Let's talk about pacifiers....

[neenee]

All 3 of my kidos used one and I was a breast feeding Mommy. DD is a little worried about nipple confusion. Mine always did okay but, I was wondering what some of you did with your kidos.

[BrattyMeg]

Ry and T both nursed and LOVED the binky had no problem what so ever with confusion...in fact Ry was like 3 before we got hers away finally! (ugh!)

Cam didn't nurse long nor like the binky so opinion on that one.

[Keely~B]

Both mine were breast fed but I pumped too so they got bottles as well. Neither one of them used a pacifier.

[Lizzy257]

I waited til D was a month old before giving him a pacifier (to avoid nipple confusion), but then he wouldn't take it, no matter how much I coaxed him! He was a little monster too, always wanting to feed. I really wish I had given it to him earlier, to be able to get a break from him for a few minutes here and there. I say give it to him now, before it's too late

[knlchevys]

With my oldest I worried about this too. After the second night at the hospital, I was in tears when the doc walked in. He said if I planned on giving him one, to give him one. I needed sleep and comfort to. So after he told me that, my other two had a binkie from the get go. I didn't nurse too long with any of them. That was a whole other situation though. I had to switch because of reflux. I struggled with that but realized I had to do what was best.

[AmberK]

Drew was forced to keep a pacifier in his mouth when he was in the NICU and on the CPAP machine so when he finally got home from the NICU he wanted no part of a paci. Ryan never really took to a paci either. Both were bottle fed babies- again another side effect of being in the NICU. They got too lazy to try and nurse and I was too stressed out to really force the issue.

[MommaTrish]

Zach and Belly both took one from the word go and I never had any problems nursing them at all. Personally, I've never actually met a mom who did have a baby that had nipple confusion from using a bottle or paci to be honest.

[Leila]

JP was mostly bottle fed and held on to his pluggie until he was almost four.

D was breastfed for three months then bottle fed. He loathed the pluggie from day 1. Never ever took to it.

Honestly, I'd avoid it less for nipple confusion and more to avoid having to wean the child from it later.

[mummytothree]

My last one is the only one I have nursed for any amount of time and I tried to give him one from day one, he never took it and only preferred the boob!!!! I nursed my oldest for about 3 months and she was a thumb sucker and had no problem nursing!!

[newfiemountiewife]

All of mine were breast fed, and neither of them had one.

I did introduced one to Amelia very early (she's my middle child), it did cause nipple confusion, and I had a few really rough days after that. So I took it away again, and we were fine. I bf my kids 8 months, 1 year, and 10 months respectively.

ETA my two girls are thumb suckers.

[MandaT]

All three of mine were breast fed (Anna 3 months, Grace 2 months, Brody 4 months) and had a binkie from the day the were born. We never had any issues.

Anna got rid of hers by the time she was 18 months, Grace is 18 months & has hers only for sleeping & occasionally on a long car ride. Brody doesn't really care much for it & uses it mostly for falling asleep, but normally spits it out within 10 minutes of falling asleep.

[SweetMelissa]

Both of my kids used one & they were bottle babies.

[sprauncey1]

Both mine were breastfed and both were introduced to plugs early on. DS1 loved his and used it at night until he was 3.75 and DS2 could care less either way and I thought I was safe from all the process of taking them away. Then at 18 months DS2 STARTED sucking his thumb and we still can't get him to stop when he's sleeping. So for that I'd prefer the paci!

[lovely1m]

Mine was b/f and totally addicted to his pacifer. I wanted to wait a few weeks to give him one, but the nurses in the hospital popped one in. He was in the nursery for all of 10 minutes, the only baby there, they knew I was b/f, yet they stuck one in, asked if he was crying, they said no. I was a bit ticked.

[pewtertm]

Rachel started as breast & bottle, because of jaundice and illness issues. Didn't take long and she was solely on the bottle because it just wasn't working (ridiculous IMO...swell up to M cup and can't produce anything)...but oh well.

I didn't want to give her a pacifier, but she was a thumb sucker from day one...literally popped that sucker in when they were taking her over to weigh her right after she was born. Couldn't break that habit, and it's easier to toss a pacifier than a thumb LOL.
I WAS concerned it would be hard to wean her off of it, but once she started cutting teeth, that was it. She cried for a little while the first night, and that was it.

[LeeAndra]

We BF for abt 4 1/2 months, and I introduced a bink a few days after she was born. She liked it well enough for napping and sleeping and self-weaned from it around 10 months old. She was never confused; she always knew where the milk was coming from!! *lol*

[Julie Billingsley]

oldest was bottlefed after the first 6 weeks, and had a pacifier until 1 year old.

youngest was breastfed for 1+ years, and sucked his thumb until 7 years old. The only thing that stopped him was he ended up losing his thumbnail due to the sucking/biting it. So, uh, I'm against thumbsucking now.

