pacifiers?

Emerald27 · August 2014

theresat858 said:

Emerald27 said:

@theresat858‌ In my experience, when artificial nipples are introduced prior to breastfeeding being well-established, it very often complicates breastfeeding. Latch issues, breast refusal, and even trouble gaining weight appropriately are all very common after early introduction of artificial nipples.

Helping enough mothers in tears from painful latch and other challenges faced after introducing bottles and pacifiers too early has taught me to always recommend that parents wait.

There is nothing wrong with using bottles and pacifiers with breastfed babies, but if breastfeeding is important to you, taking precautions and a careful approach will be beneficial to you.

Except when it saves mom's sanity. Same with bottles. If I had had to use the damn SNS, there is no way I would have stuck with the pump-feed-pump routine we had going for the first two weeks. A bottle can be given while mom pumps, and you can both be back in bed in 30 minutes.

deezidee04 said:

Emerald27 said:
@ss265‌ The rec I follow is for moms planning to return to work to introduce a bottle around 4 weeks or once breastfeeding is well-established. As long as breastfeeding is going well and you're careful/watching for any nipple confusion, you should be just fine.
Is this recommendation the same for moms planning to return to work after 12 weeks? Or do we want to hold off on the bottle a little longer?

I wouldn't wait any longer than 4 weeks unless you want to struggle with getting baby to take a bottle.

I've been on the BF board for the past 2 years, and every mom who has had a child who refuses the bottle didn't introduce one until 6-8 weeks or longer. Introduction around 3-4 weeks seems to be the sweet spot of being long enough for BF to be established, but not too long that baby gets picky and only wants mom.

That being said, assuming we don't need one in the early days (DD had jaundice and milk transfer issues), we will introduce one around 2 weeks. I will pump in the morning and around 9pm after feeding LO, and then go to bed. DH will give the bottle around 11pm. I will get a 4-5 hour stretch of sleep before waking up for the other night feedings. This worked really well for us the first time around, and generally won't cause supply issues if you are careful to be sure to always pump at least as much in a day as baby is taking in a bottle (and don't go longer than 4-5hrs without BF/pumping).

------------------------------
I really am glad that you found a plan that worked well for you, your DD, and fit your situation. But in the early weeks, a mom's supply is so fragile as it is established, and sleeping 4-5 hours without nursing when baby is only 2 weeks old is not recommended. Even if you're pumping earlier in the evening.

It worked for you and that's really great, but I wouldn't recommend your plan to other mothers. It makes me nervous to see this plan written out so positively, when the risk of supply issues, plugged ducts, and nipple confusion is real and serious for mothers who might attempt the same.

And as far as saving mom's sanity goes, I don't really understand that argument for offering bottles and pacifiers early. I can understand it once breastfeeding is well-established, but if things aren't going well, the answer shouldn't necessarily be jumping straight to bottles or pacifiers, but seeking support from friends and family, and help from an IBCLC. All new parents feel like they're losing their sanity a bit when they're sleepless in the early weeks. I guess I just miss your point here.

ss265 · August 2014

theresat858 said:

Emerald27 said:

@theresat858‌ In my experience, when artificial nipples are introduced prior to breastfeeding being well-established, it very often complicates breastfeeding. Latch issues, breast refusal, and even trouble gaining weight appropriately are all very common after early introduction of artificial nipples. Helping enough mothers in tears from painful latch and other challenges faced after introducing bottles and pacifiers too early has taught me to always recommend that parents wait. There is nothing wrong with using bottles and pacifiers with breastfed babies, but if breastfeeding is important to you, taking precautions and a careful approach will be beneficial to you.
Except when it saves mom's sanity. Same with bottles. If I had had to use the damn SNS, there is no way I would have stuck with the pump-feed-pump routine we had going for the first two weeks. A bottle can be given while mom pumps, and you can both be back in bed in 30 minutes.

deezidee04 said:

@ss265‌ The rec I follow is for moms planning to return to work to introduce a bottle around 4 weeks or once breastfeeding is well-established. As long as breastfeeding is going well and you're careful/watching for any nipple confusion, you should be just fine.
Is this recommendation the same for moms planning to return to work after 12 weeks? Or do we want to hold off on the bottle a little longer?
I wouldn't wait any longer than 4 weeks unless you want to struggle with getting baby to take a bottle.

I've been on the BF board for the past 2 years, and every mom who has had a child who refuses the bottle didn't introduce one until 6-8 weeks or longer. Introduction around 3-4 weeks seems to be the sweet spot of being long enough for BF to be established, but not too long that baby gets picky and only wants mom.

