Are You Planning On Using A Pacifier?

CaliforniaSunshine

I was just wondering how many of you are planning on using a pacifier with LO and if you are going to bring one to the hospital with you.

cherylnicole

We aren't until LO is a little (if not a lot) older-everything we've read and even at our BF class they said not to use one for awhile

claire1983

I am not planning on using one until he catches on to the bf'ing action. Then I probably will introduce one, so no I will not be bringing one to the hospital.

megperk72

Haven't really thought about it, but know I won't use one until I figure out the bf'ing thing. After I see that is working, it's not something I'm opposed to. But not something I'll force either.

MrsMoody2006

Not planning on using one, DD didn't use one so I'm keeping my fingers crossed

ashnoelle

claire1983:

I am not planning on using one until he catches on to the bf'ing action. Then I probably will introduce one, so no I will not be bringing one to the hospital.

This. Though I don't want to be a human pacifier all the time after we get BFing down, so I plan on using them later.  

annasi83

We decided to wait and talk to our pediatrician about it at one of the first checkups.  I have looked into it, but I am not comfortable one way or the other yet. 

Qmommy

I have a couple at home for the baby but I'm not planning on introducing it until weeks later (like 6 weeks later).  My niece was introduced to her pacifier at 6 weeks of age and she didn't really reject it but it never caught on as something she wanted.  I'm not going to force or "teach" my baby how to use one.

doremi29

I would like to not use one right away, but I'm going to bring one to the hospital because my friend's lactation consultant actually suggested she use one -the baby was having some trouble at first and apparently the pacifier seemed to help. 

jenirvt

We are, we used one with DD from Day one and she still BF'ed fine, just planning on doing the same thing this time around!

Our hospital does not have them or give them to babies unless you bring your own and specifically OK them.

 

AllieJean

Nope, dont even have one in the house.

crittermama

Yes. I'll introduce it after we have BFing down a bit.

sarahlindsay

Yes.  It's my understanding from recent reading (I don't have links with me) that pacifiers generally don't contribute/lead to nipple confusion.

mrstarawalsh

Nope, don't plan on using one at all ever,

BamBam510

I would like to avoid using one at all, I'll be bf'ing so anytime he's anxious for something to suck on he'll be goin on the boob, and even after I establish a supply I am hoping to not have to use one, but it will depend on how he is.

Dreamsicle23

If baby is fussy and nothing is really wrong I'll try the paci.  If it works I'll use it, if not I'd rather it not become a habit we'll have to break later.

D_Nett86

We don't plan on using one. We're not buying any and if the hospital gives us one then we will use that for a little while but do not want LO to get too attached to it. I don't like what it does to their teeth. I didn't really use one when I was little and DH hated them and never used them.

KRISTA555

claire1983:

I am not planning on using one until he catches on to the bf'ing action. Then I probably will introduce one, so no I will not be bringing one to the hospital.

This. Except my LO is a she.

tarebear9891

We did (actually at the recommendation of our pedi) so that our DS could learn to self-soothe. He also pointed out a paci would be easier to get rid of when they are older than trying to keep your LO from sucking on their thumb. Our DS actually stopped wanting his paci around 5 months old.

BrittH05

Nope, didn't use one with my DS and don't plan to use one with DD. We had some but he never took them this go round I am not even going to offer it.

MorissaW

My babies hate the paci. I will try again with this LO but I am guessing s/he will refuse as well.

avada_kedavra

yes, but not for the first 2 weeks. they told us in our bf class not to use a bottle or paci until after that.

tarebear9891

D_Nett86:

We don't plan on using one. We're not buying any and if the hospital gives us one then we will use that for a little while but do not want LO to get too attached to it. I don't like what it does to their teeth. I didn't really use one when I was little and DH hated them and never used them.

Just so you know it would take years for it to have any effects on their teeth. And baby teeth are so resilient most of the time the fix themselves. Totally your choice about using a paci but I don't want other people thinking if they give their baby a paci it will ruin their teeth.

lotsofbustles

I'm hoping not to use a paci at all.  I'm not buying any and not going to give one to LO.  I'm actually going to specify that nurses not give one to LO in the hospital either.   

amygauntt@windstream.net

Absolutely!

And pacifiers really don't lead to nipple confusion, so I have no time line to give it to him. Whenever he seems to want it, he'll get it.

acruffalo

tarebear9891:

D_Nett86:

We don't plan on using one. We're not buying any and if the hospital gives us one then we will use that for a little while but do not want LO to get too attached to it. I don't like what it does to their teeth. I didn't really use one when I was little and DH hated them and never used them.

