Pacifiers?

[tryingitnatural]

I ladies I was on another web site where the question of using a pacifier came up. I was wondering what some of you think. I myself and my brother and sister never used one so I know that my mother soothed us in other ways. We were never thumb suckers either. Is it just my opinion that it can help an oral fixation develop in the child? Just wondering - thanks

[crsta33]

I believe that some babies just have a greater sucking need than others, and I don't think pacifiers create an oral fixation (I totally buy into Sears' theory that a need met goes away on it's on and that it's unmet needs that create fixations).

I used one with my dd and it was a lifesaver. I have extremely sensitive nipples and could not tolerate comfort nursing at all. And dd was a reflux baby...the sucking really made her feel better I think. I used it only when needed (she didn't go around plugged in all the time) and we went down to only sleep times by the time she was a little past a year old. We weaned from it completely sometime after I weaned her from the breast...no trauma involved, she wasn't that attached to it.

I will offer one to this babe as well. And, personally, I'd rather have a paci baby than a thumbsucker (though there are many ppl (and babies!) who prefer thumbs.

Christa

[Feathere]

Hi,
I don't know of any scientific literature about pacis and oral fixations, but it stands to reason that if a child is given a thing for 'comfort' he will adapt to it and not want to give it up until he is ready...

We were opposed to pacis with dd, and didn't try them very often. We used the boob instead! When she got older and I wanted her to night wean before she was ready, I gave her one for nighttime, but she never took to it, and I am glad. I don't think they are useful, just a crutch--at first for the parent, then for the child. JUst my opinion.

[Queen of Cups]

I was so adamantly opposed to paci use before DS was born. When he was about 3 weeks old (and breastfeeding was well estabished), he nursed more than 20 times between 9-12 one morning and I was very uncomfortable - and he got upset every time my milk let down! He just needed/wanted to suck, and he kept getting a ton of milk every time. I pulled out a paci and he's been using one ever since (he's 15 months now). He is breastfed on demand and always has been - he's very clear about when he wants the breast and when he wants the paci.

Every child is different - I kept a paci till I was about 4 years old. My sister refused them and never took one. We were each breastfed on demand for about 18 months.

[MamaFern]

i never used one for elwynn until he got older and i tried because he was always on the boob and i couldnt do anything without him crying. he wanted to be in my arms or on the boob all the time! well, he would have none of the pacifier. never did he like it until he was about 2 and he found it in the toy box and thought it was a fun toy for a while.. i doubt that id use it with this baby, but some babies just love to suck ( and i agree nursing then is super important) but once in a while i think its okay.. i just hate seeing kids who are 2 or 3 with one in their mouths!! how can they learn to talk if they are always plugged up..

[flyingspaghettimama]

Hmm...I think it's ok as long as they don't start jonesing for them. I remember my siblings being overly attached to theirs and having the most incredible fits and tantrums if it was dropped; or forgotten at home; or whatever.

I tried with my daughter - but she was never interested in pacifiers, thumbs, or bottles (I was working in the evenings; that's why I ended up quitting - my husband calling me at work, so frustrated). I was secretly glad for it - I just knew I'd probably be the type to forget it at home.

I was her human pacifier, but it didn't bother me too much.

[michaelasmommy]

We never used one with my dd, but she's a thumbsucker now. She just likes to have something to suck on, I think. If I pull her thumb out of her mouth, she'll luck on a toy or whatever's handy. I'm pregnant now, and we are still debating about the paci. I think we may keep one around if the new baby really has a sucking need like my older child, but I'd like to keep it to a minimum. The advantage is that you can take a paci away if you want them to give it up. I can't remove a thumb!

[phaeon]

peeking in from December...

Not trying to bash anyone who used/uses a paci, but there are actually a number of reasons to avoid them - even after breastfeeding is well established. One is an increase in ear infections. http://www.mercola.com/2000/sep/17/pacifiers_ear_infections.htm
Another is the increase in dental problems: "A recent study showed significant differences in dental arch and occlusion characteristics in users at 24 months and 36 months of age compared with those that had stopped sucking by 12 months of age (18). Another study looked at children aged two to five years and also found significant increases in overjet (greater than 4 mm), openbite and posterior crossbite in pacifier users. The longer the use was, in months, the stronger the association with openbite and crossbite (19)." (from http://www.cps.ca/english/statements/CP/cp03-01.htm)

Another reason is the toxicity of the latex or PVC used in manufacture. PVC is rare these days, but you can still find them out there. That last link has a really good summary of the pros and cons. We personally chose the human pacifier (me!), but I admit that it has been trying at times. ... anyway, just wanted to stir up the pot a bit! :blah

[SoggyGranolaMomma]

I've never been opposed to them and bought some to have on hand in case. Both my youngest used them for a short time and then went to their thumbs.

