Do you use a pacifer? POLL

[mara16jade]

So I'm curious as to why some people give a pacifier to their LO, and some don't.

Do you use one? Why? Are you against using them? Why?

 

[Eleanor ace]

We do with DS and plan to with this LO. I was against using them until I had DS but in the hospital the midwives advised that using a dummy can help to protect against SIDs and that was enough for me. DS also fed a LOT and I had supply issues so the dummy was a lifesaver for getting him to wait util I had more milk without screaming his poor little lungs out.

 

[LegoHouse]

Nope. I am a pacifier haha

 

[mara16jade]

We do with DS and plan to with this LO. I was against using them until I had DS but in the hospital the midwives advised that using a dummy can help to protect against SIDs and that was enough for me. DS also fed a LOT and I had supply issues so the dummy was a lifesaver for getting him to wait util I had more milk without screaming his poor little lungs out.

Wow, I had no idea it can help protect against SIDs!

 

[LDC]

LO won't take a dummy, she cries and spits it out! To be honest I'm glad...be a lot less stress when the time comes where I'd have to have taken it off her! X

 

[claireyfairy]

I was quite against them when I was pregnant with ds but it was a life saver! The first night home after a tricky and exhausting labour all lo wanted to do was suckle and I was sore sore sore! I think I would have resorted to bottle if I hadn't tried the dummy first. For the first three months lo had dummy as and when but after that we started to use only at nap times (lo was in a routine by then) and by 13 months we has dispersed of it all together. I was worried about impact on speech and his growing teeth so we were pretty brutal and had a tough week without it at the beginning but I think we made the right choice for us and our lo.

I have to say I hate seeing toddlers running around with dummies in their mouth and I know that overuse at an older age can really effect speech, but for a young baby they are very useful and as mentioned previously help prevent SID x

 

[kit10grl]

I used one with DD this time round as she was born with a lot of problems so early feeding was severly hindered. She is still mostly tube fed now and offering her a dummy helps her to practice and maintain her instinct to suck which is so important so she doesnt forget how altogether. So yes we used one this time round for medical reasons.

With DS we used it sporadically when i was really sore from breastfeeding and needed a break from the comfort sucking

 

[ncmommy]

I used one because of the Sids reason and because dd loved to use me as one in between feedings. By the time she was 18 months we only let her have it while sleeping and by 2.5 it was fully gone. She was an early talker and her teeth are just fine! Some babies just don't like them though. My daughter is 5 now and I swear when I look on her when sleeping she still has her lips pursed together and sometimes makes sucking noises

 

[CatherineK]

For a non-premie, I don't see a reason. If a baby needs to suck, that is what I am for . A pacifier can reduce your supply, as its the constant sucking that helps build your milk. And I just hate to see a baby get a rubber plug put in his mouth every time he fusses. Just my personal opinion, I course! My two kids never had one, and did great.

 

[LockandKey]

while pregnant with DD, I saw a lot of 3 and 4 year olds running around with pacifiers in their mouths when they clearly didn't need them. There was one time when a 4 year old told his father with a pacifier clenched in his teeth "daddy, look at the baby!" that was such a turn off for me from pacifiers that I have never used one and DD got along just fine. I don't plan on using one for the next bubs, but I also understand that all children are different, and there may come a time where we may need one after all, but I will put limits on it, such as night time use only, and no pacifiers past the age of 6 months to a year

 

[mara16jade]

Thanks for the responses everyone!!

 

[ncmommy]

For a non-premie, I don't see a reason. If a baby needs to suck, that is what I am for . A pacifier can reduce your supply, as its the constant sucking that helps build your milk. And I just hate to see a baby get a rubber plug put in his mouth every time he fusses. Just my personal opinion, I course! My two kids never had one, and did great.

LOL! If I had let DD use me as a pacifier the whole time she would have been on my breasts 24/7. She nursed every hour for the first 5 months, I needed a break! Luckily, I had no issues what so ever with my supply!

 

[NaturalMomma]

I follow my baby and see if they want one or not, I don't push it on them or withold one from them. ds1 was bottle fed and didn't like pacifires. Sucking on something that wouldn't be giving anything in his body would have caused really bad gas and painful fits. ds2 is my breastfed baby and did like pacifires for a time. I think he was 6-8 months when he had one. It was one shaped like a human nipple, so caused no confusion (you shouldn't give them under 6 weeks). At that phase he didn't like to pacify at the breast, but wanted to pacify for comfort at certain times.

Pacifires can help some babies. Preemies, babies with a strong need to suck constantly (and can't be with mommy or doesn't prefer to suck at a breast when not eating), and even babies with certain disabilities. It shouldn't be used for every little cry/whine, to replace feedings, and shouldn't be long term use either.

 

[Mazzy17]

This is something me and my Hubby disagree on. He wants to use and i dont. Before coming to BnB the only times i have seen babys using pacifyers is when the parents want the kids to shut up and im not just talking about the crying either. I have seen people stick the pacifyers in when the baby is doing a cute little coo.

But as i said that is before coming to BnB, now my eyes have opened up to "proper" reasons other than just shutting up the baby i am willing to change my mind (just dont tell hubby that )

 

[ispeakinsongs]

I plan on using them!

 

[aimee-lou]

I'll definitely offer one. If they don't want it then they will let me know. I think they help so much with settling to sleep and such, and while it's a stress when they keep falling out and when you have to take them away, it's my job as a parent to react to those situations. Earl had one, and it was gone in the day at 1 year (will do the same with Eddy, and then was gone at night by 20 months. I don't like to see children past 2 years with them. They're a baby item, and I think past 2 they have served their purpose and the child shouldn't need them. We will play it by ear with Eddy, but the dummy will be gone by 2.

 

[maybebaby3]

I will use one if LO takes to it.

 

[ILoveYouZandT]

It was never my true intention to use them with my kids just because I know of the hassle weening them off can cause.

My first didn't use one, just outright refused. And I believe that's because he didn't need them. I only offered because someone had bought them for us and after nursing he still wanted to suckle as babies do. But nah, he wasn't having it so whatever.

With our second we had no soothers, and a few days after he was born I realized he pretty much NEEDED them or I was going to go insane. I would sit there nursing him just letting him suckle away for hours and hours and he would still be desperate to suck. Obviously already having a child this wasn't an option to be a complete human pacifier unfortunately. So after several brands we found one that he enjoyed and he became a sucky baby. He only uses them for sleep now at 2 1/2 and will be off them entirely pretty darn quick.

Baby number three we will probably do the same thing. Take her home and see how it goes, if we feel she's gonna want one then we'll get them.

As I've learnt from being a mom, things don't always go as you plan them. And sometimes you have to do things to make things easier on yourself. I'm not about to listen to my baby scream till it's blue while I'm tending to the other kids or making dinner because she wants to sit an suckle at the breast lol. It's a comfort and I have no reason to deprive her of that. =)

 

[alicecooper]

My DD didn't like them
My DS1 used them until 14 months
My DS2 used them when he was really really young (like maybe the first month) and then took to thumb sucking - which he stopped himself at about 10 months.

 

[Soccergurl3]

I have never agreed with them only because I personally know of two 4 year olds that still use them when they clearly don't need it. I didn't want my son to have to be dependent on any one thing besides me