That being said, assuming we don't need one in the early days (DD had jaundice and milk transfer issues), we will introduce one around 2 weeks. I will pump in the morning and around 9pm after feeding LO, and then go to bed. DH will give the bottle around 11pm. I will get a 4-5 hour stretch of sleep before waking up for the other night feedings. This worked really well for us the first time around, and generally won't cause supply issues if you are careful to be sure to always pump at least as much in a day as baby is taking in a bottle (and don't go longer than 4-5hrs without BF/pumping).

This! Even though we gave my son a bottle at 2 weeks, we still had bottle issues for around a month at DC when he was between 3-4 months old. We ended up switching bottles and that helped. Having a baby refuse a bottle while you are working is super stressful so if you plan to return to work, don't procrastinate on giving a bottle.

MuffinMom14 · August 2014

Listen, real question.

I keep hearing not to offer a paci if you want to breastfeed. However, I also know a lot of BF babies who took a paci. I'm undecided on what to do based on that alone.

Emerald27 · August 2014

SPurp13 said:
Listen, real question.

I keep hearing not to offer a paci if you want to breastfeed. However, I also know a lot of BF babies who took a paci. I'm undecided on what to do based on that alone.

It's really a personal preference thing. Many breastfeeding moms choose not to offer pacifiers, but many swear by them. It's always recommended to wait until breastfeeding is well established before introducing any artificial nipples, so for that reason you'll see lots of breastfeeding moms requesting that no pacifiers or bottles be given to their babies in the hospital, etc.

If you want to offer a pacifier, once breastfeeding is going really well, see if baby is interested. Pay attention to whether baby has any difficulty latching onto the breast after using the pacifier, and if you notice any changes, limit pacifier use until it's resolved.

I posted this before but in case you missed it, here's some info on breastfeeding and pacifier use:
https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/newborn-concerns/pacifier/

MuffinMom14 · August 2014

Nicb13 said:

SPurp13 said:

Listen, real question.

I keep hearing not to offer a paci if you want to breastfeed. However, I also know a lot of BF babies who took a paci. I'm undecided on what to do based on that alone.

See all the conflicted advice on here over this? This is one thing you just have to figure out by trial and error. It's really up to you. So many things just like this will come up and you really just have to make a decision and go for it.

Yeah. I think I might go the route of not offering it at first to make sure breastfeeding will work out, and we'll see where we are...

Klavanga74 · August 2014

I offered it with both of my other two kids and neither would really take it - short of me standing over them and holding it in their mouths, which I didn't do. I'm planning to bottle-feed this time, so wondering if that'll make any difference. It would be nice to have the self-soother for her!

MorganWP · August 2014

DD uses a pacifier. We offered it so she wouldnt suck on her fingers. She has only ever used it to sleep so I dont mind her having it.

We'll probably offer one to the next baby but if he doesnt take it then I wont stress about it. Even though I know that some people in the family will have something to say about it. For example: SO's niece hates them (and bottles) and gags when offered one. But SO's mom keeps pushing it.

ETA after reading: We had to formula feed because DD wasnt clearing her jaundice and other issues prevented her from bfing. This time Im hoping that that wont be the case. However, Im going to try not pumping, offering a bottle or pacifier until breastfeeding is established.

LaDyBostonRN · August 2014

No, we don't have any and I'm not planning on buying any. It's just not something we're doing.

JessAnnJ · August 2014

We offered but DD never wanted one.

AppleGrapeMSTK · August 2014

I specifically put on my birth plan and told all of the nurses and had a tag on the baby's cart/bassinet that no artificial nipples were to be used. Every time they took DS out of the room (hearing test, circumcision, heel prick, something else), he came back with one in his mouth. I kept throwing them out. I was so mad and reminded them every time that it happened that we didn't want a binkie.

We ended up with one in our bag when we got home and I just tossed it on the dresser. I offered it a handful of times- seriously, maybe five- and used it when he was 5 weeks old when we took a 15 hour car trip for a funeral. He never took it beyond 2 months, if that.

We won't be buying any this time, but if DS2 comes home with one from the hospital, we might hold on to it in the event of an emergency.

slsl509 · August 2014

We used Wubbanubs with DD in a desperate attempt to get more sleep when she was a few months old. Prior to that, she didn't care for a traditional paci. It was like the heavens opened and the angels sang and it was the best thing ever. She didn't STTN until 10 months but she was the easiest kid to put to sleep and get back to sleep and never nursed to sleep. Then she became this amazing sleeper and I credit the Wubs. She could find them her herself, keep it in her mouth better and she got a lot of soothing from rubbing the little animals attached to them. Now she still loves them and we are having a hard time getting rid of them. They are for sleep only but man does she still love those things. She hasn't had any at daycare since she was 1 so obviously she is capable but it seems so arbitrary to me to deprive her of that since her speech and teeth are not affected. Her ped is not concerned at all.

