Poll: Nipple confusion

JessHeppell · July 2015

im just curious how many of you rebels that gave your babies pacifiers/bottles before the recommended time had to deal with/are dealing with nipple confusion?

cbrtncanadian · July 2015

We started using soother and bottles during week 1 we also introduced a nipple shield at week 2. Though it sometimes takes him a moment to figure out whether he's got boob, boob with shield, or bottle he figures it out quickly and adjusts accordingly. He is a constant sucker though.. Even without soemthing in his mouth he is always trying to suck on arms, blankets fingers so I wasn't hesitant to introduce the soother.

aliciaspinnet · July 2015

We introduced a pacifier in the first week as he was sucking on our fingers anyway. He's 1 month old and we give him the occasional bottle - he'll take it but he prefers the breast. I know people warn that babies get used to the faster flow with bottles but I have so much milk that I think he gets it faster from me at times!

lovethatcolosun · July 2015

I'm the biggest rebel. I introduced the pacifier in the hospital. One of the cool nurses asked where I got it and I told her I snuck it in. She high fived me. LO was already doing great on the boob at that point. I introduced a bottle on day 4, no confusion. She doesn't really like her pacifier too much. Would much rather have a boob, unless she's super hungry, then a bottle is the winner.

Sammy K · July 2015

I'm sure this is all baby-specific, but I didn't have a problem with either of my kids. But both of mine were great eaters from the start. Both had latched and were eating within 5 min of being born. We also introduced a bottle at 2 weeks and we have no problems switching from bottle to breast.

dancegurl1118 · July 2015

There is no scientific evidence supporting nipple confusion. I actually believe it's the opposite and babies may have trouble learning to take a bottle if they've only ever sucked on a nipple (for months). LO had a pacifier from night 2 on. She's garbage at keeping it in her mouth but it calms her when held there.

KaLikeAWind · July 2015

LO had a pacifier from day 2 that we were given by a cool nurse before we went home from the hospital. We had to use it cause we were trying to go over discharge stuff and he wouldn't stop crying unless on the boob, but i needed to be free for at least half an hour without a baby on my chest. I did try not to use it very much at first, tho. Since we introduced bottles with formula at just shy of 1 week old (he will be 3 weeks this Wednesday) sometimes it does seem like he tries to suck the boob thru a straw instead of going right for a proper latch like he used to (he doesn't open up as wide as he used to) but I think that may just be what PP have said - he's figuring out whether it's boob or bottle or paci he's about to go to work on. Once we get past the confusion, he does still latch well and feed at the boob well. Sometimes I have to adjust him a bit (pull his chin down or his upper lip up) but I think that would happen regardless

ETA - i don't know if nipple confusion is or isn't a thing. It might be? I don't know why else he would change from opening wide to latch to not opening wide, but obviously if it is a thing its just been a small adjustment and not a big deal to deal with

laurendutch · July 2015

We started LO on a pacifer in the hospital. When I talked to our Pediatrician about it, he dismissed the whole confusion thing. He stated "they can't get milk from a pacifer"

PhoenixFrances · July 2015

mellymar said:
LO had a pacifier from day 2 that we were given by a cool nurse before we went home from the hospital. We had to use it cause we were trying to go over discharge stuff and he wouldn't stop crying unless on the boob, but i needed to be free for at least half an hour without a baby on my chest. I did try not to use it very much at first, tho. Since we introduced bottles with formula at just shy of 1 week old (he will be 3 weeks this Wednesday) sometimes it does seem like he tries to suck the boob thru a straw instead of going right for a proper latch like he used to (he doesn't open up as wide as he used to) but I think that may just be what PP have said - he's figuring out whether it's boob or bottle or paci he's about to go to work on. Once we get past the confusion, he does still latch well and feed at the boob well. Sometimes I have to adjust him a bit (pull his chin down or his upper lip up) but I think that would happen regardless

ETA - i don't know if nipple confusion is or isn't a thing. It might be? I don't know why else he would change from opening wide to latch to not opening wide, but obviously if it is a thing its just been a small adjustment and not a big deal to deal with

LOL to sucking the boob through a straw!!! I feel the same way sometimes!!

btm013 · July 2015

I breastfed for 2 weeks after birth and now exclusively pump and supplement. (I'm a low supplier so it's easier to pump to see how much he's getting.) Just out of curiosity, last week i wanted to see if he would still latch. He did no problem!! Pretty crazy how they don't forget. Of course then he lost his shit bc he couldn't get the milk out fast enough and not much flowed to begin with. Which was a great reminder why I pump and supplement haha.

staceyfern · July 2015

Was going to wait a while to give a pacifier but the first nigh home he was very fussy and my lazy but did not set up anything while I was home for two weeks before he was born. So after trying to set up the rock and play at 3 in the morning with no sleep in the hospital the nights before DH and I looked at each other and went for the pacifier ( which for some reason had sterilized even though I did not plan on using it- very weird considering I did not think to set up the rock and play or bouncy seat!!). We did our first bottle around three weeks. Neither have confused him. He is 5 weeks now and tonight we gave him his first bit of formula.

