pacifiers

[Honey693]

I'm due with #2 in October. We never did pacifiers with DD1, but I'd like to occasionally use one with this baby. How on earth do you pick one out? There's million brands and shapes. It's too complicated.

[Knitting Mama]

Where are you birthing? A lot of times hospitals will give one at your request, and then you can stick with that brand since it's what the baby is used to.

Otherwise, I have heard good things about MAM. Cecilia would never take a paci though, no matter what brand.

[Starry-eyedMom]

Our little one likes the Gumdrop brand by Hawaii Medical--she wouldn't take anything else. They have them at some hospitals, and you can also order from Amazon. They come in several colors too!

[LemonPie]

My one kid who consistently used one would only use the NUK brand. None of mine have been particularly fond of it, but #3 had a high suck need and wouldn't comfort nurse at the breast for the first several weeks (until she figured out that flutter-suck thing they do so they don't get much of a milk flow). She weaned herself off of it at 8 months or so.

[JordanKX]

I think it's all about the babe. We'd never planned on using paci's, but because DS had to stay in the hospital (jaundice) after birth, they gave him a paci and it just continued from there. Whether he would've had a natural need to suck, who knows.

We went through all the different "kinds", and eventually he settled on MAM. Now at almost a year, he only uses his paci when he's in the car and when he first wakes up in the morning, and I saved all the original ones he didn't like - and he has ZERO preference. Doesn't matter. So... even the ones that don't work - don't throw them away. Literally, their 'tastes' will change. Just try out a few different kinds.

[Plummeting]

If your baby will take a pacifier (unfortunately, it's not really up to you, lol) he or she will choose the brand he or she likes. DD takes one in the car, but only if it's a Nuk. We've tried Dr. Brown's, the original Binky brand, Tommee Tippee (or however they spell that), but she'll only take Nuk reliably. Sometimes she'll give the Dr. Brown's a minute before spitting it out, but not much longer. She might take others, but I see no reason to keep wasting money on things she might not use, since we know what she will use.

[Snapdragon]

my baby likes the gumdrop brand- the orange kind. It is what they gave us at the hospital and then we got some on our own. It is nice and small and doesn't go high up on the baby's face!

[stephanie95]

My baby #3 has been using Natursutten. It's made of natural rubber so the whole thing is soft. He doesn't like the hard plastic parts. He took a Soothie (similar to the Gumdrop) for a while but I dropped it because the larger sizes were difficult to find in my area. Also it was recommended to me by a smart mom on these boards to use a round shaped soother to minimize biting. I can't remember the logic. My daughter would bite me when nursing so this mom said to use a round nipple. I think it has to do with it being a distinctly different shape that is "OK" to bite. Good luck.

[KellyandBean]

We started with the soothies kind because they are supposed to be better to prevent nipple confusion with BFing but recently moved her over to the nuks (6 months) because a pediatric dentist said that the shape of the soothies is bad for their mouths (can deform the roof of their mouth and make teeth come in weird i guess) if they become long term binky suckers...which in my case it looks like she will. :/ honestly though if it weren't for her severe colic in the first 3 months i wish i hadn't of given her one in the first place- most babies with pacis are really terrible sleepers if they start to associate needing to have it in their mouths to sleep- every time they wake up and it isn't in their mouth they freak out and then you are doing binky runs all night long haha. Or at least that has been more experience anyway.

[Ninetales]

I just bought 4 different ones and tried each one until we got one she liked. For us it's MAM.

[SeattleRain]

We also use the gumdrop and we're really happy with it. The hospital started us off on them and they seem to be shaped well for DS's face. The nipple is the same as the Soothie though, so if you can't find the gumdrop, try out the Soothie.

[Honey693]

We're planning a home birth and the hospital we delivered DD1 at doesn't have pacis. I guess we're just going to do trial and error. Thanks for giving me some brands to try I was having a mild freak out in the middle of the Target baby section the other day.

