Names and Trends -

Immunizations: you will not hear me ever say that an immunization is a bad thing; there are simply too many deadly diseases which can be prevented by immunizing your baby. Talk to your pediatrician about the timing of different injections and any concerns you might have, but understand that part of the reason we have such healthy babies these days and an incredibly low rate of infant mortality is because we’ve largely wiped out infantile diseases through immunizations.

Pacifiers & thumb sucking: breastfeeding moms should not permit themselves to be used as pacifiers. Sometimes a baby will have a need to suck beyond what is normal for feeding; in these cases, an actual pacifier is very useful. There is no such thing as “nipple confusion,” as your breast and your baby’s pacifier feel and taste nothing alike. Babies are very smart little creatures and are able to discern between the two easily. Some children will not take a pacifier but will take their thumb—if you don’t have a problem with that, go ahead and permit it.

Spitting up: nearly all babies spit up from time to time; some will do this more than others. If your baby is healthy and growing and gaining weight, don’t worry about it. Projectile throwing-up is not the same as spitting up—this is powerfully rejecting the entire contents of the stomach, not just ‘urping’ up a little milk. If your baby does this frequently, see your pediatrician.