pacifiers - good or bad? - Page 2

[APToddlerMama]

Originally Posted by mamazee

I love pacifiers, and i think if they were sold on Etsy and made out of hemp or Romanian amber and kept babies so happy, everyone on MDC would be singing their praises. But they are "mainstream" and therefore suspect. Phooey on that. It relieves a baby's stress with no medicine. IMO, that's a good thing.

I love that! Totally agree with this person. My son started with one right away because he was in the NICU and I wanted him to be able to have some form of comfort. This didn't interfere with bfing. He has a need to suck more than my nipples could handle...

[mystiquesmom]

DS#1 was a huge comfort sucker, but I was weary about trying one until he was about 4 months old, as we had a lot of problems establishing our BF relationship in the beginning. I would use them occasionally when he was really angry and would get frustrated with nursing. It would only be for a minute or two until he would calm down and take the breast again. I think the last time he tried a pacifier was when he was 7 or 8 months old. Never used one with DS#2

[pumpkinhead]

For my babies, they were a Godsend. I agree with the pp who said that they['re great if used correctly. They can cause problems when they're not.

[phrogger]

I wasn't going to use one because I figured my baby would just nurse more and that was fine with me. However, he was in the NICU for a week and needed to suck on something since he wasn't allowed to eat. He really liked the soothie pacifier they gave him. We had no problems with breast feeding when he was finally allowed to but he still loved his pacifier. Then, around 4 months he found his hand and he refuses the pacifier all together unless it is to chew on the handle end.

I don't think they are bad at all, as long as you offer the breast first, then the pacifier if they still want to suck after that. I think they are especially good for bottle fed babies who don't suck as hard on a bottle and need that extra sucking that breast fed babies get just by eatting.

[terrabella]

Originally Posted by preciousstone

is it true that pacifiers make bf difficult. do you bf mama's never use paci? when is an ok time to start using one and are there any particular kinds/features that are best?

I only used it on one baby, and it never caused us a single issue. I think it depends heavily on the babe in question. Of course, mine use the paci for another year after he weaned It can be a long term relationship.

[karika]

I didn't read the whole thread, but here are my thoughts. Any artificial nipple is artificial. any nipple but your nipple will affect your breasts. it is best to have your breasts unrestrained available for the baby at all times, IMO. I did have one for dd1 and had to use it twice (for about 3 min each time), on a car ride where we could not pull over (trip to CA) on the freeway because there was snow and problems,, etc. but around town I would just pull over to take care of her needs. now we rarely go anywhere in a car, so that hasn't been an issue
with dd2 (11 mo) i believe the plastics industry is also probably best left out of baby's mouth. recently many companies citing they were bpa free were found to contain bpa. this link is about foods, but it was found in the baby supplies category too...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,6197377.story

our nippples are meant to be pacifiers IMO (unless of course it is driving you crazy and you are feeling mad or violent about it, then of course a paci is better than not letting them have their sucking needs met)

[pumpkinhead]

Originally Posted by karika

I didn't read the whole thread, but here are my thoughts. Any artificial nipple is artificial. any nipple but your nipple will affect your breasts. it is best to have your breasts unrestrained available for the baby at all times, IMO. I did have one for dd1 and had to use it twice (for about 3 min each time), on a car ride where we could not pull over (trip to CA) on the freeway because there was snow and problems,, etc. but around town I would just pull over to take care of her needs. now we rarely go anywhere in a car, so that hasn't been an issue
with dd2 (11 mo) i believe the plastics industry is also probably best left out of baby's mouth. recently many companies citing they were bpa free were found to contain bpa. this link is about foods, but it was found in the baby supplies category too...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,6197377.story

our nippples are meant to be pacifiers IMO (unless of course it is driving you crazy and you are feeling mad or violent about it, then of course a paci is better than not letting them have their sucking needs met)

Respectfully, silicone and latex nipples do not now nor have they ever contained BPA. BPA is a material used to harden plastic. Artificial nipples are not made from plastic.

Having my lactating breasts unrestrained would have been extremely uncomfortable for me. Not only from the increased weight of the milk, but because I leaked all the damn time. My breasts were still available for my babies at pretty much all times though .

I think it is a mistake to use a pacifier to calm a baby when they are hungry just as I believe it can be a mistake to use a breast to calm a baby when he or she isn't hungry. I make too much milk and I have OALD. When my babies tried to comfort nurse when they weren't hungry, it made matters worse. They'd get milk that they didn't want or need which would lead to an overfull tummy which led to increased reflux issues for my youngest as well as lots of spitting up, gas and explosive poops for both of them.

