so about pacifiers.....

[Mopey]

I have Soothies from the hospital, and then a couple of MAM glow in the dark ones I got at my shower. The MAM say 6+ months - any truth to that?

A friend gave me her extra Soothies because she felt they DID confuse her son a bit in the beginning. So is it better to give a pacifier that is more like a nipple or less? And should I go shop for ones for a newborn/4 week old +?

TIA as always

[Tenasparkl]

My DD didn't have any confusion with the soothies. There are 0-6 month MAM pacifiers. The 6+ look like they'd be too big for a newborn mouth.

[edurnemk]

We used MAM and Avent for DS, but the newborn ones. In fact we always used the newborn size, the Ped said it's better to not size up since, that can cause dental issues later on, they can keep using the small size as the get older, they don't need a bigger paci.

We used the Paci from 1 or 2 weeks old, and didn't have issues with nipple confusion. DS nursed until almost 12 months and hated bottles.

[waitingforgrace]

MAM has newborn pacifiers. The best advice I got about nipple confusion is try the paci, if there are any issues at the next feeding stop using it and try again in a few days. When it comes to shape you might have to try a few to find one your DD likes.

[AshleyAnn]

DD liked (well still likes) Nuks best. We did not have any nipple confusion with them. I wanted to go with an orthodontic paci so avoided sooties and the like.

[wellyes]

I would just pick up a few for newborns. If the baby likes them, use them. It was a godsend with my 2nd.

[Liziz]

We use Soothies. I tried Nuks first, but DD just wasn't into those, and liked the Soothie as soon as I tried it. I'd suggest you just pick whichever brand you'd prefer (but I think it is important to have a newborn size)....if your LO likes it, stick with it. If not, try another brand. As far as nipple confusion .... try her with a paci and then see how she nurses the next time. If she has trouble, then stop using the paci for awhile before trying again. If she doesn't have trouble, just keep using it! Good luck -- DD has been using a paci since ~3.5 weeks, and I'm happy we decided to give it to her!

[lizzywednesday]

Just be prepared for the possibility that your babe may not take to the paci at all.

And that's OK, too. (Exhausting for mama, I know, but it's OK.)

My DD didn't take to the paci, but I think this is mostly due to the fact that we used it to help her take the meds she was on when she first came home, so she came to associate the two.

[Mopey]

Love your sig quote Lizzy!

So far she has taken a MAM a little bit. I am just giving it when she is tired and trying to fall asleep. She spit it out quite a bit the first couple of days so we are taking it slow to see how it helps her.

Again, thanks for all the info and help!

[citymama]

We liked the Soothies for a long, long time; they're especially good for BFed babies. That said, neither of my kids were paci babies; we used them for long car journeys and the like, but not on a daily basis. They never really took to them and frankly, we had no idea how and when to use them!