pacifier???

Question

My MIL is pretty insistent that he should have a pacifier and that it will help him to be calm. He is becoming fussy and crying more often. He will be 4 weeks old tomorrow and hasn't had a bottle or a pacifier. I thought maybe just at night or nap time it might be permissible? I have also read that it might reduce the risk of SIDS. How old is old enough? OR should I avoid it all together? I don't want him to dislike breastfeeding :(

Answer

pacifier won't cause nipple confusion as it's not a source of food. newborns suck for comfort it's part of the 5 S's. however my LO is 6 weeks old and would never take one so I just gave up. one less habit to break i guess lol

Answer

Do whatever YOU are comfortable with. It’s your kid, not hers. 
My midwives advised me to wait 6 weeks before introducing a bottle or pacifier. I ended up waiting longer than 6 weeks to introduce a bottle (no reason, it just happened that way), and even though I offered him a paci he never took to one.

Answer

“fussy and crying more often” you say? Sounds like a baby!  I get so annoyed when I read things like “MIL insists...”. Your baby, you’re parenting rules. I offered mine a paci at the hospital which she took and took a few more times when she got home. Eventually she stopped taking them (I only offered it at night anyway) and has found her hands to self soothe.  Like everyone said, it’s a matter of whether or not you want to introduce and whether or not baby wants it. No worry on nipple confusion.

Answer

I am very pro pacifier. My oldest sucked his fingers until he was 8. Nothing we did would discourage it. My second son had a pacifier and we were able to ween him off of it when he was about two and he never had any issues. The pacifier can get taken away and only given at night and then slowly less and less. You can't take away their fingers.

Answer

I’m a little over a year into bf and we decided to try a pacifier when lo was about 1 week old. We never had any nipple confusion issues. She really loved the pacifier at first then on random day after she turned 9 weeks she spit it out and refused to ever take it again. We tried the occasional bottle of breast milk in the beginning, like 2-4 a month, but by 3 months she completely refused any bottle and we tried 9 different kinds. Our lo definitely loves bf, nothing deterred her.

Answer

Pacifier won’t make him hate breastfeeding. Have you even tried to give a pacifier? Some hate them. My first wouldn’t take one at all and was bottle fed. My second loves her pacifier and was breastfed. I don’t think there’s an age though. 🤷‍♀️

Answer

My son had a bottle of breast milk five days after he was born and a pacifier two days after he was born and he latches & breastfeeds like a champ 🤷🏽‍♀️ all depends on the baby

Answer

I honestly gave my baby a pacifier if she was super freaking out ONLY. If she was fed, changed, burped and nothing else would help. My MIL was the same way and once, I left for two seconds to go to my car and came back and she popped a binkie in his mouth! 😡 my daughter was never able to hold it in her mouth and I wasn’t going to sit there and hold it for her. She is EBF and refuses bottles also. I would start soon if you plan on using one. My girl is now 7months and will still not take a bottle. I give her a binkie occasionally to play with to keep her busy but she never sucks on it for comfort.

Answer

my son took a pacifier, and we went early. he can calm down without it, but sometimes needs it to tire himself out again after nighttime diaper change. he takes the breast just fine

Answer

I also forgot to mention... (this is embarrassing) I was "addicted" to my pacifier so badly it caused me problems at school and my parents took me to a shrink at 6 years old!!! So I might be a little overly cautious...

pacifier???

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