Pacifiers??

[sparklett]

Hi Everyone!

The staff at my work threw me a suprise baby shower on Thursday, and my family shower is tomorrow. Everyone has been so kind and generous and supportive during my pregnancy, and the gifts I've received really reflect that. On the bright side, I won't be lacking for cute clothes, washcloths, burp rags, blankets, etc. On the not-so-bright side, I have a MOUNTAIN of gifts that I'm not sure what to do with. One of the main items in this mountain is pacifiers. This is my first baby, and I never really thought about using a pacifier. At this point, I now have about fifteen different varities and styles.

Are any of you using pacifiers? Why do/don't people use them?

Thanks!!

[Keeping up]

I have been a pacifer user - the big issues are the early introduction of pacifers/nipple confusion as well as over-use of the pacifer in low weight babies (suck a pacifier instead of the breast). The 'benefit' of a pacifier (if your baby is a sucker) is it will buy you time if you are juggling multiple tasks - otherwise, you might be breastfeeding the baby a lot more. [Breastfeeding start-up has been a horrid experience for x3 kiddos so I refuse to be a breast pacifer - it will drive me out of breastfeeding!]

My first was a huge pacifer girl - she started at about 2 weeks, switched to her thumb at about 4 months and stopped sucking her thumb at about 4 years old. And, her teeth show it! I have so many pictures of that girl sucking her thumb - she loved it.

My second never took a pacifer - it might have been nice because he was so much more difficult to soothe (breast didn't work either) [I now think colic/reflux baby given the projectile puking!]

My third also never took a pacifer but did start with his thumb early on - and still stucks (16 months old).

Fourth ... who knows? I am neither for them or against them. If the kid likes one, he gets a pacifer.

My mom was obsessed about the silicon (white clear) as being healthier and not the brown rubbery ones. Not sure if there is any rationale behind that theory - but I follow it. My favorite brand is NUK - white silicon and the mouth piece kind of cups the mouth. I also though the Avent would be better ('just like the breast' blah blah blah bottle advertising) but they don't seem to sit quite as well in the mouth.

My 2 cents - many people have some extreme views on pacifers.

Downfall... my cats love to chew on pacifers so I buy a lot of pacifers - it is gross but they seem to find them about! I still find pacifers hidden in various drawers throughout the house.

[Jilian]

When DS was born the LC at my BF class told us to avoid pacifier and bottle use for at least the first 2 weeks to avoid nipple confusion. DS was high needs and needed a lot of comfort sucking and my nipple were cracked and bleeding. I had one pacifier in the house and he would not take it. I remember running out one night and frantically buying 3 different kinds of pacifiers for him to try. He never ended up liking any of them. So we never used pacifiers. But this time around I have one in the house just in case. I was against ever using pacifiers until DS was born and I dealt with cracked and bleeding nipples, now I think differently of them!

[boheime]

Personally, I hate pacifiers. We don't have any. LLL recommends no artificial nipples (bottles or pacifiers) for at least the first 6 weeks. We don't have any bottles in our house, either, and I'm a low supply mom. I've worked hard to give my kids what breastmilk I can and we supplement at the breast (and when it took dd 6 months to latch on all the time with her own issues, we finger fed those times she wouldn't latch so as not to introduce a bottle). You have to decide what works for your family.

As for gifts that you don't want? I say take them back and use the money for something that you will use. They grow out of those little clothes really quickly! Get some clothes in larger sizes. Even pick up some good books to read while you are nursing - babies eat frequently.

[WhiteWax]

Ahhhh the greast binky debate...
at the risk of being unpopular, I will throw in my two cents.... (we call them binky's here... it use to be a brand)

I am a binky lover. I dont remember how long, or even if we waited too long to intrduce a binky with DD. We had no problems with nipple confusion (same with the bottle) and I found the binky very helpful for those times when the baby wants to suck for comfort. That sucking reflex is so soothing for them and, just like Jilian, I had the cracked and bleeding nipples.