Using a pacifier during times when they weren't hungry and just wanted to suck made us all happier. I do think that if your baby is hungry, if it is within your power to do so, you should feed him or her. Pacifiers shouldn't be used to hold a baby off a feed except in the most extreme of situations.

[elmh23]

Originally Posted by karika

it is best to have your breasts unrestrained available for the baby at all times, IMO.

I did this with baby number one, but when baby number two was born, he needed to suck all the time and that just wasn't possible. I had to take care of a two-year-old in addition to the baby. Baby number 3 is due in March and I have plans to into the paci in the first 2-3 weeks. Hopefully, he'll take it esp. when I'm in the car. I can't just pull over every time someone gets upset in the car or else I'd never get anywhere and dd (my oldest) is now in school so we do really need to make sure we're there on time.

[Talula Fairie]

There ARE judicious uses for a pacifier. For example, I always had oversupply, and that combined with a baby that has a high suck need is a bad, bad combo. Baby gets overfull and vomits, fusses for hours on end becuase they just want to suck and the boobs will NOT STOP SPURTING MILK. For me it became a matter of a baby fussing for hours or five minutes. No brainer, if you ask me.

That said, there are downsides. They can lower milk supply. You'll probably get your period back sooner. Your baby might wean earlier. All those were true for me, as my first took a pacifier and my second did not. Luckily my second was a calm baby, but she did vomit a lot from getting overfull.

[Snapdragon]

I am curious about pacifiers too. I could see using one if it seemed like the right situation. Are they all made of plastic? or rubber? Or are there any other materials that they are made of?

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by Katie34

I am curious about pacifiers too. I could see using one if it seemed like the right situation. Are they all made of plastic? or rubber? Or are there any other materials that they are made of?

They are made of rubber or silicone.

[MrsBone]

we introduced it at 3 weeks, but he wouldn't take it. Re introduced at 2 months, and he took to it! He used the paci to suck when he didn't want milk, and gave it up at 8 months. I think if I had bought a larger size paci, he might still take it, but I didn't really think about that until a few weeks ago and he's already almost 11 months old, so I think it's better this way that he self-weaned. Now I don't have to do it when he's like 2 or 3! I think they're very helpful, especially if your baby is with a caregiver during the day, and can't comfort nurse whenever he wants.

[Ammaarah]

I think pacifiers can be great and I'll try to get my next baby to take one if he or she wants. I think as long as the baby is eating well and gaining, and the latch is decent, a paci can be a very good thing. My daughter would comfort nurse and then get overly full. One good burp and ew, spit-up time.

[mamazee]

Maybe they don't cost enough. If they were $18 and made in the Swiss Alps, we'd be showing them off to each other. I'll name my dd's paci "Sophie the Paci". Maybe that'll help. The paci needs an MDC PR boost.

[guestmama9971]

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[kawa kamuri]

Originally Posted by mamazee

I love pacifiers, and i think if they were sold on Etsy and made out of hemp or Romanian amber and kept babies so happy, everyone on MDC would be singing their praises. But they are "mainstream" and therefore suspect. Phooey on that. It relieves a baby's stress with no medicine. IMO, that's a good thing.

Originally Posted by mamazee

Maybe they don't cost enough. If they were $18 and made in the Swiss Alps, we'd be showing them off to each other. I'll name my dd's paci "Sophie the Paci". Maybe that'll help. The paci needs an MDC PR boost.

What insulting responses

[karika]

Bpa in pacifiers

Bpa was and is present in some pacifiers (it is also present in toys and many other products we use daily). This is a list of BPA free brands I found on a quick search.

http://safemama.com/2008/01/04/bpa-f...s-cheat-sheet/

[mamazee]

Originally Posted by kawa kamuri

What insulting responses

Really? I think, "You're not exclusively breastfeeding if your baby take a pacifier" is insulting. Or "Your breasts should constantly be available." Or any of about a dozen other things I read here on a regular basis.

[Talula Fairie]

In some areas, like where I live, BPA has been banned and you cannot buy products that contain it.

[Rose-Roget]

Ds was a great bf'er and also used a pacifier. He had a real need to suck and it helped to soothe and comfort him for a very long time. I now have a newborn dd, who is so far a very good bf'er. Whenever I'm around, though, she wants to bf, and I needed to get her to the doctor's office without hysterics. I ended up giving her a pacifier out of desperation, even though it's not recommended until she's a little older. She actually held it in her mouth and was very content. I probably won't make it a habit just yet, but it certainly helped in a situation when she needed comfort and was already well-fed.