Pacifiers and Breastfeeding?

imakeeff0rts

I am a FTM and would like to breastfeed. I've heard from one mom that I should request that a pacifier not be given to DS once he arrives.

Does it really make a difference? Can bf babies use pacifiers at all?

topofthepeek

Hello I'm a FTM also. My hospital says they won't even offer a pacifier because they really try to push breastfeeding. They say it could interfere with trying to BF. And if you want a pacifier that you have to bring your own. I have been told by several people that if you want to try BF that you should wait till your baby has gotten the hang of that before giving them a pacifier. I haven't started my BF class yet so I am anxious to hear what they have to say.

1017Shannon

My first was a great breastfeeder and loved his pacified right from the get go!

I think it depends on the baby and how they are doing. My friend's baby had a lot of latching and they refused to give him a paci.

my advice would be wait and see how your baby does...if no issues go for it! I truly believe it depends on the baby and blanket statements about breastfeeding are ridiculous. aka...breastfeeding is harder after c section....harder if pacifier given...etc. All depends on baby! Good luck!!!!

imakeeff0rts

1017Shannon:

My first was a great breastfeeder and loved his pacified right from the get go! I think it depends on the baby and how they are doing. My friend's baby had a lot of latching and they refused to give him a paci. my advice would be wait and see how your baby does...if no issues go for it! I truly believe it depends on the baby and blanket statements about breastfeeding are ridiculous. aka...breastfeeding is harder after c section....harder if pacifier given...etc. All depends on baby! Good luck!!!!

Awesome, thank you! I was kind of wanting to provide one to him if we didn't have any problems.

kjg5445

in my own personal experience we were able to successfully breastfeed and use a pacifier. I did wait a couple days before introducing the pacified until we both got used to breastfeeding. my hospital did not procide a pacifier.

doodlemonkey22

Depends on the baby really. But in general it is best to not give baby a pacifier until breastfeeding is well established...meaning your milk supply is good and steady and baby is latching on like a pro. Even then some moms refuse to use a pacifier and insist it will interfere with milk supply. I think this is when baby's breastfeeding personality comes into play. The ladies over at the Breastfeeding boards should provide better answers. I just know that in my experience DS1 could not switch back and forth between boob and paci. He started to prefer the rubber nipple. With DS2, it was never a problem. He was a breastfeeding champ.

PrimRoseMama

Some can and some can't. It all depends on the baby. My LC recommends waiting two weeks. My pediatrician said it didn't matter and that nipple confusion is an unfounded theory. With DD we never had a problem going between bottle and breast or paci and breast. Ever. 

Some babies do. So you will have to make the decision for yourself. DD was BF and FF (supply issues). She still is having a hard time weaning off the pacifier. Some babies never take a pacifier no matter what you do. My good friend's baby never took the breast or a pacifier, but took a bottle.

Its all individual. There is no hard and fast rule.  

baloneydisc

It depends on the baby.  DD was given a paci in the hospital when they were doing some of her testing.  She gave it up on her own at 4mo.  She is now 18mo and still BF.

Creedon778

I was very anti-pacifier when DS was born because I was afraid it would interfere.  The hospital gave us one that they used during circumcision (they asked if it was OK and I said yes), but then I avoided using it otherwise.  However about two weeks into BFing (he was a great BFer) I learned DH was secretly sneaking him a pacifier on his night shifts....which completely explained why DS was so much quieter for him than for me.

So once I learned he was getting it anyway I let him have the pacifier and it never impacted BFing.  We BF'd for 10.5 months.

BelhurstBride

crunchymama11:

It really depends on baby. It is recommended not to until your supply is well established- at least the first few weeks. It can cause nipple confusion in some babies. Giving the paci occasionally in the beginning is ok if it isn't causing nipple confusion- when you really need a break to eat dinner or take a shower. But comfort nursing is soooo important to establishing your supply that giving a paci often in the first few weeks can impact your supply.

I agree. It is best to make sure you have a good latch and established supply before introducing a paci. 

Some babes are just comfort suckers and need that sucking, whether on the paci or Mom, to help them be content.  

A37licia

I've bf two kids for almost a year and a half each, and am fine with a pacifier AFTER breastfeeding has been established. The opinion varies on how long that time period is. For our first, we waited 3 weeks. With my DD, we waited less because she needed to suck a lot.  Either way, I am uncomfortable giving one in the first 2-3 days, at the very least, because if baby wants to suck then, they should be on the breast.

EmR22

Just wanted to say a lot of hospitals don't offer pacifiers anymore. When I had DD almost 4 years ago everyone got one or two but now all the hospitals in our area only offer them to medically necessary babies and actually lock them up.

carolyn02

All babies are different but I used a pacifier and bf from day 1 and never had any problems with either. I plan to do both with 2.

BrideMay2005

We didn't plan on giving DS a pacifier, but he wouldn't sleep at all during one of the nights at the hospital and a nurse offered to take him to the nursery for a little while while we slept. When he came back he had a pacifier. It didn't deter him from nursing and we only used it when he was really little, but there weren't any issues.

bubbasloveshak

I am expecting baby #3 and with both DC#1 and DC#2 both were breastfed and both had no issue with nipple confusion with me, a pacifier or a bottle nipple.  We introduced a pacifier fairly early on because both myself and DH were long term thumb suckers and we wanted to do all we could to prevent our kids from being thumb suckers too.  I agree with PP, bring some pacifiers with you to the hospital and make your decision after trying to nurse the first few times.  Good luck!

smellychelly25

The hospital doesn't want your baby to be confused between your nipple and a pacifier nipple. I have not had any issues with introducing a pacifier and breastfeeding. He hates the pacifier anyway.

imakeeff0rts

Thanks, ladies. This may sound dumb, but I'd never heard of that before and since most of my friends/family didn't or couldn't bf, they're not exactly great sources of info.

JMU_Bride09

We asked the doctor about that at DS1's two week checkup and were told that it wouldn't make a difference. That ended up being the case for us, but he didn't have one before he was two weeks old. I don't really know how it would go for a brand new newborn.