Nipple confusion??

MamaMuslima01

Who came up with this? How often does it actually occur? I was told during pregnancy that it is a bad idea to give LO a pacifier. So, I looked it up the pros and cons of a passy and there was one that stuck out to me "nipple confusion"!

As a FTM who is passionate about EBF I wanted to avoid that at all costs so we didn't give DS a binki. Little did I know, I would pay for it sooner or later. After one month (as we were advised) we tried to introduce it and he refused to take it!

DS is a pretty demanding and picky baby. It is hard to put him to sleep, he wines sometimes for no reason, and he doesnt know how to self sooth. It would have probably been a life saver if we just gave it to him from the get go. I guess we live and learn!

Have you ever heard of a LO getting nipple confusion??

Jbunny100

I heard about that too so we made sure the hospital didn't give DS a pacifier to avoid any confusion.  As in PP, I am glad he never got too much into the paci because we don't have to worry about weaning him.  We have given him a paci here and there, but he just chews on it.  It's like a teether.  He does, however, like to use my nipple as a paci sometimes when he is falling asleep for his naps.  I am not sure how that is going to work once I wean him off the breast.

SarahRae85

I'm sure it happens, but I don't think it's as prevalent as Dr. Google claims.

He loves his paci from the NICU and it was a lifesaver in the first few weeks. We had some issues with nursing, but that was mostly due to his NICU stay, not being able to eat for the first day and a half and engorgement settling in just as we were starting to figure things out together. All I can see is thank goodness for his paci, because it kept his temporarily content while I cried and tried to pump enough to give him a bottle and relieve engorgement. Let's just say it's a good thing I wasn't a FTM, because even as an experienced BFer, I was about ready to break down and give up. Thankfully, experience told me to hang in there, even when it took us a month to get him back to birth weight.

I wish I had kept with the pumping and bottle and paci, though, because he gave all of them up after about a month and let me become both food and soother. At the same time, I am glad we don't have a habit to break. He still has tantrums, though, and the only thing that will calm him is nursing him. We're going to have so much fun when I start weaning...

rdbanks

My LO was offered a paci in the NICU and used one for the first month of his life. He then must have decided it wasn't for him, because he stopped and was done. I nursed him from about day 3 on and never had a problem. One of the NICU nurses said that she'd never heard of a case of nipple confusion (she personally didn't "believe" in it).

kmornelas29

I have heard of it, but think it's talked about more than it actually occurs.

Because I waited til 4 weeks to introduce the bottle, LO refused a pack, which now I am grateful for, but also refused a bottle after many, many attempts.

She has been EBF, so that puts me in a short leash, but live and learn. Next baby, I will introduce the bottle sooner, not a paci though.

flummadiddle85

kmornelas29 said:

I have heard of it, but think it's talked about more than it actually occurs. Because I waited til 4 weeks to introduce the bottle, LO refused a pack, which now I am grateful for, but also refused a bottle after many, many attempts. She has been EBF, so that puts me in a short leash, but live and learn. Next baby, I will introduce the bottle sooner, not a paci though.

We intro'd a bottle around 2wk. He started taking it, then refused it before I had to go back to work. Then my mom got him to take them again for a couple weeks until he started refusing again. It's been a struggle with the bottles, and he does a little better now. But I tend to think it doesn't matter how early or late you intro it, babies are just going to have their preferences.

He did take a paci starting at a month maybe? And then at 3mo he started refusing those too. Then, perhaps around 4mo he started sucking his thumb. Now, he doesn't do that a whole lot, mostly just when he's sleeping. Even then, I don't think it's a lot.

So really, it just comes down to their ever changing preferences. 

MrsG071809

SarahRae85 said:

I'm sure it happens, but I don't think it's as prevalent as Dr. Google claims.

This, exactly.  We didn't introduce a paci or a bottle for the first few weeks because of everything I had heard, but I honestly don't think it would have mattered with DD as she's always been content with anything to suck on.  She still uses a paci now, we are slowly trying to limit that, but she has never had an issue with bottles or any sort of nipple confusion. I think I remember reading an article on kelly mom about how it isn't quite as prevalent as most people think.

wittyschaffy

DD had a pacifier in the hospital after I begged and pleaded with them to end the comfort nursing so I could get a few minutes of sleep.  (our hospital is anti-paci as a whole but have them for times of long separation from Mom during tests and such)  She had a bottle right away as well because I knew I'd be going back to work and I didn't want her to not take a bottle for a DCP.  She still nurses like a champ. 

wittyschaffy

oh!  and dd now only gets a paci at night if she needs soothing which is getting progressively more rare.