Thoughts on Pacifiers and Breastfeeding?

My DD and DS never got confused. Both of them used a pacifier for just a couple of weeks. I think they just didn't like the feel of them. Some of my friends had better luck with breastfeeding and pacifiers.

I have a 4 month old. I am breastfeeding and we use a pacifier when we're in the car and when we rock him to sleep at night. He has not gotten confused at all. I also use a breast pump and bottles. I had read when I was pregnant that pacifiers and bottles could cause nipple confusion. We have not had any problems though. My pediatrician told us that each baby is different, and that it helps to stick with whatever you choose to do and the key is to be consistent.

I'm a Newborn Specialist, Parenting Coach, and Infant Sleep Trainer and have been in the business for over 20 years. I have NEVER had a baby who exhibited any nipple confusion, either by pacifier or by bottle, and I introduce a bottle to breast feeders from the very beginning.

L.
www.NannyForNewborns.com

Every kid is different, but the pacifier didn't affect either of my children's ability to nurse. A paci is not a substitute for eating, it's just one way to soothe a tired baby. The pacifier is one reason we get a full night's rest!
You might avoid it those first 2 weeks when both mom and baby are learning to nurse well.

Also, if she's really interested in preparing for breastfeeding, I would HIGHLY recommend that she take a breastfeeding class. It should be offered through the hospital. Usually it is offered by the same people who do the childbirth preparation classes. Everyone I know who has taken one of these classes has been very successful with breastfeeding.

for successful breast feeding you had to establish a good succking pattern on the BREAST. the sucking action allows the breast sto produce milk so if the babies suckking satisfaction comes from a PACI then baby does not suck on the breast enough and that results in less milk and hence early weaning

BREAST MILK is the best for the baby and mother and it should be give the best shot FIRST
NO PACI NO FORMULA comes close
Just my firm belief

thanks and good luck

Agree. Pacifiers are not great for breastfeeders.
L.
www.lizzyzinn.com

I am for breastfeeding. The benefits are great, including less
gassy baby. When both my children were born, the dr said no
pacifier in the first month. It would not hurt to ask the
nurses or doctors, even WIC employees. Babies should be allowed to cry to get lung muscles in shape...not put a
pacifier in to quiet the tot. And that does not help when
they are hungry and nothing is there when they suck.

My baby has not had nipple confusion with breastfeeding and pacifiers. As a matter of fact, his pacifier has helped him build stronger jaw muscles to aid in breastfeeding. It takes more effort to breastfeed than bottle-feed.

Because my baby is premature, I have had to use the bottle, breast and even pacifier all in one feeding...pacifier for meds, breast for food, and bottle for supplemental feeding. He has not had an issue with nipple confusion.

Hope this helps!
K

P.,

My son is 3 weeks and I am breastfeeding and pumping. While his bottles are being warmed and he is fussy, we will give him the pacifier to soothe him until the bottle is ready. The brand of pacifier that was recommended by our lactation consultant is called a Soothie. They are aqua and you can pick them up at Target! I have had no problems with him latching.

S.

Just my 2 cents...it always depends on the child. Use a pacifier if you can. It helps so much!!! It soothes the baby and helps you out.

Hi P.,
I have a 12 week old baby and I introduced the pacifier when he was about a week old. He was full-term and was breastfeeding fine at that time. I use the pacifier for the car and church or when I need a few more minutes before his next feed. No problems.
I definitely would not introduce if problems feeding or a premie. Have your daughter work with her pediatrician as mine even wanted me to introduce a bottle after 3-4 weeks so I wouldn't have problems later when I went back to work.
Hope this helps.
H.

I have had 3 kids that are "mine" and I breastfed them all and used a paci. I would do 20 mins on each side and then they just kept sucking...ouch!! Come to find out that sucking is a baby's way to calm and it is a natural reflex. Reguardless if they are eating or not. With my second I found out that the major pain in my breast was the fact that he had switched his mouth so he wasn't getting milk,but he was able to suck. I didn't want him to use his thumb...they are too hard to take away...so I gave him and all three a paci. There was no confusion ever. It made him H. and made my boobs feel way better.

They gave my baby a pacifier in the hospital on the 3rd day and it was a nightmare. He was just learning to breastfeed and it really confused him.

