Pacifiers of Not

[texasred1]

Pacifiers or Not?
Especially if you're breastfeeding. Just curious, because the lactation consultant said I shouldn't, but I think that after a month we've got the latch on thing down. Mason really does like them and I don't want to be a human pacifier, even if the lc suggested letting him nurse to just comfort and not eat.

[lisamarie]

I used them with Porkchop and she still ate fine. We used the Avent ones.
Great job boob feeding by the way!!!

Oh yeah and I like the redheaded lady boob feeding ticker...too cute.

[MistyLanglois]

michelle--- hey girl! my little oens are using the pacifiers. esp emily...shes a pacifier baby for sure...they gave it to her in the NICU (after asking me first of course) but gavin also takes it now.

hello lisamarie!

[MilitaryMom]

Well... I bottle feed Justin so I'm not sure this pertains to your question so much but he doesn't care much for the pacifier and honestly I think I like it this way. I'm not constantly grabbing for one, having to wash them, picking up after him dropping it all the time, and best of all he doesn't expect it to help him calm down. He has learned to soothe himself quite well and now hardly gets upset at all. Especially if the paci is used to help them sleep. I know one of our ladies (sorry, I suck with names) had to wean her little one off of them because every time it fell out of his mouth he would wake up and start crying again. I'm just glad in retrospect that I didn't have to go through that with Justin. He hasn't taken up sucking his thumb either so not giving in doesn't neccessarily mean they will find other ways to suck. He does chew on his fingers some though which can be annoying.. but now that he's busy scootin around all the time he's too busy for that too. I know it's different for every baby though and I honestly didn't have much of an opinion one way or another until I saw how well not having one worked for Justin. Either way, I don't think having one, or not having one will hurt so just go with your gut.

-Cheryl

[JAMIE]

Having just broke my little man from his pacifier habit I'd have to say that if they don't really want/need that to sooth them then I'd stay away from it - Aiden became so reliant on it that it was even interupting his sleep b/c he constantly had to know where the thing was and it was heartbreaking when I had to take it away from him. It took over a week of no sleep to get him to forget about it...but on the other hand a pacifier can be a great thing it just depends on the baby...most babies don't become SO attached like Aiden did.

[kelli3384]

Gavin has NEEDED one since he was in the hospital. We have never had any problems. The problem is that he only likes this one kind that is hard to find. But anyway, he only wants it when he is sleepy and then after a few minutes of sleeping he spits it out and goes back to sleep.

[tricia]

My last baby, okay she's 3 now was forced/stuck with a pacifier in the nicu too, w/o my permission! She was my only paci baby and I believe due to the nicu...o'well. She had no issues with nursing and she learned the pacifier suck prior to the BF suck. She was on an IV and because of the sugar water she had no desire to nurse for the first 24 hours...

We took the paci away at 2 yrs old. She was too dependent on it for sleep, and that's the only time she used it anyhow. She made the decision on her own to throw them away to get a new baby doll :)

Tricia
PS she used the Avent kind.

[kirsten]

I wanted Hank to take one - because I also didn't like being a human pacifier! But he really did have nipple confusion, and never could figure it out. He also grew out of that nursing forever thing by around four months.

[wantingbabynumber2]