[Tway]

After a few failed attempts, it's NUK for DD, too. She's 10 months and still takes the littlest one. I tried the 7 - 18 month one on her, and she kept spitting it out.

[Youngfrankenstein]

I bought the gumdrop and loved it for the tiny age. I didn't give it until about 3 or 4 weeks at the earliest. I love it because the whole thing is very soft.

I also love that they can get a pretty wide latch on it instead of making and "o" with their lips around the base.

[CherryBomb]

None of my others were interested in pacis, but I got a couple newborn MAMs to try with this guy.

[Nicole730]

We bought the least expensive ones (BPA-free), Gerber brank, NUK, I guess. DD took them so it worked. DS wouldn't take that brand and we just didn't give him a pacifier anymore.

[ann_of_loxley]

If your baby is interested and will take one - I think they tend to be the ones to pick them out! lol You may find yourself buying a handful of varieties to try out and find your lo eventually takes one or refuses them all.

Make sure you pick one that is orthodontic. Some people prefer 'one piece' soothers like the gumdrop and some people don't mind if they are not all one piece.

Some babies are 'sucky' (with a high need to suck) and some are not. Both my sons were sucky babies. Ds1 took a soother. He didn't take a mam one at first but I found that he would take any soother at around 4 months of age so we stuck with mam because I liked the look and feel of them myself and he really enjoyed them too. DS2 on the other hand will not take a soother. I am his soother! lmao We tried at first because I also have oversupply and he had an obvious need to suck but would get angry with me because he didn't want the milk that was coming out - I ended up buying like 10 different brands but he woudln't take any of them. Eventually we got the oversupply sorted and he is able to comfort nurse often. He asically feeds like 15-20 times a day for about 5 minutes each (longer if he feeds to sleep and nurses in his sleep) so that sorts out his needs to suck so much. It has worked out really well for us. I keep trying a soother in the car though because he hates it so much. He wants me when he is sleepy and the car makes him sleepy so we have a problem there! lol

Though I have to say I am interested in why you are planning on your lo having one - especially if your first didn't have a need. I am actually really glad that DS2 does not have one. It just feels nicer. I also like that he prefers me over to silicon or latex! lol

[JudiAU]

Babies are picky about them so don't stock up on any one brand. I always want my kids to take a pacifier because I work full time. Two that have worked for us are the Soothie and the Mam. Mam makes a tiny 0-2 month size that is great the begining. Soothie is quite small too. Both make larger sizes if you need them. I usually introduce them after a few weeks and sometimes it takes a little while with DH to get them interested. Makes car rides easier and sometimes sleep. It has never interfered with nursing for me.

[Honey693]

Originally Posted by ann_of_loxley

Though I have to say I am interested in why you are planning on your lo having one - especially if your first didn't have a need. I am actually really glad that DS2 does not have one. It just feels nicer. I also like that he prefers me over to silicon or latex! lol

DD was a huge sucker. She didn't go more than an hour without nursing when we were home for 8 or 9 months. I just worry I won't be able to take it if this babe has such a high suck need too, especially since I have a crazy active toddler now.

And I'm hoping it will make car rides easier. Between this baby's birthday and New Year's we have 2-3 5 hour car rides. So with a cranky baby that could turn into 7.

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by Honey693

DD was a huge sucker. She didn't go more than an hour without nursing when we were home for 8 or 9 months. I just worry I won't be able to take it if this babe has such a high suck need too, especially since I have a crazy active toddler now.

And I'm hoping it will make car rides easier. Between this baby's birthday and New Year's we have 2-3 5 hour car rides. So with a cranky baby that could turn into 7.

I have to say, I was glad my first didn't take a pacifier and I am equally glad my second does. It's nice that she will put herself to sleep sucking on a pacifier, because I can focus on my toddler while she falls asleep, instead of me sitting there hoping DS doesn't jump on DD on my lap and have to do a transfer, etc...

I will say, I don't think you can force a kid to use a paci, but it's nice that DD likes them and likes to sleep!