I have had serious thrush with both the last two and comfort nursing was out of the question! I tried my pinky, but sometimes I couldn't stand there with my finger in their mouth! :LOL

[tripleaces]

With DD#1 I planned to never use a pacific, and, well, we never did. But after a few months I certainly tried!! She just wouldn't have it. But I think it would've been sooo nice because she liked to comfort nurse so much (and still does). I'm not sure if we'll use one this time because of the many reasons not to.. we'll see.

[~Megan~]

some babies do need them or at least it makes it better for the baby and mother. I would be happy to nurse ds as much as he wants but if I do he vomits often. If instead he's nursed in the last hour I'll see if he's content to take the pacifer. If he is not then I will nurse him. Its helped tremendously with the throwing up which makes us all a lot happier.
In general I don't like pacifier use. I wish I could be the one to soothe him 100% of the time like I did with dd.

[MrsMoe]

Emma refused her paci. She preferred her thumb, which was a much harder habit to break.

[Sharlla]

Seth will suck on only the nam binkies. Wes liked the playtex ones. But neither were or are into the binky for some reason. The hands are preferred. I have a friend who's baby sucks on his toes. It's soooooo cute

[flapjack]

We used one with Isaac, because I knew I was going back to work at some point. His need to find comfort from suckling was greater than my issues or the health concerns. I wouldn't even consider buying them until breastfeeding is well established unless you're having other problems like thrush, though.
If you do, once you find one the baby likes, buy in triplicate in baby's favourite colour and brand- just in case you end up with a child like mine who refuses anything other than a pastel green dum-dum.

[BensMom]

I didnt want to use a paci with Ben and after awhile, out of frustration, tried one, but he never took it. I was fine with that. He comfort nursed a lot, but I guess since my supply was not too overactive, he never seemed to get too much milk.

What I hated was the people like MIL who said he *needed* a paci and acted as if I was abusing my kid for not giving him one. She kept trying to force one in his mouth, no matter how many times he spit it out telling me that I had to train him to take it. Idiot. I put a stop that to nonsense.

But I am totally aware that this child might be totally different, so I wont say that I will *never use* a paci. I just don't plan on it.

So many of my bottle feeding friends who use pacis have such a struggle to wean their babes from it. But I also think they are trying to wean from the bottle and paci at that magical one year mark, that supposedly means the baby is all grown up, right? :irked: I think a responsibly used paci (not used to plug the baby at every little peep) that is gently weaned, is not a terrible thing.

[HoneyTree]

Flapjack, your pale-green dum-dum story made me remember how my own little sister would only take BLUE PLAYTEX BOTTLES. It drove my mom crazy since they only came in multi-colored packs. Finally she just started turning of all the lights in our room before putting my sister to bed, and in the darkness she could get red or green to pass. Funny, the little tricks we use! :)

[DreamsInDigital]

DS2 started taking a binky after he weaned from nursing. I know he didn't want to but he didn't want to nurse if there was no milk. :(

[cjbeach]

I swore I would never use because I hate the sight of them and have known 3 children who had palate problems as a result of prolonged use of them. My DS would never take one but DD had one. I hate it but it helps her fall asleep ( I swear it's not the sucking motion as much as it is that it helps her stop talking--LOL. My little chatterbox). I think if it's used infrequently it's ok. My niece had major dental issues from going to bed with a full bottle so I can think of worse things.

[Awaken]

We were totally against in starting out, but ds was such a fussy baby, never took well to nursing (although we did continue for 13 mos), and nothing really ever comforted him or helped him sleep. He never nursed for comfort, even though I was totally willing to be the human pacifier! So around 3.5 months we tried one while traveling and he seemed to love it.

Now at 2.5 he is totally attached to it- we try to only allow it when he's sleeping or in bed, but he is still upset a lot of the time, he is very sensitive, so some days he will have to go back to his bed and lay down for his paci a bunch of times. We don't let him walk around with it in public or have it just whenever. He still to this day has no comfort items or mechanisms at all- and he's a kid who needs a lot of comfort! So to me, he needs it, since he isn't attached to anything else. Dh is really against him having it and wants to try and wean him from it, but I think esp. with a new baby coming, he needs his familiar comfort item since he has nothing else he relies on.

So- what harm can come from having an overbite? I really would like to know if there are serious dangers or if it is a cosmetic thing. B/c once they have adult teeth wouldn't the overbite be gone? What kind of palate problems can occur?

I sure don't want to start this one on a paci if we can at all help it!! Hopefully it will be a great nurser and nurse for comfort or suck it's thumb or have a lovey so it won't need it.

This is all coming from someone who had a blanket her entire life and would still sleep with it to this day if I hadn't put it away when I became a mother!! So I really understand the need for comfort items!