As far as the tooth issue... a binky doesn't have the natural "pulling out" motion of a thumb (ha ha.... that's the "technical term" incase any one was wondering) By this I mean, when you suck your thumb, it naturally pulls out, and thus pulls on your teeth, where as it doesn't do that with a binky. There isn't the weight of the hand behind it.

It can be hard to get a baby to take a binky.... I found (for what it's worth) that I could get DD to suck on it, if I tapped the back (or decorative part) with my finger... almost like reminding her it was there. They pop out, mainly because it is a different chape to suck and takes some practice for them to keep it in (hence the ideas of nipple confusion).

As for brands.... I also really liked NUK when dd was tiny and then moved on to MA'AM's.... they are RIDULOUSLY expensive but worth it in my opinion. Maams were always too big and squashy on dd nose but I just saw that they came out with Mini Maams for infants so i will be giving those a try.

Thats just my two (well, ok ten) cents on the subject. I like them.... I use them.... I'm not horrified by people who dont, it's just how I like to handle things.

[Shell_Ell]

We never used one with DS. I had such issues with low supply, if he needed to be pacified I just put him to breast to give it that much more stimulation.

I do have a few Soothies brand stashed in a drawer this time. I'm not ruling out the possibility of using them this time if I have enough milk (or perhaps too much milk) But I think I'd like to avoid it if I can. I don't know what it's going to be like to have two, so I figured I would have some on hand.

We took back a lot of clothes from our showers, and other things. You just get so much you don't really need, and it was nice to have the money for other things that you DO need.

[momof2girls1boy]

well this is babe#4 for us and yes we always used binky's. babies have a need to suck for comfort and now even the ped. will tell you that studies show a decreased risk of sids with pacifier use. the other thing is that babies are smart they know where their food source is! try 'em ,your bab may not even like them

[Therese's Mommy]

We have never used a pacifier. DD was strictly breastfed and she satisfied all of her sucking needs at the breast. I have to say, she started talking very early. DH and I theorized that it was because she didn't have the pacifier in her mouth and was always able to "practice" her voice alot. Who knows if this is true or not, but people are always surprised by how well she talks. We have no intention of using them with this child either.

Beth

[kkar]

We introduced with both girls around 2-3 weeks (because of breast feeding), and then discontinued around 5 months (both girls started rejecting it at this point and we didn't just pop it into their mouths to keep them quiet, so things ended at this point).

It's not a bad idea to have them around because you have no idea what type of child you're going to have, and how things are going to go for you. If you do decide you want to use them, children do have pacifier preferences, so sometimes you have to go through a few different brands before finding one that you're child prefers.

[jstar]

i tried the paci with ds1. as a tiny infant i used my finger a lot to satisfy his sucking needs when he'd had enough boob. he was off the charts on weight (total chubber) and sometimes when he would just want to comfort suck he would get frustrated at the milk coming out. so the finger worked and he also liked a pacifier for a brief period....maybe a month. (like 2 weeks to 6 weeks).

after that he rejected it. never liked it. and he was in daycare so they really tried to get him to like it. some babes just don't.

it is up to you to try it or not. i don't think they're 'terrible' but then i was definitely relieved i never had to worry about getting my babe 'off the binky' some friends' kiddos have become *really* attached to them

[willoLevin]

We used a pacifier with DS, but he didn't like it until he was older--maybe 4 months? (We had low milk supply issues, so we didn't really try it earlier, except for a couple of attempts when DH was home alone with him and I'd run out for 20 minutes, when, invariably, he would suddenly need to nurse--again.)

At our house it is called the "nuk nuk"--so, as you might guess, we also used the Nuk brand.

Our son adored the "nuk nuk" until I weaned him from it at age 2 to avoid problems developing with his teeth. (They are generally seen as less detrimental to tooth development than thumb-sucking, but ideally discontinued by age two--at least, that's what our pediatric dentist said.)

I strongly encouraged DS to take up the nuk when he did. We had tremendous sleep issues. Or, I should say, my DH and I did! DS seemed wonderful and healthy with his around the clock nursing every two hours schedule. That was great (though not enough) in his early months when our supply issues were pretty serious, but after months of it, I was wearing out completely from lack of sleep. EVENTUALLY, the nuk nuk became a nighttime soother that helped DS go to his own bed (at 7 months) and self-soothe at night.