[Stacey42]

Both boys were breastfed but also had bottles of breast milk and/or formula from the time they were a week old (DH wanted to feed them & I wanted to sleep so it worked well)

Neither has pacifiers. not out of any fear of nipple confusion, but out of sheer laziness on our parts. Everyone I knew whose kids used pacis had some story about how one of them ended up at the grocery store at 1am buying just the right paci because they couldn't find any of their other ones and the baby wouldn't stop screaming. Or how they scouted all of Ocean City for the right paci when they lost the one they brought with them. Or how their 2 year old couldn't sleep without at least 4 pacis to hand & would wake up screaming because one fell on the floor. No way was I going to set myself up for that. DS1 was born sucking his fist & I let him keep doing it. He stopped at about 8 months. DS2 just never needed anything.

[tuneskids]

none of them ever took a paci ... much to my dismay. lmao

Cody was a bottle baby, Jenna, Xander & Quinten were breastfed.

[Roxxygerlie]

My DD who will be 3 in November was bottle fed from day one and had a binky from day one as well. She didn't get confused at all. My problem now... is getting rid of that dang binky. She only gets it at night but, she will ask for it ALL day. Ugh.

[scrappurple]

Neither one of my kids took a paci. My oldest sucked her wrist and the other her thumb. I TRIED so hard with my second to make her take it. It is easier to throw away a paci than to get rid of a thumb or wrist. Just sayin'.

[nikkiARNGwife]

Mostly bottle babies and both had pacifier from day one. I cannot imagine not using one lol... We took DS's away at 2.5 cold turkey and will do the same with DD.

[KyRainbow]

My DD was a bottle baby and she had a paci from day one. We never had any problems with it and she got rid of it on her own, when she was about 4. Though, from about 3 until she gave it up, she didn't really suck on it, just carried it around with her.

[ZaCola3]

I waited to start the paci until Landen was almost 6 weeks old...and we had no issues with nipple confusion-I wanted to make sure my milk production was very stable before starting any other sucking options-until then I let him nurse whenever he wanted-to stimulate my milk.

[heathergw]

both kids were breastfed and Riah took to the paci right away and actually helped with some of her latch issues... Isaac wouldn't take a paci until he was about 7 months old.

[Sarah8914]

this thread is all over the place isn't it??

We tried to get all 3 girls to use one... none of them were interested. We tried especially hard with dd#3 because #2 is a thumb sucker, still... and we don't know how to stop it. I would try just to avoid that... but then again, 1 and 3 are not thumb suckers--but oh how I could have used some relief and quiet if they had taken a paci!!

All breastfed btw.

[litabells]

Both mine were bottle fed and had pacis. First DD I tried to hold off on teh paci, but she was a very restless cranky little thing, so after a week of screaming I caved. She took herself of it when she was around 1 & 1/2, same as the bottle. Second DD had hers right from teh start - no way was I going to stress voer it that time!We took it away when she turned three, the bottle a few months before that (she'd been having a bedtime bottle for a few months b4 I decided enough was enough lol)

[kscwgirl]

Both of mine were bottle fed and neither ever took to a paci, although it wasn't for lack of trying to give them one. Neither ever sucked their thumbs either though.

[NettieB]

no paci - nursing specialist had me have DS suck on my pinkie while I was getting the girls ready for him.

he's a big thumb sucker. Not sure if it was related.

the paci fairy can come, but that thumb?! not going to worry about it unless he keeps it up as he gets older.

[scrapperjade]

We used a paci with DD and I exclusively breast-fed for the first 4.5 months, and there was no confusion. At first we got her some that were shaped more like a nipple and were supposed to be more natural, but we switched to the regular Nuk brand after a couple months and she was fine.

[Kjersti]

Faith nursed and took a pacifier. Nipple confusion was never a problem!!! That kid looooved to eat!!!

[Lauramarie]

Breast fed my son til 22 months and he never took the pacifier, not even for a minute. Kinda glad he didn't because my 1st son could not get rid of it.

[breakingbrie]

I bought paci's when I had the girls, but they were never interested in them, and never took them. They didn't start sucking their thumbs until they were 2, I think? I'm still trying to break that bad habit!

[Joana1n]

We tried every pacifier on the market with DD (except latex, b/c I'm allergic to it) and she refused them all. With DS I didn't see the point in giving him one since it would be something we'd have to break him of using later on in life and I didn't want to deal with that.