I agree with everybody. Each child is so different. They will all react to each situation differently. If you do not think your breastfeeding it going as you expected hold off on a paci. If all is great try the paci. You do not have to keep giving it to your child you can stop at any time you think it is interfering. I think as Cori said her child switched from a paci to the thumb as soon as they could figure out the thumb. I think my breastfed daughter will do the same. My bottle fed son still loves his paci.

I disagree, but I think it depends mainly on the baby. My son had no problem switching between breast, paci, and bottle, but some kids do. My son had a paci in the hospital and at home while my milk was coming in. He was introduced to a bottle at 2 weeks and was completely unphased. He was also super easy to transition to a sippy cup and never missed the paci when it was removed from the house. So, I think it was more his style than anything I did right or wrong. :)

I agree that it depends on the child. My two daugthers both were breastfeed & bottle introduced @ 6 weeks. They each used pacifiers starting at the hospital & had no problem switching between everything. Eventually they both gave up the paci & are thumb suckers (which has its on host of problems).

I was totally against a pacifier with my first until she was screaming for 3 hours in the hospital. Nothing I was doing was working. They keep coming in asking me if I wanted a pacifier for her. After 3 hours I relented & she was immmediately happy. Tiny ones just like to suck & for my girls it helped so they were not on my breast 24-7.

Good luck to your daughter & congratulations on becoming a grandmom!

I used a pacifier with my first daughter while breastfeeding and currently use one with my two week old daughter who I am also breastfeeding and have had no problems. My new daughter took a pacifier the first night in the hospital and I've had no confusion issues. It's hard to say if your daughter's child will have confusion or not because every baby is so different. I am all for pacifiers to keep them calm. It keeps my sanity as well!

My first baby who was breastfed exclusively for the 1st 6 months used a pacifier. He was also a premie who spent his 1st 2 weeks of life in the NICU. He did not have enough strength to start suckling right away so the docs in the NICU told us to use the Soothie pacifiers to help build up his muscles. He did wanderful breastfeeding. We also introduced him to the bottle at 2 weeks so that my hubby could give him one bottle a day with his viatamins in it to help build a better bond with him. Now he is 2 and we are having a hard time breaking him of the pacifier.

My 2nd one is 5 months, being breastfed and bottle fed expressed breast milk. (It is a lot harder to exclusively breastfeed a second with a demanding toddler around) She won't take the pacifier unless we are in a store and she gets fussy. She was also exclusively fed expressed breast milk for the 1st 2 weeks of life. She was also a preemie and was jaundice very bad and we had to make sure she took in 14 oz a day and report that back to the pediatrician. She is not doing as good breastfeeding. I nurse her 3 times a day and bottle feed the rest.

Every child is different. Tell her not to plan on one thing, but to go with the flow when the baby gets here. The best pacifiers are the Soothies at first. The hosptial use them and you used to could not buy them at the stores. Now Target carries them. They are not cute buy any means.

Good Luck and Congrats!

I've used them from early on with all my children and we've had good bfing relationships (into toddlerhood-i'm talking 2-3 years old, not a year) as well. I did try to wait until I was sure things were working well with bfing, and I always offered the breast first.

My daughter, 11 months, is still very adament about whether she wants to nurse or wants her pacifier, she will get it herself if she isn't wanting milk. She has always known the difference and wanted/needed both. All three of my boys had given theirs up by this age ! (they gave them up when they got teeth) so this will be my first time weaning a child from the binky, i'm going to start that around 12 months and hoping she'll be off it by 18.

I have breastfed two babies, and both of them took pacifiers. I was told to wait about 2-3 weeks before introducing a pacifier to avoid nipple confusion. I found a really good pacifier that is supposed to feel more natural like the the breast nipple, and it is called soothy. It can be found online and in some stores like Target, etc. Neither of my boys had any trouble switching from breast to pacifier, but I know that can be a problem for some. Good luck :)

I've heard/read that too, but we didn't have a problem with our daughter. The same thing is said about bottlefeeding for moms who are going to supplement breastfeeding.

When my daughter was born, she cried all the time and the hospital staff said I must not be producing enough milk, so they asked me to give her formula to supplement. I was really worried she'd never catch on with breastfeeding if I did that but I didn't want her to starve either.

I think it will depend on the child, but I was fortunate that pacifiers and bottles didn't cause any confusion.