I kept about 6-12 in the house, hanging on a little lingerie drying rack in DS's room. When he started talking (suddenly and in fluent sentences, bilingually) at 16 months, he called it the "nuk nuk tree".

We had a rule that the nuk nuk was a BEDTIME item. By avoiding taking it out of the bed, we avoided DS being a "binkie baby" (like Maggie Simpson from TV!) with his mouth always plugged up. (I did carry one in the car if I wanted to encourage him to sleep on a long drive, because that seemed like an appropriate location for one, IMHO.)

I would've preferred to give DS the silicone nuks, but he never accepted them! He only took the latex ones. Bummer, since I'm allergic to latex and would occasionally get a rash on my hands from washing them. : Ditto that for bottle nipples--latex only (we supplemented with the SNS at the breast until he was a few months old, then switched to 1-2 bottles per day of supplementation when I had a clear idea of how much/when he needed it.)

If I were a first timer, I would keep one package of pacifier(s) in the house, just in case I decided I wanted to use them. Invariably, it will be in the middle of the night when you decide you really want to try them! Obviously, if you think they are evil incarnate, that advice wouldn't be for you. More for the fence-sitters, like I was!

--willo

[Ks Mama]

I would hang on to them, and see "what kind" of baby you may have...

Some babies are really mouthy & need a LOT of sucking, some are not. You may find at some point that you'd like to try a pacifier, when your breasts are feeling worn out, and you are SURE that your baby has a full tummy, but still needs to suck. You may also find them convenient in the car (again, after you're sure baby has a full tummy).

That being said, I would not recommend introducing a pacifier AT ALL until breastfeeding is FIRMLY established - what I mean is that you really should expect to nurse around the clock, as often and for as long as baby wants in the first few weeks, to establish your supply AND her latch.

FWIW, I tried every pacifier in the book with my little one, who was a high needs sucker, at various times & locations, even though pre-baby I was totally against pacifiers, and unfortunately (or maybe not), she never took one. She never found her thumb either! My DD is/was an in-arms, at-breast, in-motion babe, and would accept no substitutions. We'll see how DS is!

In short, I'd say if you're not completely against it, hang on to them, and let your baby lead you.

[wombatclay]

I used to wish dd would take a binky. She absolutely positively REFUSED to keep one in her mouth till she was around a year old. And then she just chomped on one like a teether for about a week.

And she refused to suck on her own fingers.

What she DID like was sucking on my fingers, or on dh's fingers. Which was fine a first, but let me tell you...the cute wears off pretty fast. Especially if your babe is an early teether (dd got her first tooth around 4 months). She'd scream and scream without one of "our fingers" in her mouth (when even te breast wouldn't work, the finger did) but once those teeth were in she would draw blood.

I'm curious to see what this one will like. I was given one binky by a friend (it's a Red Sox binky with matching clip ) and will probably have one or two around just in case. But I'm not for or against them...like just about anything else they have their time and place.

[dara00]

my dd is a paci girl. she didn't take one for the 1st month - and in that first month she never napped and only slept at night when I nursed her constantly. after that things were much easier! she still uses one to sleep and I think it'll be pretty hard to take them away from her.

[Mere]

I'm not anti- or pro-pacifer...I think it really depends on the baby. We tried a pacifier with dd around 4 months to see if it would help her sleep longer...it totally did. The downside of that is that she then became reliant on having a binky whenever she woke up at night (this was when she was older than 1 and nightweaned) so we'd have to go in her room all the time to find her binky and pop it in her mouth. That went on until she was about 3 and finally 'nightweaned' from the binky. When ds finally learned to sleep through the night, he SLEPT and did not wake up. He never took a binky.

On the pro-side of binky use, Dd also got to use a binky when she was in the car. It was great, car rides were great with her. As long as she had her binky, she was happy because it was a treat to get it. Ds has not always been such a good car traveler.