So there is my mixed opinion. That said, as hard as weaning might be, I still think it was worth it for her to have that comfort for all of her shots, big owies, scary transitions, long car rides, umpteen illnesses, etc. She was breastfed until self-weaning (which was completely painless, prob because she had other soothing) at 15 months.

Getting her to take a bottle was really hard when I went back to work at 3 months. My mom was afraid she would never get her to eat and brought her to work to BF. I want to introduce bottles sooner this time because that sucked.

Honestly, all my Kellymom searching and Ivestigoogling made me a much more anxious FTM. I was so afraid of irrevocably damaging this fragile breastfeeding thing. It really wasn't that fragile. People do it all over the world. People who live in mudhuts and don't have access to any of those resources. Don't get overly anxious reading all of that and worrying about it. It was not easy at all for my first 2 weeks but suddenly it got better. it wasn't because i read something online or because I went to the LC (which I did) but because it just took time. I so treasured the experience and can't wait to do it again but I was not about breastfeeding at the expense of all else. Despite her exclusive BFing DD caught every cold, RSV, countless ear infections until she got tubes, etc. So it wasn't the be all, end all of childrearing.

Trust your instincts. Most problems are brief phases. I remember getting all hung up on my letdown and amount of foremilk because DD had such reflux. It was fine. She got over it. I did a lot of laundry. I got upset at my boobs for no reason.

tl;dr chill. every little thing is gonna be alright.

HappyCianci · August 2014

We waited a month to offer a pacifier to our son, to establish breastfeeding. He didn't want it at all. Months later we used it at bedtime for a while, but it wasn't a big thing for him.

I may try pacifiers for #2 after nursing is going well, for sleep times only. I definitely do not want my baby using a pacifier during waking hours. I don't think anybody has mentioned this yet, but a lot of important social developments like cooing, babbling, and mimicking facial expressions require baby to have full control over his mouth.

There's a study about this (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/250405.php), but intuitively, I just feel like a baby whose mouth is covered with a paci is one step removed from her social surroundings.

hippohat · August 2014

I had no issue with nipple confusion, DD took a paci and BF beautifully. We introduced bottles very early on and regularly through the first weeks. At 10 weeks she suddenly refused all bottles, same bottles and nipples we had used from birth. I tried every trick, every brand of nipple/bottle- the only thing I came up with was my stress level about returning to work (I went back for 2 weeks to fulfill my notice). If I hadn't planned on quitting I don't know what we would have done, but it certainly had nothing to do with waiting to introduce bottles too long for me.

Every kid and every situation is different. The most important thing I learned about any of it (BF, bottles, pumping, etc) is that the calmer mom is the better everything goes.

krazyinsane · August 2014

I gave one to DD#1 and DD#2 and took them away after weaning from the breast it was insanely easy! DD#3 never took to it... At first I was excited (one less thing to wean from) but she was impossible at night if anyone else attempted to care for her!!! Hopefully DS will take one!!!

SusieBW · August 2014

Nicb13 said:

SPurp13 said:

Listen, real question.

I keep hearing not to offer a paci if you want to breastfeed. However, I also know a lot of BF babies who took a paci. I'm undecided on what to do based on that alone.

See all the conflicted advice on here over this? This is one thing you just have to figure out by trial and error. It's really up to you. So many things just like this will come up and you really just have to make a decision and go for it.

This is great advice.

DD was using pacifiers within a week of being born. Maybe even before we left the hospital. I never comfort nursed, because here's the thing - I didn't like breastfeeding all that much. It was how DD ate, and that's it. I nursed on demand, but she settled into something of a schedule pretty early on. She started with bottles somewhere between 2-3 weeks in order to make my life easier, and never had any confusion or trouble switching between bottle and breast. Maybe in part because we only BF for feedings and that's it. Not for comfort, not to get to sleep, just to eat. Or maybe she was just a really laid back baby and that worked for her. Maybe something like this or what others have described will work for your baby, maybe it won't. It's nice to have the perspective of others and to get some ideas, but you have to do what works for you, and you will figure that out, trust us. Instinct is real. Trust yours when your sweet, squishy baby gets here.

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