Tell me about pacifiers

[GreenGranolaMama]

Why did you choose to use one? Why not? When did you introduce it to baby? (assuming after breastfeeding has been established.) We didn't use one with DS who is now 2. I ask because we were recently given a gift basket for baby on the way and it had one of these in it http://www.heveababyusa.com/  

We were never given one with DS so being given one got me thinking about reasons why and why not to try a pacifier with our second child. 

[samstress]

like you, we received a pacifier as a gift.  i never would have bought one myself -- before dd was born i was sure i would never use one, insisting that i would soothe her in other ways.

however, around the two-three month range we tried it (when all else failed) and it WORKED.  i decided that they weren't evil, but was also careful not to just shove it in her mouth every time she fussed.  we took it away from her at around a year (didn't want her to get used to it).

ds is just a month and we haven't used one with him (yet).

[LynnS6]

Forum crashing here:

We used one with our older child (after breastfeeding was established). When he was sleepy, he wanted to suck on something, but he did not want to nurse. At about 3-4 months, he'd nurse until the milk let down and then scream in frustration. It took me a couple of weeks to realize that he wanted to suck but not eat. Pacifier to the rescue! He used it at bedtime and in the car until he was 4. It was very helpful for him.

Our second child would.not.take a pacifier. She wanted to nurse. and nurse. And nurse. She nursed until 4. (Ds nursed until 16 months.)

My advice would be to make sure breastfeeding is established and see whether your child has a high need to suck or not. Some kids do, some don't. Some really like a pacifier, others won't take it if you pay them.

[ciga]

Before DS was born I was strictly against pacifiers. Four or five days after he was born I sent my mom out to buy one. It was either my breast, a finger, a bobo (as we call them), or screaming.  I still nursed on demand but when he was obviously done eating and just needed to keep sucking I decided that it wasn't the worst thing ever.  I have just never been someone who could sleep through nursing or be a constant pacifier myself so the "bobo" option worked really well for us.   Now at 15 months when I'm dealing with nightweaning I find it is still helpful.  Bobos are only for bedtime and the car now and they have totally  saved my sanity

[new2this]

DD had a need to suck. So she got one around 2 weeks. We had no issues with breastfeeding in nipple confusion or the like. That was the same time we introduced a bottle so it worked out. But she could never figure out how to do the nursing without eating which in turn just made her more mad. It helped because I was able to feed her then when she was done but still wanting to suck I could give her that and lay her down and do my homework. She was given one in the hospital we took it but she didn't like it. She loved and only uses the MAM style ones. I also am in the line of thinking its easier to break a pacifier habit then a finger/thumb. However DD does both she will take our her pacifier and suck her thumb instead for awhile. It was easier to give a pacifier as well as instead of waiting for her to find her thumb like when we were in the car and it was just us two and I am on my way to pick up DH from work and can't stop to take her out.  

Even now it helps but we are slowly breaking her habit from it in that now its not such a priority to have it with us. However if we go somewhere like a long car ride or some place new or things like that I have one in my bag. Also if its an off day with things like teething or had shots or things like that we have it. But I swear she has them stashed around the house..lol because at random times I will see her and she will have one that I thought was lost. 

This one we will try but its not important to me either. 

[katelove]

I am in the I-don't-think-dummies-are-evil-but-I'd-rather-not-use-one-if-I-can-avoid-it camp.

My reasons are

- concerns about milk supply in the early days

- preferring my LO to get the benefits of sucking at the breast rather than the dummy

- an increased risk of ear infections and gastro

- potential issues with weaning from the dummy when the time comes

All that said, if I had had a baby with a high suck need who didn't want to suck at the breast all the time then I would have bought one for her. As it turns out she wasn't/isn't a super sucky baby so the issue never arose.

The same thing will apply for our next babe. I won't buy one before s/he is born but I'll get one later if it seems like s/he would benefit.

[mamayogibear]

I am pretty anti paci but my son loves his... I never used one with my dd even though she was given many as presents. I wasn't going to give any to my son either. We co sleep and at night he would usually nurse for comfort and nutrition. When he was three weeks old he was hospitalized for pneumonia and they wouldn't let him eat for two days! They gave him a pacifier during those two days and he liked it, a lot. When I was in the room and he would cry I'd give him my finger to suck on instead but since I had to watch my daughter as well I couldn't be there all day and night like I wanted to be. After the second day he was doing a lot better and I was able to nurse him again which was wonderful but I still couldn't be there all day so he was still using the pacifier and they gave him a bottle even though I told them not to, but that's a different story! Anyways, he really liked his paci at daycare for nap time which I think is a good idea because of the supposed benefits of sleeping with a paci. Now he is nine months old and pretty much only uses it in the car seat once every couple of weeks when we go somewhere in a car.

