[Cutie Patootie]

I saw the thread over in Q&A about the "pacifier icon", which appears to be gone(the icon

)...at least I can't find it. :LOL Anyhow, I agree that the icon doesn't really match with NFL but I am curious how many mamas here use one. Okay, not actually mamas using them, but their dc's.

My little one is 17 months, but was EBF and used a pacifier once our nursing relationship was well established.

ETA: The icon has been removed.

I think that is a good idea as a pacifier isn't really "natural" and that is what these boards are all about.

 

[Camellia]

My baby is ebf with no pacifier. I am not against them though. I could never get either of my kids to take one! I didn't want them using them very often, so I didn't push it too much. I also didn't want to introduce it before 6 wks. Those are the two reasons why they probably refuse them

 

[mar4JC]

My son (9mo) uses his pacy as a chew toy!!! He found his thumb at 3months, then stopped on his own at 7mos. The only time we used a pacifier was in the car, because DS hated the carseat. That worked for like a month.

I don't have a problem with pacy's, as long as they are not used to just shut the kid up. (The Brits call them dummies, which I think is accurate many times!) But, I'm also glad that my DS isn't using either the pacy or his thumb anymore.

 

[Kathryn]

My daughter has actually just now taken an intrest in it. She crawled into her room (like she's ever actually slept in there

) yesterday morning and found a pacifier in one of her dresser drawers. She's been carrying around ever since. She just crawls around with it in her hand. Every once and a while she'll pop it in her mouth, but it's mostly just a cool toy. I had tried to get her to take one every once and a while to let my supply drop a little bit (we've always had a bad over supply problem), but she refused.

 

[terrarose]

I never thought it was anything I would use and then ds(c#3) was born and I was a single mama. We used it in the car maye a couple dozen times so I could drive and get the mail_it gets very cold here. He never really took it but just me offering was enough to get us to the postoffice happy. I wouldn't have given it at other times even if he had have liked it but it was very helpful for that purpose!

 

[the_lissa]

I have never given dd a paci, but have been tempted.

 

[boatbaby]

My DS is 6.5 months old. Exclusively breast fed and NEVER used a paci or bottle. Never offered, never needed (in my opinion).

He sucks his thumb/ fist/ fingers when I am not available to comfort. It took a while for him to figure that out, but it happened. My DH wanted to offer paci when DS started teething but I refused. We worked through it and we're finding other ways to sooth his discomfort day or night. Does he fuss in the car seat sometimes, sure he does. But it's usually not bc he needs to suck. It's because he wants out or wants to nurse for food or is just tired and lonely back there. So we just work through it...

I know there seems to be a need with some kids, but I hate walking the mall and seeing baby in a bucket getting a paci shoved in over and over while mom looks the other way.

 

[magemom]

With ds2 i introduced a paci at 18 months or so when i was pregnant and the constant nursing was driving me crazy. He nursed till 37 months and let go of the paci about 41 months. ds3 thought pacis were silly and laughed if we ever tried to give him one.
ds4 loves to suck and gets MAD if milk comes out of my breasts sometimes. i have a super strong let down so he doesn't have to work to nurse often. sometimes he will be so tired and fuss if i try to sooth him with a nurse, but settles instantly with a paci. he is held btw when he has a paci so i do not have a problem with it.

 

[AugustLia23]

We had no problems with pacis and gave it to DS in the hospital, he didn't take it until about a week later and abruptly lost interest before he hit 4 months, next time we won't bother, I have no problems with babies sucking their thumbs, which is what we were trying to prevent before as DP sucked her thumb until the day before she turned 9...

ETA that he his solely breastfed and has never taken a bottle too well.

 

[Attila the Honey]

I don't really have a problem with them, either. My dd uses a paci, started around 4wks old and still likes it at 14mo. We keep the paci up and out of sight during daylight hours, but at bedtime and especially on long car rides it helps alot. We co-sleep and snuggle her to bed, and she was bfed with formula supplementation (due to my health problems). Now she's 14mo and no more breast or bottle, but still a little binky-breath.

I do wonder, sometimes, if the binky is because of early (unavoidable) weaning, and then I feel guilty, but she SEEMS happy and well adjusted so I don't let myself get too down about it.

 

[hallesmom]

DD is 16 months, EBF-no paci. I don't really like them, personally-because as another poster stated, they are used just the make the kid be quite.

