pacifiers

[heytootsy]

What brand pacifier do you use. I heard the nuk can cause problems with breastfeeding, anyone have any problems?

[Rachels]

When we used pacifiers, the Nuk was the only one Abigail would take. (Now she'll have nothing to do with any of them.) It's best not to use a paci until breastfeeding is well-established in order not to create any interruptions, but after that, it shouldn't matter. FWIW, I wish I had tried the one-piece pacifiers first! They're MUCH safer.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[C99]

We use Avent pacifiers -- he doesn't seem to like the Nuk or MAM ones as much. I've read the same thing that Rachel said above, but I didn't really have a choice in whether or not to start with the breast -- the NICU made it for me. So we introduced pacifiers and bottle nipples first and THEN made the transition to raw breast.

[Andrea S]

We use avent. My friend had given them to with a shower gift so they were the ones we had in the house when we needed it. I have also heard about the nipple confusion I think Andrew was about 3-4 weeks when we gave it to him.

Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02

[juliasdad]

We use the Avent and MAM, silicone versions, interchangably.
Haven't had any problems with either.

-dan

[nitaghei]

Hi!
I actually think using NUK nipples helped us with BF'g. We use the NUK nipples for (EBM) bottles and NUK pacifiers. (DS typically uses a pacifer for only a few minutes a day - his choice)

DS had significant nipple confusion (was in NICU most of the first week of life, where they were using standard nipples and pacifiers) and started nursing only at 7 weeks. However, the LC said the fact that we used NUK nipples in the interim was good, because it made the transition to the breast easier. In fact, all four LCs I met with recommended the NUK nipples. In any case, once the baby is 6 weeks or more, the chances of nipple confusion do drop dramatically, from what I've been told.

Sorry for the length - but the NUK nipples and pacifiers are the same shape. HTH

Nita

[sweetbasil]

We used NUK- that's actually what the hospital used, and it worked, so we stuck w/it. He never suffered from any nipple confusion while bfing and using the paci. HTH!

[natividad]

The hospital gave Alexander MAM so we had no say. We also have the Avent ones that came with the newborn bottle set. He seems to like both and we have experience no nipple confusion.

Naty
Mommy to Alexander

[nohomama]

We've used both MAM and Avent pacifiers. Lola will suck on anything so I've chosen pacifiers mostly for esthetic reasons. Like Rachel said, I'd advice not starting a pacifier until breastfeeding is well established and then only if your babe seems to want to suck often.

Pacifiers are one of those things that can evoke a strong response in parents. We introduced Lola to a pacifier at around 5 weeks at the urging of my MIL. Until then, we basically carried her around with our pinky fingers in her mouth all the time Pushing her around town in her stroller was both acrobatic and comical.

At any rate, Lola is a child who has always had a strong desire to suck and I'm one of those parents who wishes they'd never given their kid a pacifier. If Lola had her way, she'd have a nuk parked in her mouth morning, noon, and night. The good news is that I've never seen an adult walking around sucking on a binky. The bad news is that weaning her from a pacifier is going to be quite the challenge. The moral of my stoy, while a pacifier can be a life saver you may find them completely unneccessary. They're good to have on hand but don't hesitate to NOT use it.

[telewill]

The book, So That's What's There For recommended the NUK nipples for bottle, so we went with that for our daughter's pacifier and bottle. I was unaware of any problems with BFing and NUK nipples. We took the kind of pacifer WE wanted to the hospital and basically hid the hospital issue one. The nursery staff didn't have a problem with it and used the one we brought. Like others, we use the pacifier VERY sparingly. Our little one seems to want to suck ALL the time...and I need an occasional break. :)

So far, so good on the NUK nipples. She getting about one bottle a day of EBM and goes right back to the breast without a problem...again so far. I'm still very new at this.

