Pacifier woes

adiaz132003

Last night DS was just crying and crying non stop.  I thought it was gas and did everything I could but nothing helped at all.  I was so tired and got so desperate that I used gas drops, which didn't help, and I was just sitting and crying along with him.  This was going on 5 hours.  Then I went and grabbed a binky and put it in his mouth just to get him to calm down, it worked like I wouldn't believe.  He went limp and passed right out and he slept for almost 4 hours!  I know he spat the binky out at some point in the night but it put him to sleep!!  Now I'm faced with a new issue.  I was very against using binkys.  I didn't want to risk nipple confusion and didn't want to sooth with them in case he was hungry.  After he fell asleep I felt like I had failed cause I was so against using them.  Idk what to feel right now.  Is using a binky so bad if I only use it during times where nothing else works?  He's already being a little pain in my behind with his latch suddenly cause he wants to play with the nipple before eating, I don't wanna make anything worse.

AmberLiz99

I have used a pacifier with both kids. My son gave it up on his own at 4 months, and my daughter used it to sleep till she was 1. We mostly used it at bedtime, but sometimes when they were fussy and not hungry too. Sometimes they just need something comforting and that's what worked for them. It does not make you a failure. They like to suck at such a young age, it helps soothe them. 

I didn't have an issue with my daughters latch because of it, so I don't know about that. I do think pacifiers her vilified a lot though with very little real reason for it. You have to find what works for you 

MynaBird

All of the above, in addition to which, pacifiers have been connected with a decreased SIDS risk. We used one from the beginning with our daughter and she didn't appear to have any issue latching, although breastfeeding didn't last very long for us due to other issues. She gave it up on her own around nine months. If it helps him sleep and consequently saves your sanity, that seems like the most important thing right now. 

Soverthis

I was anti paci too until I read happiest baby on the block where it explains sucking. If you have time it's an interesting read. You may be able to Google the gist of it too. 

26pointrunningfor2

In the NICU they use pacifiers-- I didn't know if I wanted to use them, but they used them without asking. And he loves it. I figure, if the NICU nurses and docs are using them, they must be ok. The one thing that the speech pathologist told me though is it's best to use a pacifier with a round nipple. The flat ones (NUK and others) gives them a flat palette, which is apparently bad. 

Good luck!

amangels2

I am right there with you guys in terms of fighting the pacifier. As I type this, DS is happily sucking away on one. He loves to suck and was sucking on my finger so I broke down and gave it to him. I just don't want him to constantly need it and always have one in his mouth so I'm really hoping to limit the time he gets it. 

adiaz132003

amangels2 said:

I am right there with you guys in terms of fighting the pacifier. As I type this, DS is happily sucking away on one. He loves to suck and was sucking on my finger so I broke down and gave it to him. I just don't want him to constantly need it and always have one in his mouth so I'm really hoping to limit the time he gets it. 

Yes! That's us too! Loves to suck on our fingers but I cant just sit there every time he fusses and let him suck on me.

laurendiaz02

Don't feel bad. If it helps you get some rest and soothes baby then use it. I was against the pacifier, but that changed once we brought him home. He rarely uses it but when we/he needs it, it's there. We hope to discontinue use of it soon, so we shall see how that goes. 

arteduc8

We met with a lactation consultant at our hospital a week after she was born and the LC gave us the go ahead to use a pacifier because she had already surpassed her birth weight. The LC said that it was obvious we had a well established nursing routine and it wasn't a worry. My DD hates diaper changes and gets inconsolable like your LO and the pacifier has helped. Don't feel guilty, do what is best for you and your LO. 

alysemci

Anything to save your sanity. My first son hated them and would never take one, my second son takes them when he needs that oral fixation to fall asleep. He has no issues with nipple confusion and bfs like a champ. I mainly use a pacifier when my poor boobs need a break because he's using them as his pacifier. Kid nurses every hour 

TunieBee

I loved the paci w my son and he gave it up on his own at 4 mos. I can't get my 4 weeks old to take one. Any tips?!

fishwife799

I honestly don't understand the hatred for pacifiers (not you soecifically, just in general) I would have given my leg for my daughter to take one and she never would. Instead she used me as a pacifier and would comfort nurse all the time. With my son he took one at about a week old and give it up easily just after his 1st birthday.
If it helps you get some rest and saves your sanity there is nothing wrong with using one. You have to take care of yourself too.  

purplefan1

I'm definitely not against using a pacifier (although I like to see them as short term use. I cringe when a child is old enough to move the pacifier to the side of their mouth in order to talk around it. Not judging, just worrying about future dental issues and the chaos of trying to break a well formed habit at that point). I've been thinking about breaking out the pacifier the past two days because she has been nursing like crazy and I have a suspicion it might be somewhat for comfort. She will nurse for awhile, fall asleep and drop the nipple, but when I go to move her she wakes up and thinks it is time to nurse again. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Exhausting at 2am. I am waiting until we see the pediatrician Wednesday to make sure we got weight up and then will make a decision at that point. Plus, I want my husband to have one more tool to use when I am at work in the evenings to soothe her so he doesn't lose his mind or try to overfeed to soothe.