[loonar]

We introduced one very very early (less than a week old) on the advice of our lactation consultant. My son had very high sucking needs and thanks to a tongue tie his latch was excruciating for me. I also had a massive oversupply... so there was really no such thing as comfort nursing. That little turquoise piece of silicone saved my sanity (and my boobs!).

We were careful not to offer it unless all his other needs were met. And over time we phased it out so that he only had it in the carseat or when sleeping. At six months we took it away entirely. It was a rough week -- thankfully he can comfort nurse since those early issues are resolved -- but now he is happy without it. 

My feeling is that it's a great tool when babies are itty and have a strong physiological need to suck that you can't meet at the breast for whatever reason. I have a negative gut reaction to toddlers with pacifiers, but who am I to judge? We probably wouldn't have pushed him to wean off it if the process had seemed too traumatic for him. 

[~Adorkable~]

Thought I would not use one

Then at 3 weeks my twins were suckingbmy fingers raw even when ey were completely not hungry

At first they only likes soothies or gumdrops, both the very small symmetrical style.

My issue with those is They falll out ALOT because the end is not bulbous at all

They recently got switched over to an avent style I love. They are clear so not to annoying to look at a lot, symectical so I don't have to think to much in the middle of the night and they stay in well. They like them a lot after turning all other styles down.

I do like them over a thumb habit , seems easier to ween from later. I had severe orthodontic work myself because if a bottom lip suckinghabit as a child, so I'm a bit gun shy about any sucking going long term.

Now that they are teething I would rather they have chew toys than suck toys, but we will play it by ear.

[osker]

DD had a high sucking for comfort need. At six weeks we gave her the soothie style pacifier and she loved it.  Around 4.5 months old she lost interest or it was no longer satisfying, I don't know which, so we got rid of it.  She took up her thumb right away and was stuck on it for about three months. You couldn't take a picture of her without her thumb in her mouth! But then, around 7 months she got tired of her thumb and just quit sucking it as well.  It was a nice tool while we had it but nobody misses it now!

[justrose13]

I think if used only as needed it could be a good tool...

that said we can't get DS to take one for anything! he took one (reluctantly) 2-4 times in the first week (while DP did skin to skin with him while I got much needed rest after a 35 hr labor and emergency c sect.) we stopped trying until after 6 weeks to ensure good supply. he has ZERO intreats now! it's too bad 'cause he could really use a soother in the car when it's just him and I. he's almost got the thumb thing down, and though there can be weening issues with that, I am happy that he may be able to self soothe... added benefit being that it can't get lost!

[ProtoLawyer]

We didn't use one in the hospital, and by the time we did offer him one (around a month) he thought it was poison. He came across a pacifier in his toy box the other day (he's 11 months--the pacifier was probably one of the ones we offered him) and has been playing with it like any other toy.

[babygirlie]

My dd was in NICU and they didn't ask I just saw it popped in one day, though I must admit I prefered that over strange nurses hsoving their dirty fingers in her mouth with very sick babies she was also taking care of! My baby never learned to latch :( She also never really enjoyed things shoved in her mouth either (she had a feeding tube).

When we got home I guess I was anti pacifiers and dh was pro so I let him stay up all night and hold the stupid thing in her mouth until he fell asleep and she popped it back out again. I give credit DH tried but she just didnt like it or didnt have the strength. She ended up growing with sensory issues especially of the mouth variety like can only eat one brand of noodles etc.

[elonwy]

We started using one in the hospital cause DS is a sucker. Fingers wear out and he has such a strong suck that he will give himself a hickey on whatever he happens to be sucking on. We try to reserve it for when its really needed but I am soooo glad we have it.

[Jenni1894]

DS was my first, and like other mama's I was given a paci.   He wouldn't take it.  From day one.   He wanted mama and nothing else.   Along came ODD....she liked to suck and I was prepared for her to be attached to me like DS was.  nope.   She'd eat....and then suck and then crab b/c she was sucking and getting milk and she wanted to be by herself.   She was very independent from day one.  So I went and got her a paci....the regular ones were to big for her tiny mouth so we used the premie ones for a couple of mos.   She used one till about 7 mos and that was that.   I could tell her cry when she wanted her paci and I'd give it to her and she'd happily suck.   YDD, wanted no part of one either.   It never interfered with latching.  I never had any latching problems with any of my kiddos tho.  

[MrsBone]

I am using one with DD and wasnt sure if I was going to use it or not, but it turns out she likes nursing for eating so far, and thats it. She is 6 weeks old, and I gave her a paci at 4 days old. Breastfeeding was already very well established, and she already seemed like she got frustrated with the boob/milk when she just wanted to suck to go to sleep. So in came the paci. She will only take the soothie kind though. I don't see anything wrong with it. Yeah, it will require weaning, but so does breastfeeding, bottlefeeding, etc. My son was the complete opposite, I tried to give him a paci because he was using me as a pacifier constantly, and he did eventually take it, but I was his first choice for comfort, nursing to sleep, etc.