I was worried about the same thing when my baby was born. At the hospital I had told the nurses not to give her a pacifier because I heard that you should wait a certain number of weeks to make sure that the breastfeeding had been well established before introducing the pacifier. But she took to nursing so well that the nurses insisted that she wouldn't have a problem. I am glad that I listened to them because she didn't have any problems. She has always reluctantly taken a pacifier but she definately knows she prefers the breast. She took the soothie pacifier that they gave us at the hospital but didn't really care for it. So I wouldn't buy too many of those until you try them. I tried one of the pacifiers that I got at a baby shower and she liked it better. I am not sure what brand it is.

I nursed all three of my children, and they all used pacifiers. I have heard of "nipple confusion" before, but it certainly wasn't a problem for us. Good luck!

I nursed two children, both were given pacifiers from the beginning and it caused no problems. My first daughter only liked the Gerber orthodontic nipple, but my second will take anything. She just needs to make sure that she isn't giving a pacifier when the baby is actually hungry. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

With my first I was set that she was not going to get a pacifier, but the truth is, that pacifer is very soothing to an infant (under 4 months). They have no other way to soothe themselves except to suck. So she can either let herself be the pacifer (and some women are okay with this) or use a pacifier.

One of the greatest things I've learned about motherhood is to relax and go with the flow. Your life will be a lot easier :) Hope this helps.

I have a 3 1/2 month old who is breastfed. We did not want to use a pacifier b/c of the same reason. However, when the baby is crying at two in the morning and you can't call him down it is your best friend. My son has not had any nipple confusion. We used the pacifiers from the hospital which are supposed to be the best for breastfed babies. You can also buy them, they are Soothie brand and look like a bottle nipple. The other advice I can give is make sure the baby is not hungry when you give it to them. Otherwise they might skip a feeding and that is not good for the milk supply. Good luck and congratulations!

I breastfed until my son was 2 and a half years old and he also used a pacifier until age 3. We never had a problem.

my son never took a pacifier and was breastfed, but I have TONS of other friends who breastfed their babies and also gave them pacifiers. I think the pacifier is an AWESOME thing to help the baby soothe himself. Once the baby learns to breastfeed at least fairly well, I am pretty sure, he won't refuse it because he/she is confused. If the baby is taking the pacifier, I would DEFINITELY not take it away because of fear of "nipple confusion". THere were sooo many nights that I wished my son could soothe himself in some way. The pacifier is an incredible invention.

I asked the hospital not to give my daughter a pacifier as if I were to end up having to give her one eventually I wanted to be the one to make that decision later if I felt that my child absolutly needed one. The lacation consultant even agreed, that if you are going to give your baby one to wait at least 2 weeks for your milk supply to come in and be well established first as it is stimulated by the childs suckling and as the suckling changes so does the supply. The pacifier won't usually confuse the child but can effect the mother's milk supply.

I have twins who are now 2 years old.
I was able to nurse both for 6 months, I wish it could've been longer but they self weaned.
I used pacifiers from about the 2nd week to about a year old. Again, they stopped using them when they were ready. I also supplemented with formula (bottles).

I was very glad they used pacifiers, read somewhere it helped them not go into that deep sleep that sometimes lead to SIDS for some children. I was only too happy to get up and pop it back in whenever it popped out at night. So, they nursed, used a bottle, and a pacifier (different types of nipples) from the beginning.

My suggestion, tell your daughter to make sure her baby is latching on and nursing before introducing the pacifier.

I heard that too but my Ped. said to use one of the Nuk pacifiers and that it wouldnt be trouble at all. I used nuk with my first .. no problems and BF him till he was 10 months. My 2nd I bf the same amount of time but he wouldn't take a Nuk... he wanted a Mam. no problems whatsoever. :)

I have nursed since my daughter was born (05/25/06) and started using a pacifier at my doctors urging around 3 weeks. It gives her comfort (the sucking) when she is not on my breast. We have never had a problem of any kind. I know every baby is different, but, in our case it has worked out perfectly. She is not super attached to the pacifier, but in certain moments, it certainly serves its purpose!