 

[treemom2]

DD never would take a paci, found her thumb and hasn't stopped sucking it yet

DH tries to get DS to take one when I am putting DD down or am in the bath but DS gags on it and doesn't seem to like it--he has however recently found his hand and greatly enjoys sucking on that--loudly :LOL I am hoping that he is not a thumb sucker like his sister--dentist told us to start saving for braces because she has damaged her palate--argh

 

[AngelBee]

Ds1 Never used one. Also never put toys or fingers in his mouth. Not interested. He nursed every three to four hours and self weaned at about 16 months.

DD Never used one but sucked her thumb 24 hours a day. She stopped cold turkey at age 2. She nursed every 1 1/2 hours and self weaned at 20 months. I believe that I somewhat resented her because it was so exhausting for me to keep up with her sucking needs. If she wasn't nursing or eating, she was sucking her thumb. But of course, she preferred to be on mama. It was sad to me because I didn't enjoy the nursing experience half of the time. I was a walking daze, barely sleeping the first year.

Ds2 Uses one. He has the same sucking need as his sister. He never could find his thumb......he is still trying! His nukasaurous(as we call it) is what he needs. Or to be attached all day long. I tried to have him on more frequently but he just gums me and pulls on my nipple with his gums. It is painful. I feel guilty giving him plastic to suck on. However, everytime I nurse him I enjoy the experience. His needs are being met and mama is not too exhausted!

It still saddens me about how I felt when my daughter was little. Looking back, I kind of wish I would have introduced a nuk. I think it would have made our nursing time more enjoyable for us both.

 

[AngelBee]

PS I didn't vote.....not sure where I would fit.

 

[flminivanmama]

i didn't vote b/c I have three kids LOL

when my twins were born I tried my darndest to get them to take pacis but they refused. I don't particularly LIKE pacis but I was having a really hard time tending to two babies without one always crying...
then I hadnumber 2 when my twins were just 15 months old. I didn't want to give him a paci b/c the last thing I wanted was for the twins to *start* using one at 15 months! (and I could totally see that happening)

as for the other questions... the twins were breastfed and had one bottle of expressed milk at night for meds. one of the twins had about 1 full can of enfamil over the course of his 1st year.
the third child had no formula and no bottles (refused bottles from day one. not for lack of trying).

one of the twins sucks his middle finger (he's going to be five in 2 months so he hardly ever sucks it) and the third child is 3.5 and sucks his first two fingers... almost constantly.

NOW as for the other issue - pacifier as a symbol of babyhood - don't like it. I like to see diapers, diaper pins, booties, duckies, rattles

which was the issue in the thread in Q&S

 

[wende]

I didn't vote either because I have 4 different stories. When I had my first I had never heard of nipple confusion. I went on to ebf her just fine and she loved her paci. When I had my second she sucked her thumb and refused a paci. She also didn't nurse for very long. My 3rd refused to take anything but mommy. My 4th was in the NICU for 3 weeks and they gave him a paci there. After he came home and learned to nurse he refused anything but mommy. I have no problem with pacifiers though, I figure if it works, great!

 

[Mrs Dimples]

I didn't vote because, as usual, I didn't fit into any of the categories.

My son was EBF, via bottle exclusively since I pumped for him. He never took a paci, he refused it. I don't have a problem with them per se, only when they are used for silencing a child for the parent's convenience on a regular basis.

 

[broodymama]

i don't have a problem with them, ds just doesn't like them.

when he was 2 weeks old he took a binky for 2 nights when he wanted to comfort suck and i had thrush and blisters on my nipples. ouch! now he just spits it out once he realizes there's nothing in it. besides, if he's fussy enough where you would want to give him a binky then he's either hungry, wet or tired.

he does suck/gum on his first two fingers, though, i think it feels good since he's teething.

 

[shishkeberry]

My ds is EBF (well, he had 2 oz. of formula once) and takes a pacifier every once in a great while. Usually he doesn't like it spits it right out with an "ew" face, but sometimes he'll take it if dp tries to give it to him. Usually he sucks on his fists.

 

[MommytoTwo]

My DD is exclusively breastfed and takes a pacifier, but not a whole lot. She generally takes it if she is overtired and too fussy to nurse - she will take a paci for a few minutes till she is settled enough to latch on. And occasionally she will just take it to hang out, but not a lot - maybe for like 10 minutes a week?