re milk feeds - bbs will go thru stages when they up their feeds or down their feeds. we juz got to adjust the volume accordingly. if they are hungry, they will ask for more or else, no pt forcing them to finish. they will juz fuss, spit out the milk etc if we force them. but very xin tong when it's BM. but i would not put unfinished BM back into the fridge, scare it will spoil. will juz sit it in warm water and if bb still doesn't want it after an hr, i will discard.
shers - you juz got to keep massaging the area. sometimes, might take a few pumps b4 it is entirely cleared. standing under the hot shower, putting a hot towel on the area will also help.
re thumb sucking - my #1 still sucks her thumb. though we intro the pacifier when she was a bb, she refused it once she discovered thumb sucking. we didn't stop her since it helps to soothe her and she will fall asleep on her own by sucking her thumb. a bit difficult to kick the habit and her thumb oso not very pretty fr the thumb sucking. but i'm not too worried abt it, afterall, you dun see any adults walking around sucking their thumb, so they will eventually kick the habit, haha.
my #2 is on the pacifier but the prob is i have to climb out of bed in the middle of the nite to put the pacifier back if she wakes up crying wanting it. she can't self-soothe unlike my #1 who thumb sucks.
comparing my two gals, i tink my #1 is far easier than my #2. #1 is very easy and sweet-natured. #2 is very fussy. well, shdn't compare them too much, afterall, every child is different and a gift from God.