Pacifiers (Also on Aug. 2012)

WhitEm14 · September 2012

What are your thoughts/opinions on them? FTMs are you using them? Why or why not? STMs have you used them before or are you using them now? Why or why not? There seems to be a lot of different opinions out there and I just don't really understand pacifiers and their use. I'm not trying to start anything, I'm just looking for some info.

samibear74 · September 2012

I have tried to use a pacifier several times with my son. He will take it for about a min and then spit it out. I gave up on them but I really don't think he cares for them. The only thing that bothers me about pacifiers is when I see a 5 year old kid with one in their mouth...but that's just my opinion of course.

brandyleighxx · September 2012

FTM was against them only because of having to break the habit down the road but DS keeps eating his hands and making us think he is starving, even shortly after 3 or 4 ounces. So, we tried a paci tonight and it solved the problem. I just hope to break the habit before he's a toddler.

oprastr · September 2012

Pro pacifier here! Sucking is very soothing to babies and at this stage in the game I think people should use any tool available to have a happy baby. Not to mention that a number of doctors recommend them and they can help prevent SIDS. Personally, I think most kids will want to suck something and I would rather have it be something I can control as they get older like a pacifier instead of a gross germy thumb!

laurenhankey · September 2012

When I was pregnant I was very "anti-pacifier" but as mommies we all learned that any "plans" go right out the window when it comes down to it (ex: I wanted to EBF, not be induced, have a natural birth - I had the complete opposite!!). LO was about 10 days old when my hubby said "that's it! I'm trying the pacifier!!" and it was a magical moment. I use it sparingly like when she gets overtired and snuggling with her to go to sleep isn't enough. I'll snuggle, rock and sidehold her and she's out in about 2 minutes. Babies have a natural need to suck and it soothes them. So it's either the paci or her hands. I'm sure one or the other is a habit we'll have to break later on but it works for now!

catapult32 · September 2012

At first I was against pacifiers, and it was made worse after a nurse in the hospital convinced me to let her give DD one when she went to the nursery (worst decision I ever made! They gave her back to me after 45 minutes because she just kept screaming, lol). It made it more difficult to breastfeed until she figured out the difference (about 2 days), but now I LOVE them!! We use soothies and they are a lifesaver. DD likes to suck for comfort and my nipples can't handle that, plus she doesn't want food and always ended up throwing up when she would nurse for comfort.

britbratjf · September 2012

FTM as well, DD is 10 weeks. I didn't initially have any thoughts on pacifiers, we got some and I figured we would use them if needed. They have been GREAT. DD loves to suck and goes for her hands ALL the time. It's much better to give her the pacifier IMO because I feel like it will be easier to break a pacifier habit rather than a thumb sucking habit.

We don't give it to her all the time, generally just when she's overtired or overstimulated and upset. We don't need to use one to get her to sleep at night so no worries about it falling out at night and her waking up upset. I think you just have to do what works for you but babies have a strong need to suck and pacifiers can really help with that.

jasminelorraine20 · September 2012

I'm a FTM and I use them. At first I was dead set against using them since I breastfeed, but they became necessary at some point. LO doesn't always need one, but he will suck on one if he's screaming his head off in a doctor's office- so it comes in handy. Now that he found his hands, he uses it less and less.

katep082012 · September 2012

Like a lot of PP I was against them too, but have resigned myself to the fact that LO wants it. Here were the reasons I did NOT want to give her one:

1. I was worried about a struggle with taking it away - - was told that if you do it by a year though, it is not as bad as if you wait til they are older. Was also recommended by my pedi to get a WubbaNub - - they have a little stuffed animal attached to the end and she said when it is time to take the paci away, you cut off the stuffed animal and just give them that - - the smell reminds them of their paci and it becomes their "lovey".

2. I didnt like the idea of LO sucking on plastic. However, I did a bit of research and there are lots of natural pacifiers out there. I found one made by a company called Naturesutten that has no BPA, pthalates, etc. and is made from natural tree rubber.

3. My neice is 2.5 and still uses her paci and I think it has delayed her speech a bit, because she always has it in her mouth.

In the end, my LO was overfeeding at the breast because she needed to comfort suck (she was spitting up a TON of undigested milk after feeds), and she was starting to find her hands/thumb anyway. I know that taking a paci away is much easier than taking a thumb away!

WhitEm14 · September 2012

shmeell25:
I don't know what you mean though that you don't understand their use - they pacify your baby.

I dont know why I wrote this part either. I was obviously very tired. haha. Sleep

rnbeth477 · September 2012

I used the soothie pacifier with DS, and it was a lifesaver in the beginning. When I was pregnant with him, I was also totally against them. But while in the hospital, he came back to us after a check up in the nursery with one in his mouth. We eventually realized it was awesome, plus it caused no problems with breastfeeding.

He stopped using it on his own after a few months. At that point, he discovered his thumb. DS has been a thumb sucker ever since...

Jessica Swanlake · September 2012

I am totally pro, if the baby is soothed by it. My LO is 3 weeks old and I have been dealing with a pretty horrific yeast/breast infection since about day 3- soothing her with my breast has not really been an option because of she constantly seems to want something in her mouth and the pain was driving me out of my head. The binky has actually helped us with breastfeeding. She had a really weak suck and was not getting much milk so I would have to nurse & pump- now she seems to have perfected her sucking powers on the binky and is doing much better when on the breast.

jelina · September 2012

I am so pro-pacifier. Thing is, neither of my kids would take the darn things. DD did for a few weeks but now at six weeks, hasn't used it for a couple weeks. She hates it and would rather comfort nurse. Lovely. It makes it harder to calm her down a lot of the time versus when she would take it a few weeks ago.

pixieprincss · September 2012

For a BF baby, what I've always heard from LLL sources is that 6 weeks is a good minimum because there is more to the pacifier "debate" than nipple confusion--baby's endless need to suck is best done at the breast (as much as possible) the first 6 weeks when the milk is still heavy with colostrum which benefits baby's weight, immune system, etc. Plus the extra suckling at the breast is good for milk supply, baby's comfort and body regulation, mom's uterus toning, emphasizing proper latch, etc.

Optimally, our babies wouldn't use pacifiers at all but, alas, both my boys have been INCREDIBLE suckers--like desperate to suck despite cue-feeding around the clock--and it became better for both baby and me to use a pacifier selectively (like in the car) starting at 4-5 weeks. We still prefer the real deal (breast) or offering a pinkie finger to offering a pacifier (since a finger comes with parental cuddles), but there is a time and a place for pacifiers for babies who really express this need.

Lynxwc · September 2012

Our son has a lot of problems with gas/fussiness and we were overfeeding him because we were mistaking his hungry cries with his fussy cries early on. The Dr recommended encouraging the pacifer IF it helped settle and distract him between feedings. It has helped a lot, perhaps too much. But it is the only way to calm him down, along with swaddling him, when he gets going in one of his fits.

My mom said my brother's Dr told her to use one with him as a premie to help aid in digestion after feeding.

The only concern I have is a lasting dependence on them as he gets older to soothe him. I've been told by a lot of people its a self confidence thing later in life, the more confident they are the more likely they are to give it up sooner.

Want a personalized experience?

Pacifiers (Also on Aug. 2012)

Re: Pacifiers (Also on Aug. 2012)

Choose Another Board

Search Boards