Breastfeeding and pacifiers.

[prone_to_wander]

So, my DS is 4 months old and these past few days he has been refusing to nurse to sleep and can only fall asleep by using his soother. I have been thinking I needed to wean him off of it, but now this confirms it. The only thing is that I work. Am I being cruel to take it away now? AND how do I wean him from this pacifier?

[babygrey]

I certainly don't think you are being cruel to take away a pacifier from a young babe- as long as you recognize his real need for suckling for comfort (which it sounds like you do) and replace the pacifier w/ suckling at the breast.
I couldn't tell from your post if you agree, but, IMHO, it is completely appropriate for a 4mo to need to suck/soothe to sleep.

[prone_to_wander]

I totally am onboards that he needs to suck/soothe to get to sleep. I have no issue with it, it's just that he isn't finding any comfort in the breast. He eats but when he wants to sleep, he refuses the breast and wants his soother. He used to go to sleep about half the time on the breast but now he just screams for the soother. I think it may be because he keeps getting milk when he is on the breast and it is bone dry in soother-land.
Should I go cold turkey? I was thinking about doing that next weekend, so he has the 2 full days without the pacifier before I have to go back to work.

[Amy0417]

I don't think it's cruel to wean the pacifier but I also don't think you need to. As long as it is not affecting your breastfeeding relationship!

[ktgrok]

I'd let him have it when you are at work, but not when you are with him. Not being able to comfort suck when you arre at work would be hard.

[prone_to_wander]

Originally Posted by Amy0417

I don't think it's cruel to wean the pacifier but I also don't think you need to. As long as it is not affecting your breastfeeding relationship!

I was thinking that him not finding comfort might be an indicator that it may be affecting our breastfeeding relationship. Any thoughts?

[crystal_buffaloe]

I'm curious about this as well. My 4mo will sometimes nurse to sleep, but most often she wants the pacifier. She does very very little comfort sucking at the boob, and uses the pacifier some while I'm at work and at night and also in the car. I've been wondering about the best way to kind of wean her from it and when (now? six months?).

[purplepaperclip]

As my daughter got older, nursing was all business for her. She drank her milk and was done, but still loved her paci for sleeping. We had no problems with our "breastfeeding relationship" from the paci. She was a strong nurser.
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[Quinalla]

It is up to you of course, but if she is still eating well, I wouldn't worry about it affecting breastfeeding. Some babies don't like to comfort suck at the breast much. I think you can gently encourage her to not take the pacifier with you, but having it available when you are away is a good thing IMO.

[Youngfrankenstein]

Originally Posted by purplepaperclip

As my daughter got older, nursing was all business for her. She drank her milk and was done, but still loved her paci for sleeping. We had no problems with our "breastfeeding relationship" from the paci. She was a strong nurser.
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I agree. My fourth baby, 10 months now, has a paci and she's my first to really love having one. She eats amazingly well, she just likes her binky too. I would only take one away from a 4 month old who *loves* it if he/she weren't getting enough milk.

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by prone_to_wander

I was thinking that him not finding comfort might be an indicator that it may be affecting our breastfeeding relationship. Any thoughts?

I stopped reading after I read this one.

My first child had to nurse to sleep. My second baby takes a pacifier and often times prefers it to nursing to sleep. I do think it's because she isn't hungry and doesn't want any milk. I am/was sort of anti-paci....until I had DD. She started using a paci early on (I tried w/both just to see). I told myself I would take it away around 6 months because I don't want my toddler using a pacifier. But...now she's 7 months and still going strong. It does help her fall asleep and helps my husband and mom put her to sleep, which isn't often, but still. Also, it prevents her from sticking stuff in her mouth, which is nice if we are somewhere I don't want her tasting everything.

I do not feel it has affected our breastfeeding relationship at all. She still will comfort nurse if she is hurt or sick and loves to cuddle when she is tired. She is still almost exclusively breastfed and is a big girl (17lbs), so I know she is getting plenty of milk.

So, in a nutshell, I don't think it's awful to take it away at 4 months, but I definitely see the benefits of keeping it. And I don't think taking it away is going to make him nurse to sleep.

[LadyCatherine185]

You may find that he still won't comfort nurse at the breast even if you take away the soother. Some babies do not want to get milk while trying to go to sleep, and like the PP's said if it isn't affecting his growth/eating I wouldn't take it away.

[prone_to_wander]

hmmm. I think I'll just let him have it then. I guess I'm worried about the longer term effects as I want to breast feed him past 2 years. But he really isn't into the breast as comfort unless it is in the middle of the night. Perhaps I need to be satisfied with that.