Breastfeeding/nipple confusion question....?

Question

when my son is born i want to breastfeed exclusively, ive been told not to give him a dummy/paci because it can cause nipple confusion and unsuccessful breastfeeding but now ive read that dummys/pacis can lower the risk of cot death! i really want to breastfeed but if I'm forced to choose I'm obviously going to go with lowering the risk of cot death..

what have people in the same situation done? thanks

Answer 1

hate to say it but it's a c**p shoot. some babies do get nipple confusion and some do not. I bf'd and used a paci from the beginning with both sons and they both did great. I couldn't be the paci all of the time because I needed to let the "girls" rest up sometimes. If yo uwant to avoid the paci in the beginning make sure you inform the nurses 9even if rooming in) that you don't want one used.  

Answer 2

I would avoid the pacifier early on.

The risk of cot death/SIDS  (esp. in the first few weeks of life)  is very, very low anyway, esp. if you co-sleep or have baby sleep on his back and have no other risk factors. (Breastfeeding itself reduces the risk of SIDS.)  

Once baby is 4-6 weeks old and breastfeeding is well established, you could offer a pacifier if you want to. But I wouldn't give it from birth solely to reduce the already low risk of SIDS.

Answer 3

I have 4 kids and this whole pacifiers decrease the risk of SIDS has just come about. How did I manage to keep the other three alive, I'll never know (darn scare tactics). Anyway, I breastfed all my kids and gave them all pacifiers while in the hospital. Not once did I encounter nipple confusion. Good luck.

Answer 4

We used a paci with our daughter very early on while breastfeeding (like three days in) and didn't have any problems. She just seemed to want to suck on something constantly and my wife's b***s couldn't take it.

Answer 5

It is common for exclusively breast fed babies to begin their lives needing to nurse as often as 1-2 hours around the clock.  This occurs for numerous reasons, including the fact that frequent breast feeding in the first 6-8 weeks is designed to establish your milk supply.  Breast fed newborns can also take as long as 45 minutes to complete a feeding session so it can be as little as 30 minutes later that your baby is ready to begin his/her next 45 minutes of feeding.  It may seem as though you have a baby attached to a breast 24/7, but it only lasts for the first few weeks when gradually you're milk supply will even out with your baby's needs as well as your baby will begin to grow and need less frequent nursings.  Putting in the pacifier in the first weeks of exclusive breast feeding can interfere with milk production since it causes your baby to suck less often on your b*****s which is the signal they need to produce milk.  SIDS is certainly a fear of most new parents and the current recommendations have shown some preliminary correlation between pacifier usage and a lower risk of SIDS.  It is important to note that while these recommendations are in place, they are only designed to give you insight into the current studies.  My own children are now 29, 26, 23, and 11.  My older 3 were newborns back in the "dark ages" when nearly all babies were tummy sleepers.  Back then a back sleeper was as rare and as fear producing as tummy sleeping is today.  The SIDS research has only shown a link between back sleeping and a decreased risk of SIDS, but it does not mean that every baby who sleeps on their tummy is going to die of SIDS nor does it mean that every back sleeping baby is immune from SIDS.  I only personally know 2 babies who have died from an official case of SIDS.  One was years ago before I even had kids of my own and she was a tummy sleeper.  The most recent was a back sleeper in a crib with no other blankets or items in the crib with him.  Not all babies will accept a pacifier and trying to force one on a baby is going to only result in his frustration.  If you have a baby that takes to the breast easily and quickly then offering her a pacifier if needed is fine, but if you have some latch problems or a sleepy baby than skipping the pacifier and focusing on establishing breast feeding is better for your baby in the long run.  I know the SIDS organizations, resources, and information means well, but I have been a mom for 29 years and a child care provider in my home for 21 years.  I have been a first-hand observer of the gradual switch from tummy sleeping infants to back sleeping infants.  The statistics have shown that back sleeping has reduced the number of SIDS cases, but personally, I think we now have a generation of panicked and fearful new parents who think if they don't follow every step of the recommendations that they will lose their baby.  I suggest you do some research on SIDS keeping an open mind, plus speak with your pediatrician, which you should find before your child is born.  Some babies simply won't accept a pacifier at all and that is fine.  Remember this, lowering the risk of SIDS is not the same as prevention and if your baby isn't one to use a pacifier or ends up learning to roll over to his tummy by 3 months (most babies sleep better on their tummies and will learn to roll over and put themselves into their preferred sleeping position), then this does not mean that your baby is at an icreased risk of SIDS.  

Answer 6

It CAN lower the chances of SIDS, but plenty of babies don't use them and don't die in their cribs. It is not like you have to do it to make sure your child is safe.

Breastfeeding is VERY important. Stick with it.  You can try a paci after 4 or 6 weeks when feeding has been well-established.

Answer 7

Nipple confusion is actually very rare.  While pacis do help lower the risk of cot death, that is actually rare too.  The most important things are not to put your baby to bed on his/her stomach, and to breastfeed!  Breastfeeding reduces the risk of cot death too!  Definitely stick with it--it is way worth it and way cheaper and easier than bottle feeding.  I didn't introduce a paci until my son was 6 weeks and by then it was way too late.  I'd introduce one by 2 weeks if you think your son needs it.  Mostly I'd use it for comforting/sucking purposes, not just to reduce the risk of cot death.

Answer 8

I did both. Pacifiers are life savers! Just hold off using it for the first week or two to let your baby get used to your nipple. Then introduce it when you want to. Sometimes babies just need to suck, even when they aren't hungry.