usually in the first few months they say no paci. Nipple confusion some swear it isn't a real occurance but think about it you have one shape your mouth conforms to and the muscles work to get milk out of a boob then you change the shape and muscles needed to suck on a paci. It only makes sense there would be some confusion like how am I supposed to suck this time. And at first babies do use mom as a paci but its out of need. They nurse more frequently at first because they don't full feedings or even real milk till your milk comes in. It is also a security and bonding issue. The sucking is nutritive and comforting. Most infants fall asleep nursing but as they get older once their belly is full and no gas bubbles and dry diaper they should be able to lay down in a crib and put themselves to sleep. Just like an adult you go to bed no one puts you to bed asleep. Obviously you don't want them nursing for an hour either. One of the LC I know says if a baby nurses longer than 15min on a side he is just playing with it. It also helps them to learn to self soothe and put themselves to sleep. If everytime the kid cries they get a paci then that is their comfort. Hannah was in the NICU for 99 days and had a paci in her mouth 24/7 not to mention everytime she had something done to her IV/surgeries/dressing changes/baths she got sugar water. So she never got a boob all her food was in a tube. So I just swore she'd never take to breastfeeding and be taking her green hospital paci to kindergarten. She started breastfeeding in the NICU and did fine by the time she came home 100% breast and she actually started to refuse the paci. She used it maybe a handful of times. But I fed on demand and bonded with her and she was secure and content with no need for it anymore. Some kids just need extra sucking and paci are a need but more often than not it isn't really needed. But this is one of those hot button topics that will have moms getting very defensive. My girlfriends little boy is 2 1/2 and still takes a paci. But eventhough she breastfed on demand she would give him the paci literally force it in his mouth to get him to go to sleep I am like he is quiet laying in the crib let him be he will fall alseep. He'd be sitting in the high chair and she'd hand it to him he'd take a bite of food and put the paci in take it out and eat more. So his use is strictly his mom's doing. So my two cents worth he probably won't need it that often since he is breastfed and why start? Most kids will wean themselves of the paci when they are 5-6 months old.

[RE]

My twins were introduced to a paci in the NICU-w/o my approval. My daugher loves her paci and my son doesn't want anything to do with it. I guess it depends on the baby. I don't mind my daugher having one, it soothes her. There was a recent report that the AA of Pediatrics was recommending them......these days - who knows what they'll say tomorrow, LOL.

[tracy]

My son didn't like his at first, but he likes it now (15 month) just for some relief from teething. It's also a great "tool" to coat with orajel when that little jaw won't let your fingers in the mouth!!

We are in the process of breaking it's usage, though. From now on, it's only used in the crib. And, we hope to be rid of it by the end of the year. By 18 months, give or take.

My brother just bribed (literally) his three year old to stop using it, so I DON'T want to repeat that scenario, but it's been a real life saver the past few "teething" months.

[wantingbabynumber2]

I asked a friend about her daughter and she said no her kid gave hers up ages ago but she just started kindergarten and there is a kid there that has one in her mouth all day. I could not even imagine.

[Leslie]

I have a thumb sucker, so I'm help with a pacifier. She did take one when she was first born, but once she found her thumb you could forget about the paci.

There was an article released from the American Academy of Pediatrics right after Arianna was born stating that babies who used a paci had less incidence of SIDS. According to the article was that the sucking did not allow a baby to fall into such a deep sleep that they forget to breath.

Basically I think you have to do what is best for you and baby. If you don't want to be a human pacifier than by all means give the baby a paci if he needs it.

[Bella923]

Gabi won't take a pacifier! I tried when she started to use me as a human pacifer but nope she won't take it!

[RE]

I had to find the right one for my dd. She liked the soothies from the NICU and now she likes the gerber brand. She won't use a nuk or anything shaped like one.

[RE]

Just thought I'd pass this along. When teaching my twins to eat cereal (which as most of you know can be very frustrating) it was so much easier to teach my dd to eat (she's a paci baby) than to teach my son (he's a finger sucker). I guess she's used to me putting things in her mouth that she took to it much easier. My son on the other hand puts his fingers in his mouth between every bite which makes a huge mess - I hope to break him of that soon!

[Leanna]

That's funny Rachel. My daughter was a thumb sucker and super easy to feed. Son is a paci baby and constantly grabbing at the spoon, making a big mess, etc. He's just a stinky, messy little boy I guess!

[RE]

LOL, and here I thought the paci was the big difference between the two eating styles. A girlfriend just recommended that I give my son a spoon to hold to keep his hands busy, but it hasn't worked yet! I guess he'll eat when he's ready but I wish it were soon!