I would disagree. They say that pacifiers can be good for a newborn (up to about 6 months) because they have a natural tendency to suck on something. It can be very soothing to a baby. Around 5-6 months you can start not offering it as much so that the baby doesn't feel like it HAS to have a pacifier. I will say at first I wasn't going to introduce a pacifier because I didn't want my baby getting attached to it, but once I heard from a nurse that it is natural in the beginning and they might need one, then I changed my mind. My son never got attached to it in the respect to having to have it as he got older. I would give it to him when he was a newborn when he got fussy and it worked great. As he grew, he didn't really want it that much. He is now 10 months and rarely ever takes one. When he does take one, it is more for entertainment (ie. in a shopping cart) and he just holds it in his hand and plays with it, might put in mouth for a second or two, then takes it back out and plays with it in his hands again. I did breastfeed in the beginning and he never seemed to get confused, etc. Maybe it was because I didn't always have one in his mouth, but just gave one to him if it was not a feeding time and he was fussy/crying.

I had trouble breastfeeding for the first 3 weeks. In the hospital they gave my daughter a pacifier, and we did use it. However, neither myself, nor my daughter were crazy about the pacifier. She couldn't keep it in her mouth, and frankly, I got tired of holding it. My daughter is 10 months old, and I just stopped breastfeeding her. I would agree that it depends on the child. My daughter didn't like the pacifier and still doesn't. If she did like it, I would have given it to her. Congratulations, Nana!

Hi P., When my darling granddaughter was born my DDIL didn't want to use the pacifier for the first 4 weeeks. That just didn't happen. It really soothes the baby in between feedings anmd is the only way they can soothe themselves at this age. Her Pediatrician does not believe in "Nipple Confusion" at all, so that theory is out the window. Now my cutie-pie is 3 months old and uses a pacifier occasionally, drinks breastmilk from a bottle when I watch her and still nurses from Mom with no problems. Congratulations on your new baby.

L. first time Nana and soon to be Nana again in October!

I was also worried about this, however, it turned out not to be a problem for me. The nurses gave him a pacifier on his 3 day, and breastfeeding for us was a success after a week. I have read to wait at least two weeks, if you can, to introduce the pacifier. I know the pacifier saved me some insanity when my infant had colic (oh course now we are just trying to figure out when/how to wean him). Good luck! 4 1/2 months and still nursing.

Every child is different, but there is no magic way or product one way or the other. The problem arises (according to the studies that breastfeeding purists like to quote) when people put off feeding a hungry baby with a paci and it gives up on feeding and goes back to sleep. I would be surprised to see that kind of parenting amoung the kind of involved moms here. There is nothing fearsome about a paci that is going to suddenly bog up your milk supply. I just don't buy a lot of the "nipple confusion" hype. I breast fed twins until they were 4 years old (had to pry them off!!!), during which I had to go back to full time work when they were 6 weeks old, nights. Used a paci, judiciously, from birth, threw it away around 4 months after they lost interest. Had to bottle feed both off and on, due to night-shift work. Had milk until they were 3 1/2 years old. I'm thinking the paci didn't have much impact.

It's likely that if you don't offer a binky the baby will just suck a thumb instead. It's not like you can just make the baby not have a sucking instinct.

I had one binky baby and one thumbsucker and both were breastfed. It made NO difference at all in their breastfeeding. My binky boy was a much better nurser actually.

as a first-time mom i really felt strongly about breastfeeding and didn't want to do anything to jeopardize this. we did not let our son have any type of pacifier for the first 3 days. however, those days were quite miserable. he was feeding beautifully but just needed to suck constantly. giving him that pacifier was definately a smart move for us. it helped to soothe him and did not affect his breastfeeding whatsoever. every child and mom are different, but the pacifier was a godsend for us!!!

Hello,

I am a 53 year old grandmother and mother of two adult daughters, a retired Professional Nanny and owner of an In-home daycare center for over 10 years.

I breastfed both of my daughters for over 1 year successfully, beginning to use a pacifier in the hospital; neither of my girls ever had any problem with nipple confusion and use of a pacifer didn't slow down my milk supply either, I could have fed 2 more babies with all of the milk I was producing. At one year the pacifers go into the garbage, never to be used again by that child. I cannot stand to see an older child using a pacifer! One of my daughters began to suck two fingers as soon as the pacifer was gone but by age 4 we had broke that habit too.

My daughters have successfully breastfed all 8 of their babies with no nipple confusion either, two of the 8 used their fingers or thumb to sooth themselves because they preferred that over the pacifer. One of the babies just stopped sucking her thumb one day at about 14 months old all on her own. It was such a suprize.
One of them has a 15 month old right now that never wanted a pacifer but still sucks her two fingers.

