development.  When a baby is using a binky, we are not, as mothers, forced to hold our babies.  The more we hold and touch our babies the faster and greater their development will be.

Why was the binky invented?  To mimic the mother’s breast, not the other way around.

One important part of “comfort nursing” (it should be known I hate that term) for us was promoting a second let down.

A let down happens when your baby nurses.  The initial part of every nursing session has the baby starting off with quick small sucks to stimulate your breast.  When the milk starts coming, or the “let down” happens, they will start sucking deeper and longer sucks and you will see them gulping the milk as it comes.  A friend told me to unlatch Maddy after she stopped this deep sucking and gulping.  To take her off if they start the small “comfort” sucks again, or I would spoil her and I would become her pacifier.  A lot of mainstream internet sights and magazines also say this.  I decided to not listen to them mainly because if she was still latched, I felt there’s probably a reason.  So I let her go.  If she was latched, we stayed put and eventually she promoted a second let down.  She then started gulping and sucking deeply again.  So in my mind, she was still hungry because when that second flow of milk comes she eats and eats!  She still does it to this day.  After the second let down, she unlatches, satisfied and full.

So I tell you this because it’s a very good chance that you will get the same advice.  And if you choose not to take it, you’re not doing anything wrong.  And there is nothing wrong with your baby wanting to comfort nurse.  Just follow what feels natural.