Pacifiers and EBF...help :/

[rosegarden620]

Ok....
dd1 breastfed for 4 months then I did ff, she took a pacifier from the get
dd2 breastfed exclusively for 1.4 years and never wanted the pacifier, she was a very content, relaxed baby and so long as she was clean, burped and fed, she was content held or not held. I tried to give her a paci once and she had it in her mouth like it was the weirdest thing ever and spit it out. She never needed or wanted it.
dd3.... seems like she MIGHT benefit from a pacifier but for whatever reason I am very skeptical to try. Bfing is going great, weight gain is on par...no nutritional issues at all and she's about to be 4 weeks on weds.... thoughts from those who ebf? please, I'm so confused on what to do and can't decide whether to try...

 

[MrsKChicago]

My 7 week old is exclusively breastfed. I love the pacifier. I don't use it all the time, but it's so handy when it's going to be a few minutes til I can get a boob out. He's good at letting me know when he's hungry instead of just wanting to suck. I say give it a shot, it's not like you're committing for life by trying it.

 

[rosegarden620]

She kept it in for about 5 minutes the 4th try around. She's so cute lol

 

[noon_child]

My LO never took one, and at the time I thought I was unlucky, but as she got older and I met people whose babies went on nursing strikes due to nipple confusion, or were struggling to wean their toddlers off them (in some cases it was affecting speech development) I decided that I was a lucky one. I kept it simple. No nipple replacement needed as she had my nipples.

I think if I had a baby with severe reflux then I'd see the need for one. And I do know people who have children who use their pacifiers very sparingly and that doesn't cause problems. So I suppose it depends why you want to introduce one. Do you have a specific issue you are trying to address or do you just think pacifiers are 'normal' for babies?

 

[tulip1975]

Most babies need to suck beyond feeding, so they'll get it from your nipple, their hand, your finger, or a pacifier - something. I haven't had nipple confusion problems so far (baby is almost 4 weeks) and I typically use a pacifier maybe once per day for a few minutes. I also give 1 or 2 bottles of breast milk per day.

 

[rosegarden620]

My LO never took one, and at the time I thought I was unlucky, but as she got older and I met people whose babies went on nursing strikes due to nipple confusion, or were struggling to wean their toddlers off them (in some cases it was affecting speech development) I decided that I was a lucky one. I kept it simple. No nipple replacement needed as she had my nipples.

I think if I had a baby with severe reflux then I'd see the need for one. And I do know people who have children who use their pacifiers very sparingly and that doesn't cause problems. So I suppose it depends why you want to introduce one. Do you have a specific issue you are trying to address or do you just think pacifiers are 'normal' for babies?

Well, LO seems to want to just suck sometimes beyond feeding for comfort and sometimes she'll get "mad" at my breast and im almost sure it's because milk is still coming out while she sucks.

I prefer her not to have one but today in a fit of desperation during one of her fussy periods I remembered that I had a brand new pack of paci's. Both my older daughters were night and day with the paci. This one seems to be smack dab in the middle.

I don't want to resort to the paci frankly, but after all attempts have been made and she is still not happy I wondered if a paci might do the trick.

I've tried it a few times already and it doesn't seem to be her "thing". She's not inconsolable but I wondered if it could help for a few times of the day. Guess baby has other plans.

 

[redneckhippy]

My LO used to love it and had no issues with nipple confusion then a coupe weeks ago (around 10 weeks old) he decided to reject the paci. I've tried but he just won't take it anymore.

 

[bdb84]

I was hesitant to offer one to DD1 because I was nervous about nipple confusion. I didn't try one until she was a few weeks old and, by that point, she refused all brands. I think I would have enjoyed nursing her much more had I been given a break with a paci since she LOVED to comfort nurse all day long.

With DD2, I gave her one from the get go (literally the day she was born) and she took to it with ease. She is 8 weeks old now and has zero issues with transitioning from the breast to the paci, and even to the bottle (same brand as paci- Tommee Tippee) when I feel like giving her expressed milk. It's been a lifesaver for me because I enjoy nursing her so much more than I did my second child because I do not have a baby latched on all day and night.

 

[Lemonade]

We gave one on day 3 or 4 and never had any issues with nipple confusion. She settled and slept so much better after taking it. By 3 months she had given it up and hasn't taken it since, but it served its purpose!

 

[rosegarden620]

Update!
My LO takes one and it has been taking care of that comfort sucking! Today I put her in a carrier after a good feeding and when she started to get fussy I popped in the paci and it worked!!! She fell right to sleep and I managed chores with her attached to me, just comfort sucking away!! It was perfect!!!

I can see normal life in the distance! No issues with confusion she switched back and forth like a pro!

 

[MrsKChicago]

That's great!

 

[bdb84]

I'm glad she took to it! It really provides such relief for nursing moms.

 

[rosegarden620]

Thanks girls! I was so worried it would be problematic if I tried but she's been really good at letting me know when she wants the real thing! And I don't feel replaced at all! I feel relieved!

It's not a cure all end all, but it's an option that works!

Thank you nursing gods! Haha!

 

[rosegarden620]

P.s I just realized all my sentences ended in an exclamation point. Talk about enthusiasm. Lol 😂😅

 

[apple_20]

I started on the dummy when she was a couple of month old. Like your little one she was sucking for comfort and getting cross when milk came out. It had to be the right dummy though she only took nuk. However after months of using it to help her sleep and comfort her she has now rejected it

I wouldn't mind but how up ever 1-2 hours at night as only boob will do .