Why Babies Suck

Trust Your Gut. Build Your Team. Feed Your Baby with Confidence.

By: Dr. James Thomas

Narrated by: Autumn Amber

Is your baby struggling to feed?

Are you exhausted, in pain, and wondering why something that should feel natural feels so hard? You may feel confused, frustrated, or guilty. You may hear that it will get better with time. You may hear that pain is normal or that your baby will grow out of it.

You are not alone. Thousands of parents face this every day. Babies who cannot latch or who latch briefly and slip off. Feeding sessions that take an hour and still end in hunger. Clicking sounds, milk leaking, choking, coughing, or pulling away. Tears during feeds, from your baby and from you. A constant sense that something is not right.

Your instincts matter.

Despite how common these issues are, they are often overlooked or dismissed. Parents are told to try harder, adjust positioning, or wait it out. Many leave appointments feeling unheard.

In Why Babies Suck, pediatric dentist Dr. Thomas provides a clear, compassionate, science-based guide for families facing feeding challenges. This book explains how oral function, body tension, and development affect feeding. It introduces a therapy-first approach that prioritizes comfort, coordination, and function. You will learn when feeding therapy, bodywork, and oral motor support help, and when further evaluation may be needed.

You will also learn how to build a care team that works together, including lactation consultants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, craniosacral therapists, and pediatric dentists. Real parent stories offer clarity, reassurance, and practical insight.

Why Babies Suck is for parents who know something is wrong and want clear answers. Your baby is telling you something. You deserve the knowledge to listen.

©2026 James Thomas (P)2026 James Thomas

A Must Read for Parents and Providers

I truly loved this book. It was such a good read/listen(I did both) and I learned so much from it. As an IBCLC, I felt seen, inspired, and reminded of why this work matters so deeply.

I also have the privilege of supporting many of the same families as Dr. Thomas, and I can say from firsthand experience that he and his team at Health Latch truly model and walk this out in real life. What is written in this book is not just theory or kind ideas on a page. It is the genuine care, compassion, and support they provide to families every day, as well as to other providers like me. I believe this book will help parents trust themselves more, and will either help providers see things in a new way or inspire them to take their care for families even further.

As both a provider and a parent, this book was meaningful, encouraging, and full of wisdom. And honestly, as someone who mostly reads fiction, I didn’t want it to end.