HMack4742 · July 2015

I've never had an issue with 'nipple confusion' with any of my children (and this is number 3)! I read somewhere that it's not nipple confusion, your baby knows what he wants.
I introduced a soother pretty early on and just this weekend, pumped milk so his dad could give him a bottle. I hate pumping so I don't plan on doing it often but he had no issues going back and forth. He doesn't love his soother as much as his siblings though and since he's a very calm baby, I'm probably just going to avoid it so I can avoid the fight later to get rid of it.

mvargas12 · July 2015

I gave DD a pacifier after the first night in the hospital. She was up alllllll night just wanting the boob and when a nursery nurse came to get DD she asked if I wanted to give her a pacifier. I was like "yes!!! Please!!

( " I also give her a bottle when I feel way too sleepy in the middle of the night (Faster and I know she's getting enough to sleep a while) and when we are out and about (I need to start to practice breastfeeding in public). DD has a pretty good latch when she's not being lazy and feeds great from the b00b

rachelkaylene · July 2015

My son required surgery after he was born (he had a heart defect) and because of that they fed him only with iv fluids for 6 days and once he had his surgery, due to being hooked up to monitors and tubes and such they would only give him breast milk with a bottle and I was unable to breastfeed him for another 3-4 days (once most of the monitors were not needed) and now he definitely prefers the bottle. It's easier and the nipple is firmer and he doesn't have to work as hard. We are still working on breastfeeding but he tires out after only a few minutes and he seems to prefer the stiffness of a bottle nipple to my actual nipple. I'm praying that with continued work he will get stronger and we can breastfeed primarily and I can just pump to build supply but for now I'm bottle feeding breast milk most of the time and breastfeeding during the day till he tires out and then letting him finish with a bottle.

Anyone else bottle feeding breast milk or have tips on how to transition from bottle to breast?

cbrtncanadian · July 2015

rachelkaylene said:
My son required surgery after he was born (he had a heart defect) and because of that they fed him only with iv fluids for 6 days and once he had his surgery, due to being hooked up to monitors and tubes and such they would only give him breast milk with a bottle and I was unable to breastfeed him for another 3-4 days (once most of the monitors were not needed) and now he definitely prefers the bottle. It's easier and the nipple is firmer and he doesn't have to work as hard. We are still working on breastfeeding but he tires out after only a few minutes and he seems to prefer the stiffness of a bottle nipple to my actual nipple. I'm praying that with continued work he will get stronger and we can breastfeed primarily and I can just pump to build supply but for now I'm bottle feeding breast milk most of the time and breastfeeding during the day till he tires out and then letting him finish with a bottle.

Anyone else bottle feeding breast milk or have tips on how to transition from bottle to breast?

We had to do this while in hospital and once home for awhile as well.

LO had jaundice and that made him extra tired. We tried to breastfeed but it was very obvious that the effort was way too much for him as he would get too tired before even actually latching or getting more than 5minutes of nursing in.

When we were in hospital I rarely tried to nurse. The odd time where I saw he had more energy and wasn't super hungry (and really fussy) I would try for as long as he could handle. We also did a significant amount of formula supplementing at this time as well (to help with jaundice and because supply was not quite keeping up with demand yet).

Once home and hitting about 2 weeks he really started to pick up in energy and ability. So I started nursing when we both felt good never when we felt tired or upset. Gradually the good sessions increased and now we mostly nurse with the exception of usually bottle feeding pumped milk at night.

I found that gradually increasing worked really well for us. Also as long as I pumped I don't think any of it hurt my supply.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

seesea · July 2015

When my LO was in the NICU he was fed through an NG tube and was given a pacifier for comfort. Once the Drs felt he was ready for regular feedings, they required he start with a bottle before breastfeeding. He was able to bottle feed really well and I was worried about being able to breastfeed because of nipple confusion. The NICU pediatrician told me that she didn't believe in nipple confusion and I was a bit skeptical since my LO is a preemie.Turns out she was right. He just needed to learn how to adapt between the pacifier, bottle and breast. I didn't get to breastfeed him until he was about 2 weeks old. Prior to that I had to pump 10-12 times a day so he could bottle feed. I think instead of "nipple confusion" it's more about preference.