ETA both kids BF only. DD wouldn't take a bottle (we also tried every bottle on the market, even the Adiri breast-shaped one, to no avail). We half-heartedly tried with DS but since I HATE pumping and there wasn't a real NEED for him to take a bottle, we didn't bother persisting.

[Gemma]

Both of mine were bottle fed, and they both had them until they were around 9-10 months!

[Sweets2005]

The binky is your friend! I never knew of an actual baby to have nipple confusion. BTW, my twins were breast and bottle fed and also given binkies. They were a god send! They are a year now and we only offer the paci in the crib.

[SmallMoments]

Total paci baby. Breast baby for first four months. Bottle the rest. But it wasn't b/c of a paci. It's b/c I returned to work and couldn't keep up with pumping.

[amandabarugh]

Originally Posted by neenee

All 3 of my kidos used one and I was a breast feeding Mommy. DD is a little worried about nipple confusion. Mine always did okay but, I was wondering what some of you did with your kidos.

It really is ok for her to comfort nurse at this point. It really is. That's her babe's way of telling her body that he's still there nursing, which will tell her body to continue to make milk. While some brush off nipple confusion, it can and does happen. I've helped moms deal with this.

Knowing that she needs to go back to school, I'm assuming that she'll be pumping and bottlefeeding some, as well. So, in a couple of weeks, someone other than her should start giving Ben a bottle of breastmilk to get him used to taking one. The idea in waiting a few weeks is to get her supply good and established.

That being said. When my oldest was a baby, she got a pacifier when we left the hospital. She took it for about 3 months, and then was done. She nursed for 15 months. We tried to get my 2 year old to take a pacifier, and he never really took to it. He's still nursing. Toby, the 3 month old, won't touch an artificial nipple to save his life. So, he obviously goes anywhere my boobs go.

[g6scrapped]

All 4 of my kids were mainly bottle fed.. 2 took a paci, one refused a paci and didn't suck his thumb, and 1 is addicted to her thumb.

[terrab]

Linus is breastfed and took a pacifier on day three but refused to take it anymore at 3 months old. I was also worried about nipple confusion but it didn't seem to be a problem.

[MamaBee]

My kiddo was bottle fed... and paci since day one. I gave him all different types so he wasn't attached to a certain one... and it gave him comfort.... and a god send when it was teething time... he hated those ring things they have for that. The at 2.5, we gradually moved it to only nap time for two weeks... and then done. Never had a problem after that... he found one a few weeks later and just came and gave it to me.

[jessica31876]

ummm...all of mine took pacis til they were about 6 months but only one certain type. The kind the hospital gave them which I could not find anywhere else so it usually got lost by about the time they were six months old maybe a little earlier BUT two of my kids were bottle fed and one was breast/bottle so I need an option for yes with breast and bottle

Or maybe just an other option...

[jessica31876]

another thing my doctor told me is that sometimes a baby needs to suck but is not really hungry. So I opted for a paci because I can throw that away. If the baby didnt have the paci to suck on he/she might start sucking their thumb and well that is much harder to break then a paci. You cant exactly take away their thumb LOL.

[alaskan]

My first (poor first child...I was so very clueless) got a paci at about day 5 to help stop the crying......and after a day I took it away since I was now wanting to cry!

That paci immediately changed the way he used his tongue while breastfeeding, and he didn't care, but it HURT ME!

After that, no paci for any of the brood...and all breastfed, for many many many months.

[jaylensmom]

my son was breastfed and did not take the paci...i tried to give him one when he was a few months old but he didn't take it...

[carriesmom]

My kids were both bottle babies and they took the binkies until they both self-weaned when they started teething.

[JenTapler]

My son was breast-fed and took a binky right away with no nipple confusion at all. He seemed to have a very strong sucking reflex and needed A LOT of extra sucking in addition to when he was feeding to soothe in those first few months. The binkies were a life / sanity saver for us. Of course, now he'll be FOUR in December and still uses those damn binkies at night and naptime. He only gets them in bed, but won't go to sleep easily without them (although I know he CAN because he naps at preschool just fine without them). And 10 minutes after falling asleep, the thing is out of his mouth anyway.

Honestly, I haven't tried that hard to get rid of the binky as he only gets them in bed and he goes to bed without the slightest bit of fuss both for naptime and bedtime. In fact, he will often tell me he wants to take a nap / go to bed (my guess he really just wants his binky and knows he can't have it except in bed). He still naps for almost 3 hours everyday and I LOVE that time!! If we're away from home and don't have the binky though, I'm lucky to get a half hour nap. So yeah, I'm being pretty lazy about getting rid of the binky mostly for selfish reasons! I have to say I'm relieved to see I'm not the ONLY one with an almost 4-yr-old who still uses a binky in bed.