Do you use a pacifier?

I don't use them, but it's a hereditary thing. When my sister was a baby, and I was ten, my mom refused to use pacifiers. She called them something like "bozo-nose clown suckers" because she thought they looked so stupid. I don't think it had anything to do with breastfeeding.

I originally didn't like them because I grew up hearing how stupid they were, but when I learned more about breastfeeding and the problem of nipple confusion, I decided against them. I didn't want to introduce an artificial nipple to the baby and make it harder for him or her to breastfeed. If you do it after the first 6 weeks or so (I think?) nipple confusion isn't as much as a problem.

My other issue with them is that I don't want another thing to keep track of. Whenever we're at church and there are kids around with pacifiers, the parents are always bending over to pick them up off the floor. I don't want to have to worry about losing them, getting them dirty, forgetting them at home, etc.

I'm wrestling with this one myself. I hadn't planned on using them. Nipple confusion, needless extra things, etc. Grandmother-in-law gave us a pack of them. Now I'm trying to decide if they're evil enough that we should get rid on them and not have them in the house at all.

I'm leaning towards getting rid of them. We'll have to start cup- or spoon-feeding at one or two weeks since I can't take much time off of classes and three hours is too long to go without nursing and seems to early to introduc bottles. If DH and DD are going to go to all the trouble of learning how to cup/spoon feed, why risk messing that up by using an artificial nipple?

My mother also was not of them. She kept a couple around for older babies and toddlers, but always insisted on using one-piece ones. Apparently when we were little several models of pacifier kept coming apart and choking babies. I remember my mom scoffing at babies with pacifiers stuffed in their mouths.

But I hate just throwing stuff out. And what if baby screams her head off the whole time I'm in class and DH can't find a way to comfort her? Not sure. My ideal is not to sue them, but one hears one's ideals scoffed at so much that it becomes a bit frightening to take a stand in advance.

THey do have their time and place, I think.

I have used them minimally with my first 2 children, the third just wasnt' interested.

For example: nursing in the car, when baby is freaking out screaming, and you don't want to (or can't ) get back there to pop a bub in their mouth, you just give them the binky and pray that it lasts long enough to get you to where you're going.

Or: late at night, you and dh are getting busy, baby is next to you, wakes up, pop in the binky until you finish, then give him/her the bub.

Other than that, for us, seems pointless.

Quote:
My SIL is strongly against pacifiers but ended up buying one for long car trips. Her son, who was maybe 5 months old at the time, couldn't handle being in the car for more than an hour and the pacifier really helped. He never expected it outside of the car.

My dd would only suck on my fingers when she was a baby, and we never thought much about trying to get her to use a binky. However, just in January, she found one around (probably in her toybox... we were gifted a handful and when she never showed much interest it just became more of a toy) and has been SERIOUSLY addicted ever since. I really hated it at first - I also grew up in a household that talked alot of smack about the binky - but now, I can accept that she is still fulfilling some sucking need. It's said that toddlers can maintain an intense sucking need until they are three - I am sure that it varies from kid to kid. DD self weaned when I was about 4 months pregnant, and it was a few months later when she got hooked on the bink.

I'm undecided about the newborn - I probably will just offer fingers again. It seems that it really will depend on the babe's temperment. Especially in the car, etc. I surely won't even attempt it until we've got a solid breastfeeding relationship down!

With dd we used a pacifier sometimes... we really didn't use it all that often but it's there covering her mouth in pictures. She wasn't a big comfort nurser and didn't get very attached to the paci so I chucked them one day. She picked up on sucking her thumb for a little way and then quit that too so we didn't have any issues with it.

With ds, he was a big comfort nurser and I just preferred to let him suck at the breast rather than introduce a pacifier. He never sucked his thumb either. I guess I was lucky... we do practice CLW so maybe that helps avoid the thumb habit.

I don't plan to use them, it's one more thing to keep track of...

I never used one w/DS - not *so* much out of principle, though I can't think of a reason to LIKE them - but because I didn't think he'd take it. He had/has a HUGE sucking need, but it's all focused on me - he never discovered or was interested in being shown his fingers or thumbs - he screamed in the car to the point where I learned to nurse him with us both fully belted in because that was the only way we could go anywhere further than 10 minutes away, etc.

Every baby is different, though. My nephew (1 yo) really only nurses for food and gets mad if offered the breast when what he wants is non-food sucking. He uses a paci, he sucks his fingers, etc. He's been that way since birth. Hmm. He was offered bottles of EBM pretty early, though. I don't know.

I think I'd rather do it my way than my SIL's way for purely selfish reasons. I got my cycle back at 15 mo post-partum. She got her cycle back at 6 weeks! I'll take a non-stop nurser and no periods for almost 2 years over a paci anytime!

Only the human kind!!!! DD is a big time comfort nurser, I've spent many hours as a human pacifier. I think the difference between comfort nursing and a plastic pacifier is similar to the difference between holding your baby close and rocking them to sleep vs. sticking them in a mechanical swing and leaving them to fall asleep there by themselves.

The one exception would be neccessary, "horrific" car rides - if baby won't take your nipple, is crying hysterically, and pit stops aren't helping, I could see where someone might try a plastic pacifier. Although you'll be surprised how, um, flexible your breasts can be with a crying baby in the carseat. I'm sure some motorists have caught a glimpse of more than they were expecting!!

I plan to avoid using pacifiers (other than the breast and snuggling ), but I'll kind of wing it on this one, I think. Some good advice I've heard for those who DO choose to use them:

- Don't give them any artificial nipples until 6-8 weeks (can cause nipple confusion)

- Don't give them a pacifier if they are hungry, just if they are inconsolable by other methods (this can cause stunted growth)

- Wean them off of the pacifier at/by 6 mos (it is harder to do when they are older, and it is good for them to learn to calm themselves without needing a "tool")

** I also recommend Harvey Karp's "The Happiest Baby on the Block" for ways to make a baby happier during the first 3-4 months. I really enjoyed the book and it gave some really great, solid advice.

Quote:
I had to let ds suck on my finger because even if I was a passenger and I sat right next to ds there was just no way I could nurse him at all. I guess it's probably because I'm quite small... a b cup or so depending on how full I am and how soon after my milk comes in. I'm in awe of women who can nurse while baby stays buckled in and they are buckled too!