[Gunter]

We are not planning to use one. The word itself just bothers me for some reason. :LOL

DH has an overbite and he hates it...wants to try to avoid that with the babe...erring on the side of caution. We feel uncomfortable with the synthetic material being in a baby's mouth...kinda in the same way that we are uncomfortable with synthetic materials in disposable dipes.

Regardless of what it is made from, we'd like our babe to bond with us early on and DH has even researched men who "comfort nurse" their babes. He's willing to offer his nipple before a plastic one, if necessary.

[tryingitnatural]

Wow! I never thought I 'd get so many responses. I will try not to use one infact I haven't even bought one. Thanks for all the response! :thumb

[Kavita]

Gunter, your post totally cracked me up because it reminded me of an episode of ER in which one of the doctors had a baby and is back at work while her DH is home with the baby. One day Carter walks into the doctor's lounge and the big bear-like macho DH is in there with his shirt open, breastfeeding the baby with a medela nursing supplementer! Carter kind of looks startled, and the dad gets all indignant and says, "What--haven't you ever seen a guy nursing a baby before?" as though it was really common. It was just a very funny bit! As for here, I would definitely have to do some "manscaping" before I let our baby anywhere near DH's nipple, lest our kid end up with hairballs! :mischief

I think pacifiers should not be used for breastfeeding babies until nursing is well established. After that, I tend to view them as a sometimes necessary evil. I don't think that they are a GOOD thing from a health standpoint and wouldn't ever endorse or encourage them as something anybody should try to get their kid to take "just because." They bug me too when they are used as a substitute for holding/feeding/paying attention to babies, which I see pretty often in public. Sometimes it's obvious a baby in a restaurant or something is crying/fussing because he's hungry or needs attention, and the parent just keeps sticking the pacifier back in the baby's mouth so they can leave the baby in the carseat ignored and go on with their lives! As far as the overbite/dental issues, sucking affects jaw development, which I believe is why pacifiers or bottles can affect permanent teeth even though they're not in yet.

HOWEVER, that all said, I think that there are instances where a pacifier is appropriate and can be a real lifesaver (or at least sanity/happiness saver!) Some of the circumstances have already been mentioned, like when a baby has high sucking needs and comfort nursing won't work for that mom/baby. Or babies with reflux, sensory issues, etc. If I had to go back to work, I'd rather have my baby have a pacifier and be content than inconsolable when I can't be there to nurse him/her if he/she needs to suck a lot for comfort. Stuff like that!

But I think they are one of those things that should be tried after other comforting measures have failed, and also not be seen an inherent and necessary part of babyhood. There are a lot of things in parenting that I think are compromises that maybe don't meet our predetermined highest ideals (like plopping a kid in front of the TV so that mom can get a break and maintain her sanity.) But I feel like, hey, we're imperfect people living in an imperfect world, and sometimes you need to do what you need to do to get by!

Cultural note--as a breastfeeding geek, I always try to find baby cards/baby gifts/baby gift wrapping paper without bottles or pacifiers either as part of the actual gift or in pictures, because I don't like the connotation that babies=bottles and pacifiers. It bothers me that bottlefeeding and pacifiers are seen as so normal in our culture and breastfeeding is still kind of "alternative" somehow.

Sorry if this is all rambling and redundant! :blah Time to get offline and have some dinner . . . !

[crsta33]

I would venture to guess that breastfed babies have less problems with overbite and other dental misalignements than bottlefed babies regardless of pacifier use. I wonder if in that quoted study it even says if the children studied were breastfed, bottlefed, both, how long, etc.

Since breastfeeding promotes jaw and tooth alignment, if more hours are logged at the breast than an artificial nipple then the child probably won't have problems caused by the artificial nipple. I could be totally wrong though.

Christa

[s_kristina]

We did use a pacifier with our dd and she didn't have any problems with giving it up around a year when she just stopped using it. When she was little the work dh was doing required him to travel long distances to get to the job site. His boss at the time also lived around 500 miles away from where we lived. Sometimes we would be able to drive him to the job site other times we would drive to Dallas to take him to his boss' place. Either way it was many hours of driving along highways through some very middle of nowhere places. That was one of the biggest times we would use a pacifier for her. If we were out in the middle of nowhere with no place to stop for 20 miles a pacifier would allow us to keep driving until we got to an exit. DD also liked to comfort nurse all night long and being able to give her a pacifier instead of her over eating helped both of us to sleep better and longer stretches. I could nurse her to sleep then slip a pacifier in while still being snuggled up and we could both sleep. The longest trips we are likely to take with ds are around an hour so I don't see us needing to use a pacifier as much. I am totally open to using one if it is needed though.