The babies that soothed themselves outside the womb the same way they did inside the womb were the easier babies; they used their thumb or fingers to suck on when they needed it and you never saw a parent always shoving a thumb or finger into the babies mouth the way you will see so many parents constantly shoving a pacifier into their babies mouths. No problems with teeth by the thumb suckers, the pacifer suckers or the finger suckers either.

We never rocked any of our babies to sleep either, we put them to bed awake and let them go to sleep on their own, not wanting to create bad habits. No babies sleeping in our beds either.

P.,

My daughter was born on October 5th, but in 2006! Her name is Emma Kate, and she just gets more and more amazing every day! Congratulations to you and your daughter... Emma was our first child and the first grand-baby on both sides! So I understand your excitement!

As far as pacifiers go, Emma decided that she loved the MAM brand. They're the only ones she has ever taken and they are tested to be good for they're developing mouths. I hope this helps!

Enjoy the new little miracle!
-S.

Just to stick my own 2 cents worth in...(for all that it's worth)... I have 2 boys, ages 16 and 2. (I was not able to breastfeed either of them, although I tried.) My 16 year old THREW his bottle and paci on the floor the week he turned a year old ~ he was D.O.N.E. with both of them! :)
My 2 year old was a month early, so he stayed on the bottle till he was about 15 months old, with the cup introduced at about a year. We had to have more transition time with him. He was given the paci's until the past June (born in April 2005), but that was to keep him from putting EVERYTHING else in his mouth! We have just been given a diagnosis of PDD-NOS (Autism spectrum disorder), which explains why he is doing that. He now is using one of his "chew ring" teethers when he has the need to put something in his mouth, which was recommended by his Speech Therapist.
I am also the older sister of a girl (now 40) who sucked her thumb until she was out of 5th grade. She had seriously bucked front teeth, and had actually chewed a hole in her thumb from having it in her mouth all the time! So my personal answer is...the thumb can never be taken away, but the paci's will eventually be tired of. (The dentist we had also told my parents that my sister would not need braces....once she finally stopped sucking her thumb, her teeth moved back into their normal positions. Thank God for him!! He saved my parents a BUNCH of wasted money!!) Use YOUR instincts for what will work for your child...and remember, that even with same parents, every child is different. What works for one of your children may not work for the other(s). CONGRATS on the birth of your grandson!And I hope this helps...J. in Carrollton, TX

Hi,
My name is L. and I am a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with a private practice in Richardson.
The World Health Organization recommends that no pacifiers or "dummies" be given to newborns to facilitate breastfeeding.

Many studies show a correlation between early pacifier use and low weight gain due to lowered milk supply when pacifiers are used to space feedings, difficulty with latch when pacifiers are used in the early weeks of breastfeeding, early discontinuation of breastfeeding, an increased incidence of ear infections, oral yeast or thrush which can cause painful nipples for the mother, teeth misalignment - with prolonged pacifier use.

It is recommended that mothers wait to offer pacifiers (if they choose to do so) until breastfeeding is going well - around three weeks following birth, and longer if breastfeeding is not going well.

Of course, every mother and baby is different - some babies need additional suckling and some mothers choose pacifiers to help meet that need. However; in the early weeks of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding is best.

You may have heard the recent recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics Taskforce on SIDS that suggests offering a pacifier at bedtime may decrease the incidence of SIDS.

There is much debate about this suggestion - it has to do with several variables:

1. Infant sleep position: A pacifier may discourage an infant from turning to the stomach position while sleeping. The use of pacifiers was found to decrease rollovers by the infants
but to increase rotation around the crib. A German study found that there was no significant association between the use of a pacifier and the prone sleep position.
2. Infant arousal during sleep: Research on infant arousal and pacifier use shows that pacifier users have lower auditory thresholds than non-pacifier users. Infants may also
arouse more easily when pacifiers fall out during sleep.
3. Airway and/or respiration effects: Pacifier use may make it easier to for infants to keep their airways free. Pacifier use also changes infant tongue position.

4. Unknown variable: Pacifier use may also be a marker for some undiscovered variable such as the mother’s behavior or an infant characteristic.

Any theory must address the short duration a pacifier remains in a sleeping infant’s mouth. Video tapes of infants at night demonstrate that infants spend most time without a pacifier in their mouths during the night.
Reference: Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, November 2005 Volume 116 No. 5.

I hope this helps shed some light on the topic of pacifer use for breastfeeding mothers.

Happy mothering!
L. Worzer