Bear14+

100% using & really believe in how awesome pacifiers are. We got rid of DS's when he turned a year and in that year, a pacifier saved my sanity over and over again!!!  

nightwitch

Using a pacifier they gave him in the NICU. I also have been mostly formula feeding since we got no skin to skin and he spent a week in the hospital post partum mostly under 4 bili-lights so I couldn't hold him much. The stress and time spent between responsibilities of home and camping out at the hospital meant I had a hard time pumping more than about 5 times a day. My supply just sucks. I'm trying to up it now that he's home by pumping more times, and longer sessions and eating all the things Dr. Google tells me will help my supply. I feel guilty feeding him mostly formula because it's made our lives so much easier. I just hope I can get these stupid old boobs of mine to perform, because I'm almost ready to give up the hassle to get 100 ml of breastmilk a day since he seems happy, healthy and fed on formula. 

mamabird24

With my first, we gave her one and she gave it up at about 6 months. She was formula fed so no issues with latch. With DD2 we never gave her one and I became a human paci, with her Comfort nursing all the time. Occasionally it was ok, but it got tiresome after while. 
DD3 is now 3 days old and we bought one to use. She's taken it a few times, calmed down and spit it out but still stayed calm. I even got an extra 45 min of sleep before having to feed her last night thanks to the paci! We're only using it at night really or during diaper changes which she hates. Maybe in the car too when we can't comfort her other ways.
Good luck and you're not alone

AmberLiz99

nightwitch said:

Using a pacifier they gave him in the NICU. I also have been mostly formula feeding since we got no skin to skin and he spent a week in the hospital post partum mostly under 4 bili-lights so I couldn't hold him much. The stress and time spent between responsibilities of home and camping out at the hospital meant I had a hard time pumping more than about 5 times a day. My supply just sucks. I'm trying to up it now that he's home by pumping more times, and longer sessions and eating all the things Dr. Google tells me will help my supply. I feel guilty feeding him mostly formula because it's made our lives so much easier. I just hope I can get these stupid old boobs of mine to perform, because I'm almost ready to give up the hassle to get 100 ml of breastmilk a day since he seems happy, healthy and fed on formula. 

I've been through major supply issues and making that choice. Don't feel guilty, whichever you decide! A properly fed baby is what meters in the end. Do what you feel best and most strongly about. No mom who provides her baby with food should feel guilty, whether her body makes it or it comes from a store. 

purplefan1

AmberLiz99 said:

nightwitch said:

Using a pacifier they gave him in the NICU. I also have been mostly formula feeding since we got no skin to skin and he spent a week in the hospital post partum mostly under 4 bili-lights so I couldn't hold him much. The stress and time spent between responsibilities of home and camping out at the hospital meant I had a hard time pumping more than about 5 times a day. My supply just sucks. I'm trying to up it now that he's home by pumping more times, and longer sessions and eating all the things Dr. Google tells me will help my supply. I feel guilty feeding him mostly formula because it's made our lives so much easier. I just hope I can get these stupid old boobs of mine to perform, because I'm almost ready to give up the hassle to get 100 ml of breastmilk a day since he seems happy, healthy and fed on formula. 

I've been through major supply issues and making that choice. Don't feel guilty, whichever you decide! A properly fed baby is what meters in the end. Do what you feel best and most strongly about. No mom who provides her baby with food should feel guilty, whether her body makes it or it comes from a store. 

I echo this! You are doing great and honestly, 100ml is awesome! But your baby is happy, healthy, and fed so whatever works for your family and gives you time to enjoy your baby and brings less stress, do it.

MynaBird

AmberLiz99 said:

nightwitch said:

Using a pacifier they gave him in the NICU. I also have been mostly formula feeding since we got no skin to skin and he spent a week in the hospital post partum mostly under 4 bili-lights so I couldn't hold him much. The stress and time spent between responsibilities of home and camping out at the hospital meant I had a hard time pumping more than about 5 times a day. My supply just sucks. I'm trying to up it now that he's home by pumping more times, and longer sessions and eating all the things Dr. Google tells me will help my supply. I feel guilty feeding him mostly formula because it's made our lives so much easier. I just hope I can get these stupid old boobs of mine to perform, because I'm almost ready to give up the hassle to get 100 ml of breastmilk a day since he seems happy, healthy and fed on formula. 

I've been through major supply issues and making that choice. Don't feel guilty, whichever you decide! A properly fed baby is what meters in the end. Do what you feel best and most strongly about. No mom who provides her baby with food should feel guilty, whether her body makes it or it comes from a store. 

100 percent this. I kept forcing myself to keep up unproductive pumping sessions with my first. A full day of pumping sessions would yield just one feeding's worth. My husband finally convinced me to stop so I could actually enjoy some time with the baby. He believed (correctly, I think) that it was contributing to my PPD. As long as baby is fed, that's the most important thing. 

nightwitch

Thanks for the support ladies. I guess all of us are going to feel guilty or like failures at some point about something that ultimately doesn't much matter. And I really didn't like the idea of BF in the first place, and now I feel guilty about that too. Stupid PP hormones

BMD8181

I read Happiest Baby on the Block with my first son (it was recommended to me by my pediatrician) and learned about the 5 S's. It worked for us and saved my sanity. Since one of the S's is sucking (suck, swing, swaddle, shhhhh, side), I personally do not feel as though there is anything wrong with using a pacifier when the need to soothe is necessary. At the end of the day, you need to do what is best for you and your family, not what someone or some article tells you is "right".