[parkersmama]

We used MAM and both my kids preferred the latex to the silicone. I think because they are softer (the silicone ones can be a little stiff). I agree that waiting as long as you can to introduce the pacifier is a good idea. A lot of people have no problems at all introducing it early but just in case, wait if you can.

Sarah, both my boys were *extremely* attached to their pacifiers. I resisted giving them one and finally gave in around 4-6 weeks of age and then always felt guilty about it, like I should have resisted harder or something. Anyway, the first step in pacifier weaning is getting them down to only having it at naps and bedtime. I did this both times around by finding a weekend when I was going to be completely available to them. I nursed them every time they fussed/had a need to suck and made it completely clear that the paci stayed in the crib. After only a day or two, things were much easier and they seemed to be okay with the new setup. I think having all the extra attention really helped ease the transition. My older son was about 8 months when we did this but my younger son was about 18 months (he was a "mouth" baby and I was using the pacifier as a way to keep him from putting other, more disgusting things in his mouth!). The next step was to actually get rid of the pacis altogether. With both kids this turned out to happen around age 2 1/2. With my first son we noticed he was developing a terrible overbite and felt that the paci was the cause. I basically had him go cold turkey and it was pretty awful for a night or two but then he seemed to forget. With our younger son, we gave him an incentive...he got to move into his new bed in his brother's room (making way for baby to come in the nursery) but it was a "no-paci" zone. He made the decision to go for it and never looked back. I think knowing his particular personality and how he is motivated made that transition much easier. I wish we'd been that smart the first time around. Anyway, all of this is just to say that she will probably need help from you deciding when the time has come to give it up but it can be done and with little tears. Don't be discouraged...you can do it!

[JMarie]

I'm not BFing, but Aidan would not take the Nuk pacifiers - he was in the NICU for eight days and they used pacifiers called Soothies. Those are the only ones he will use. They look freaky - there's no 'back' to them, so you can see straight into his mouth - but they sure work! You can find them at Wal Mart now or online at childmed.com.

JMarie
Mom to Aidan Christopher 01/28/03

[nathansmom]

JMarie-
Those are the same ones that Nathan uses. He was started on them in NICU and are the only ones he'll use. They do look funny in his mouth. Thanks for telling me where to find them cause I've lost all but 2 of the ones the hospital gave me.

[C99]

The Soothie ones are cool, I agree. But they aren't really good for BFing babies because they don't have to open their mouths as wide. When Nathaniel first came home from the hospital, he only wanted the Soothies, but now he won't take them (thank goodness!).

[nitaghei]

It's the same with Neel. He got the Soothie when he was in NICU, but refused to take it once we got him a NUK.

I also agree about the shape of the Soothies not being good for BF'g. Getting Neel on NUK really helped him get over his nipple confusion. It was *so* great when he started nursing, and I didn't have to pump round the clock!

Nita

[nohomama]

Denise,

Like I said, I take heart in the fact that I've never seen an adult walking around sucking on a pacifier...teenager using a pacifier as a fashion statement/accessory...yes, adult...no. I do think the weaning process is going to be difficult though. Your stories make me hope for otherwise but my gut tells me it will be a long and tormented process.

Thanks for the encouragement,

[smomom]

We used the MAM brand, but ds became disinterested in his pacifier at about 3 months.

It's not shaped like the MAM or Nuk, but his favorite "out and about" pacifier was the WubbaNub. Baby Catalog carries them. He would chew on it and play with it while stuck in his car seat.

here's the link.....

http://www.babycatalog.com/cgi-bin/WebStore/index.cgi?use_frames=yes

[heytootsy]

Has anyone tried the Gerber new traditions pacifier, it sorta looks like a nipple, and when they suck, it is suppose to "move" like a real nipple. Any opinions?

[sbirmantaz]

We use the new traditions one and my dd loves it! It seems to work really well and she never had any nipple confusion with it while I was breastfeeding. We gave her a pacifier when she was 1 week old... After using this one, she wouldn't take the mam ones any longer... We are very happy with the gerber ones.