When to use a pacifer?

ccbelle123

I have never been a fan of pacifers (I think they look like "baby plugs"), but I keep reading about sucking reflexes and seeing lots of babies happily using them.  So I began to wonder if my baby is craving one and I just don't know it.  How do I know if she wants one and when would I give it to her?

(Side note: we are BF-ing, but have also already introduced a bottle due to the fact that she was a preemie and needed to supplement those first few days.)

danielle0278

I only use mine as a last resort if nothing else is working. She never goes to sleep with one and never just has one in her mouth all day long. Which is nice because she isn't addicted to it. I see all these posts about babies waking up in the middle of the night because their pacifier fell out... I am glad that isn't an issue for us.

kg_08

We introduced a paci at 4 days old, because I did not want to be a "human pacifier". We could tell it was time because she'd get fussy, I'd put her on the boob, and she's be asleep in 1 minute. Also sometimes when she's full from nursing she gets really pissed because she still wants to suck and is annoyed that milk is still coming out.

goodgolly_mrsmolly

We use one when he's overtired & fussy- if I hold him he turns his head to the side, but if I let him nurse he lets the milk spill out of his mouth.  He sucks on the paci til he's sleepy and then we take it out as he falls asleep.  He only uses one during the day, not at night.

danielle0278

kg_08:

We introduced a paci at 4 days old, because I did not want to be a "human pacifier". We could tell it was time because she'd get fussy, I'd put her on the boob, and she's be asleep in 1 minute. Also sometimes when she's full from nursing she gets really pissed because she still wants to suck and is annoyed that milk is still coming out.

sorry i didn't completely answer your question but this is also why we started to use one too.

Aubrianarose

kg_08:

We introduced a paci at 4 days old, because I did not want to be a "human pacifier". We could tell it was time because she'd get fussy, I'd put her on the boob, and she's be asleep in 1 minute. Also sometimes when she's full from nursing she gets really pissed because she still wants to suck and is annoyed that milk is still coming out.

Ditto on the bolded part... I never wanted to use one (especially the kind that has that chain attached and clipped to the shirt... UGH. I never want it that available to her) but when we do use it, she really likes it and it helps her (and me!). I'm just really not looking forward to breaking her of it when she's older. But I keep hearing "you can take away the pacifier, but you can't take her thumb" and I introduced it when I started seeing her sucking her hands. She once even gave herself a hickey on her forearm... this was proof to me that she wanted to suck on something so, what could I do?

McKenna04

kg_08:

We introduced a paci at 4 days old, because I did not want to be a "human pacifier". We could tell it was time because she'd get fussy, I'd put her on the boob, and she's be asleep in 1 minute. Also sometimes when she's full from nursing she gets really pissed because she still wants to suck and is annoyed that milk is still coming out.

I could have wrote this myself.. except I think we caved when they were only 2 or 3 days old. (Im no longer BFing either though)

insertclevername

We started using a pacifier within the first week because LO was sucking on anything he could for comfort.  He would suck on his hands, on clothing, and on our pinky fingers.  He gets his pacifier when he is fussy and cranky (but not wet, hungry, etc.) or overtired he spits it out on his own once he is asleep and doesn't wake up wanting it back.

Kitiara5512

"But I keep hearing "you can take away the pacifier, but you can't take her thumb" and I introduced it when I started seeing her sucking her hands. " 

Sucking her hands at this age is learning to self soothe and discovering her hands. She is going to be putting things in her mouth to learn about them, it is only an issue if she keeps them there to suck on after 4 months old.

katlor9

he usually only gets one if he's still awake after his last bottle before bed. and we keep one in the car seat just in case.

kator12

i really don't think using a paci is bad.  babies need to suck and it promotes good development.  you're not "plugging" your baby....you're satisfying a need by giving a paci.    my baby spits it out or pushes it away a lot of the time. he knows when he wants it to soothe and doesn't just use it because someone put it in his mouth to quiet him

Allie30

my baby is not fooled by the binkie. we can occasionally use it to keep the screaming to a minimum after she's finished her bottle (takes a minute for her brain to catch up to her tummy) but she usually realizes what it is and spits it out.

its different from the "discovery" sucking she's doing with her hands/clothes/rattle.