[LandonsMom]

Originally Posted by Ks Mama

FWIW, I tried every pacifier in the book with my little one, who was a high needs sucker, at various times & locations, even though pre-baby I was totally against pacifiers, and unfortunately (or maybe not), she never took one. She never found her thumb either! My DD is/was an in-arms, at-breast, in-motion babe, and would accept no substitutions. We'll see how DS is!

Ds was just this way too! I tried every kind in the stores b/c I thought it might make certain situations easier (car rides, standing in line at a store, etc) but ds woldnt have anything to do with them!!

I agree with posters who said to see what kind of a baby you have. If it seems useful for your baby at some point and isnt detrimential to your bfing relationship, then dont feel bad for using one. I would hwever also suggest to make sure the bfing is well established.

[chinaKat]

I never used a pacifier with DD.

I think it's b/c I have a negative connotation regarding pacifiers -- I know a couple parents that use the binky as the answer to EVERYTHING. Kid fusses, just stick the binky in his mouth and shut him up. It would drive me crazy that they would never try anything else first -- and especially would not pick the baby up.

That said, it seems like a lot of parents here don't use the binky that way, so I'm sure my experiences are only my own impressions.

[firefly mama]

Before DD was born, I was 100% against pacifiers. I was also 100% against formula. I had a few things to learn in that first month of being a mom.

DD was a constant sucker. Literally - the child was or wanted to be attached to my breast for 23 out of 24 hours a day. I had severe pain issues with nursing, and when I was on the verge of quitting, I resorted to trying pacifiers to see if I could buy myself a little healing time of no boob in mouth. DD wasn't really into the pacifiers, but it occasionally worked. I was also a low milk supply mom, so though I KNEW I needed to nurse as much as possible to work on my supply, I just couldn't because of the pain. So at 3 weeks we introduced a pacifier, and and 3.5 weeks we had to add formula. It was pretty devastating for me (and still is). I hope this baby doesn't need supplementation, but I hope more than anything that we can just have a happy breastfeeding relationship...cause with DD we didn't get there until she was about 4 months old.

Oh, and back to the pacifier...DD didn't really LIKE it until she was about 4 months old. Then it became really helpful for sleeping. She wasn't the type to walk around with one in her mouth all the time, but they definitely comforted her. At around 1 year we cut back and would only allow her to have it at nap/bed time. That is where we still are (at 21 months). We plan to transition her to a regular bed soon and when that happens, the pacifiers will stay in the crib. I don't anticipate any problems with this plan (other than a few rough nights of sleep in the beginning).

So long story short, I plan on using a pacifier with this baby if he has the same intense sucking needs that DD had. I've had an assortment on hand to try, because they really are all very different and each baby has their own preference. I'd like to hold out and not offer it until baby is 3+ weeks old, but we'll see how the pain goes this time and whether I can handle my nipple being gnawed off again...

[dara00]

Originally Posted by firefly mama

At around 1 year we cut back and would only allow her to have it at nap/bed time. That is where we still are (at 21 months). We plan to transition her to a regular bed soon and when that happens, the pacifiers will stay in the crib. I don't anticipate any problems with this plan (other than a few rough nights of sleep in the beginning).

this is what we did, but when she moved to her bed, it has been a hard enough transition (she no longer sleeps through the night) and I can't imagine taking the paci away at the same time! good luck!

[willoLevin]

Weaning from a pacifier

Our son stayed in his crib (which converted to a toddler bed) until he was three, so he was weaned from the "nuk nuk" while still in the same, comforting bed.

He was surprisingly reasonable about it. I told him a day or two before that the nuks would be going away soon, because they were for babies and he was two years old. I took them off of the little rack in his room a few at a time (when he wasn't looking) until we were down to the last one. He handed me that last one out of his bed.

I think he cried for one a bit for a couple of nights, but no major meltdowns about it. During daylight hours, he was quite pleased to think the nuks had gone away to be with cute little babies somewhere!

We still had nighttime nursing at that point, so DS still got to do a comfort suck right before bed. He just had to accept that it would end before he went to his own bed, unlike the ongoing, all-night comfort of the nuk.

--willo