@rachelkaylene I had an LC work with me in the NICU before my LO was discharged. He was so tiny he had a very shallow latch and he had to learn to go from bottle to breast. Initially whenever I tried to breastfeed, it was more of a practice session just to get him used to being at the breast. Each practice and feeding would take no longer than 30min so he doesn't get too tired. I'd have him on the breast for about 10-15min then bottle feed for another 10-15min. I started off slowly by introducing breastfeeding once a day. Then slowly building up by adding a feeding/ day. I also did a lot of kangaroo care and skin to skin. When it was time for him to come home, I was able to breastfeed him exclusively. It's a lot of hard work but it's definitely possible.

virginiaunicorn11 · July 2015

I used a shield to nurse on the right side for 10 days when LO was 12-22 days old. he never had issue using the shield on one side and not the other, and he had no issues when I ditched the shield. I wish I started using the shield sooner and hadn't stressed so much. I waited so long that the crack in my nipple took a really long time to heal, and I was needlessly miserable longer.

If nipple confusion is a thing, it takes more than a part time shield to confuse my LO

aliciaspinnet · July 2015

Does anyone else's baby latch differently on either side? My right nipple is a bit flat, and LO will latch really strongly at first until he's pulled it out. I have a pretty strong milk ejection reflex on the left and he latches really delicately on that side at the start of a feed. Sometimes he just takes the nipple instead of taking a bite of the areola too - it's exactly what the lactation consultants advise against but since it doesn't hurt and he's still able to drain the breast I've just gone with it. By the end of a feed on either side his latch becomes "textbook".

Since LO can adapt his latch depending on which side he's feeding on, I'm not too worried about nipple confusion.

lwyz · July 2015

I think nipple confusion is a thing, because I don't believe there's just this giant conspiracy where all the doctors and LCs say its a thing but it's not...but I do think it probably affects a minority of babies and is more of an 'in case your baby happens to be one...' Also, a nurse told me and I read in The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding that a lot of the pacifier discouragement has more to do with when a newborn cries they usually need something so if you just shove a pacifier in their mouths, they are missing a feed. The act of sucking does reduce the chemical that tells them they're hungry, apparently. But the nurse told me that if we're certain he's full and just fine, etc, there's no harm. I'm lucky that my LO doesn't cry unless he's actually hungry, so it hasn't been an issue for me.

babyhobs · July 2015

I had to use a shield in the hospital as he struggles latching without, introduced paci at 3 days because of hiccups and gas, and bottles at 2 weeks. He does well no matter what! He still nurses great and follows great with a bottle!

kby721 · July 2015

We used a pacifier in the hospital, bottles and a nipple shield around 2 weeks. DD loves food so much she doesn't care what the nipple looks or feels like as long as she's getting that delicious milk.

HayesRN13 · July 2015

Textbook it is not a thing... But I swear when LO gets a bottle it's takes him a minute to switch his "suck method"... But he has no problem switching between the two

mvargas12 · July 2015

I change my answer. Nipple confusion is a thing. LO gets the pacifier and an occasional bottle and she's been breastfeeding like a champ... Until last night. That girl is gnawing on my nipple like she would the pacifier and it kills. Either no more paci or no more eating :P

marinamarina · July 2015

Yes.
Used pacifiers, occasional expressed milk bottle and breastfeeding.

Mine refused to nurse and would only take a bottle if expressed milk for a couple of days.
Nip confusion was real for us and it was a terrible fucking disaster. We had a 1 nipple on bottle instead of a 0 slow flow by accident and she preferred the fast flow. Screamed n screamed while hungry, wouldn't nurse, quieted and happy with bottle.

Sucked. She still wants bottle during fussy time 6-8pm. Won't nurse. Awful.

dancegurl1118 · July 2015

@HayesRN13 mine does the same thing...it takes her a minute to get in the groove of sucking a bottle. Since she'll be getting bottles in daycare all day I hope they have patience with her and don't just jam it down her throat (we do paced feeding)

lwyz · July 2015

I just started experimenting with a pacifier as we have a big day of travel coming up and oh goodness. He definitely chomped on my already painful thrush nipples after that. No more paci!!!

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