Just so you know it would take years for it to have any effects on their teeth. And baby teeth are so resilient most of the time the fix themselves. Totally your choice about using a paci but I don't want other people thinking if they give their baby a paci it will ruin their teeth.

I agree.  My sister refused to get rid of her's until she was like 3 or 4 (that's HORRIBLE, I know..) and she has the most PERFECT teeth I've ever seen in my life!

mrsmcphail

We won't for at least the first 4 weeks because we want to BF.  After that we'll just see.  DD really needed her "sassy" and we haven't had a problem breaking her from it.  Also, our LC said it was less about nipple confusion and more about needing all sucking to be contributing to your milk supply in the first 4 weeks. 

MermaidNM

Yes, they have been shown to help with SIDS and as a former thumb sucker who had major jaw surgery to correct the damage that was done I do not want my child sucking his/her thumb.

mysticporter

Our plan is to see how it goes.  With DD we really wanted to avoid it w/BFing, especially because we had a rough go at the beginning.  We stressed a ton, ended up getting very frustrated and finally offering one to her when she was around a week, and she refused it and never would take one.  This time we'll avoid it in the beginning again but play it by ear after that.

Mainer-in-Texas

I'm not sure. Definitely not until after BF is established, and, if we do use one, we are planning for it to be only for a few months. The books I have say they can be useful in the beginning because babies don't know how to soothe themselves and sucking helps them with this, and they lower the risk of SIDS, but to take them away by a certain age - 6 months? I can't remember right now, but I'd like to follow that recommendation.

whitehead15

With DS, we weren't wanting to use one, but started when he was a couple weeks old.  BF was no problem for me, so it wasn't a big deal.  I'm trying to wean him of it soon though....and totally dreading it!

LolaMonroe

I don't plan on using one, but I said the same thing before DS was born and his Binky was his best friend

I guess it'll just depend on how feeding is going and how we feel at the time!

lucisparents

I plan on using one for naps and bedtime after he's 2wks old. I'd like to take it away between 3-6months.

MeanMommyLady

I wanted DS to like a paci so badly...but, alas, he was totally done with it by the time he was 2 months old (and he's still nursing at 20 months).

Nipple confusion should really not be called that...babies are not confused by different nipples they are upset when they get used to a bottle because the food comes so much more easily from a bottle than it does from a breast, so they develop a preference for the easier bottle.  Pacifiers do not contribute to this issue because they don't EVER get food from a paci, so it doesn't convince them there is an easier way and cause them to reject the breast.

We will take pacis with us to the hospital (our hospital does not provide them) and introduce them early, I like another option for soothing baby (especially when we are on long car rides) so I hope this baby doesn't hate the paci as soon as DS did.

Kroschka

I swore I was not going to use one with DD!  But she was born early and was in the NICU for a couple of days.  They gave her one when I wasn't around.. (I was livid!!)  She sure did take to it and she did not suffer from nipple confusion.  It turned out to be a life saver because she was jaundiced and on a light therapy bed for a couple of days.  They did not want her taken out of it other than for a diaper change or feeding.  So when she was upset, it really was our only way to comfort her. 

I'm not going to say I won't give one to DS.  I guess it will all depend on the situation we are in.

LindseyJW

no. i am opposed to pacifiers. i'd prefer to address my child's issues rather than put a pacifier in his mouth.

i also plan to EBF and using pacifiers interferes with the baby learning to efficiently breastfeed.

MeanMommyLady

LindseyJW:

no. i am opposed to pacifiers. i'd prefer to address my child's issues rather than put a pacifier in his mouth.

i also plan to EBF and using pacifiers interferes with the baby learning to efficiently breastfeed.

I'm sorry, you just hit my button on this one.  Using a pacifier does not equate to not addressing your child's issues.  Try again.  Sometimes using a pacifier IS addressing the child's issue.  Babies NEED to suck, it is primal, but they are not always hungry when they need to suck, sometimes they just need it for comfort.  If you want to use YOUR nipples as a pacifier, that's fine, but it's really no different (and almost impossible to do in a moving vehicle).

My DS was EBF for 7 months and is still BFing at 20 months, pacifiers do not "interfere with baby learning to efficiently breastfeed" that is a fallacy.  BOTTLES interfere with breastfeeding, but pacifiers, in normal situations, do not.