BF and avoiding pacifiers

sailnkat · March 2012

Our LC recommended no pacifiers for at least three weeks in order to make sure that LO has established BF habits. Right now I'm feeding about every hour and a half because LO gets so upset and I know it's close enough to two hours. LO got so upset today about an hour after nursing and I just could not settle him down and gave him a pacifier for about 10 min to calm him down. I feel so guilty about giving him a pacifier but he still nurses just fine.

Is anyone successfully NOT using a pacifier or plan to not use a pacifier for awhile? Or is anyone BF successfully AND using a pacifier?

I know I shouldn't feel guilty about it, but I want to maximize my chances for BF for at least the first four months and between having very sore nipples and being exhausted from being the only feeder every 1 1/2 hours, I don't want anything that could make BF even the slightest bit more difficult.

mrs.gee · March 2012

I always thought the whole nipple confusion thing was hooey, although we did wait until almost 2 weeks before offering DS2 a pacifier. Within a day he started putting up a major fuss when it came time to nurse. He would get really frustrated about latching on - it was like he forgot how to do it, and things had been going really well until that point. It was taking 25-30 min to get him latched on and I'd have to shove my boob really far back in his mouth before he'd even attempt to suck. My husband pointed out the difficulties coincided with our introduction of the pacifier. We stopped using it and within a day we slowly got back to better latching again. Now every day is different with a newborn so who knows if DS2 was just having a bad day, but we'll be waiting a few weeks before introducing it again. I will also say DS1 used a pacifier and nursed and we didn't have this problem.

speckledfrog · March 2012

We waited until 3 weeks, but we would let DS suck on our finger to calm down. How that's different, I don't know. Stick out tongue

RaeJ004 · March 2012

We gave DD a pacifier at about... Ohhh... Two days old. We got some crap in the hospital from the LC there about giving her one but since then everyone has told me that she is smart enough to know what she can get food from and what she can't. We have had no issues BFing.

GL mama!

greengirl0909 · March 2012

With DS 1, he took a pacifier the first week, but by 4 or so weeks, wouldn't have it. With DS 2, I was really sick in the hospital so DH offered a pacifier because I was in no position to nurse and LO had been doing such a great job. DS took it fine, but the next time I went to nurse he absolutely refused my breast. It scared me so we stopped offering it.

My LO loves to cluster feed in the evenings which can be really exhausting. I ask DH to walk him around if I need a little break. I put lanolin on my nipples and give them some air, then get back to it. I figure LO won't want me this way forever and I'm trying to be mommy tough!

FinallyMrsBMW · March 2012

We are successfully BFing AND using a paci. I've never felt guilty about it and it definitely helps her in the car. Our LC didn't say not to because DD has been a great little eater from the start. I don't give it to her all the time by any means and that is the last thing that I go to to calm her down. Usually it's something else and she doesn't need the paci.

We also used it with DD#1 from day one. They gave her one in the hospital after asking our permission and it actually helped improve her latch. Before then, she was pushing out with her tongue and then magically knew how to nurse after taking a paci for a few hours. We successfully breastfed for 16.5 months.

I wouldn't worry about it especially if BFing is well established.

MelbaCat · March 2012

so far DD is a great eater and I'm afraid to mess with that. DS was a great eater and we waited a month for the paci (I EBFed 13mos with him). I'll probably do the same to be safe. But I'm a wimp.

Alliebooberz · April 2012

I'm not using a pacifier, but it's because I want to establish a healthy and hearty supply. If DS is sucking on a pacifier, that means he's not latched on to me and my milk production isn't going to increase like it would if I wasn't using a pacifier and LO isn't going to gain as much weight.

MissAuroram · April 2012

I never thought I would give her a pacifier, but we ended up giving her one the day we left the hospital. Sometimes she unlatches and won't latch back on but will not stop fussing until she has something to suck. It's just who she is. But it's almost a month later now, and we've had zero confusion. She knows what to do when she's hungry.

NewzieMom · April 2012

We did the no pacifier thing and it backfired on us with our second. He ended up being colicy and refused a pacifier once we started offering then when I was out of town one day I found out from my mom he also didn't take bottles. Needless to say I no longer thing it's necessary to avoid the pacifier. With DS#3 we asked for one at the hospital and never had any bfing issues.

med380 · April 2012

Both my kids started using pacifiers while still in the hospital and both of them breastfed without issues.

BitsKD13 · April 2012

We've been BFing and using a pacifier without too much problem... I think. Liam latches well and usually feeds till he falls asleep. He also seems to refuse the pacifier when he is really hungry.

Mostly we use the pacifier when he's really fussy- diaper changes, and at night after being fed and changed he sometimes fusses a lot and won't settle down so we use the paci to calm him. But during the day we're pretty much paci free.

A few days ago I was also reluctant to let him near my breast every time he fussed since I was REALLY engorged- to the point he had a very hard time latching- I was worried about over supply and other problems nursing. So it was nice to give him some comfort from sucking (which he likes to do).

countrygrl5533 · April 2012

DD has had a pacifier since since day 2. She eats great. About 10 times a day for 20-30 minutes. Supply is just fine. She just likes to suck. A lot. She likes it right after eating and when she is sleepy. Those two things usually go together. lol.

GoldenGibson · April 2012

ColleenSwerb:
We've used one from day 1. They gave it to him in the hospital because he got himself SO worked up durin an assessment and they couldn't calm him down. They said to just not offer it after that one time, but we did. And it's fine. DS has a good latch and is feeding like a champ, and I have no supply issues whatsoever. I'm not willing to have him suck on me for hours on end if all he's doing is sucking for comfort. If he wants to eat, he wants nothing to do with the paci, so there's no confusion issues and we know when he's hungry.

This is exactly us. We didn't give it to him on day 1 and I thought I wouldn't use one, but it did come in handy a couple days into having him home and we haven't had any nipple confusion at all. When he's hungry, he won't take the paci anymore and goes right on the boob!

ndebello · April 2012

Lo gets bottle fed bm during the day and bf at night. We also give him a pacifier. He is only a week old and we have had no issues. Our pediatrician told us that nipple confusion does not exist and that lactation consultants are usually over conservative about it. I would not worry about it.

nola 1017 · April 2012

speckledfrog:
We waited until 3 weeks, but we would let DS suck on our finger to calm down. How that's different, I don't know.

We use our finger too. Tried a paci twice - late at night when all she wants to do is use me as a pacifier. Both times, she hated it and I felt really guilty.

nola 1017 · April 2012

Alliebooberz:
I'm not using a pacifier, but it's because I want to establish a healthy and hearty supply. If DS is sucking on a pacifier, that means he's not latched on to me and my milk production isn't going to increase like it would if I wasn't using a pacifier and LO isn't going to gain as much weight.

This is our philosophy too. Aside from the two times we caved, we've stuck to it. Helps that Abigail seemed to hate the paci though!

mrs.gee · April 2012

speckledfrog:
We waited until 3 weeks, but we would let DS suck on our finger to calm down. How that's different, I don't know.

I think the difference is a finger is soft at the back of their palate, more like a boob, and the pacifier is hard. We use our finger too and LO has not had a problem nursing after that. It was only with the hard plastic paci that we had issues.

BF and avoiding pacifiers

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