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GIVING PACIFIERS
My baby nurses so often that my nipples are getting sore. Is it okay to give her a pacifier?
Babies are born with an intense need to suck. Some infants even suck their thumbs in the womb.
Babies not only suck for food, but they also love to suck for comfort. Pacifiers are just what they
say they are--peacemakers, but there is no more satisfying pacifier than mother's breast, as babies
nurse contentedly off to sleep following a feeding.
There are good reasons for avoiding pacifiers, especially in the early weeks while baby is
learning to latch on and suck at your breast:
Pacifiers are artificial nipples. They require a different sucking motion at the breast and can
lead to problems with nipple confusion.
A baby who is given a pacifier instead of being offered the breast may not nurse enough to
gain weight adequately.
Without enough stimulation from baby's sucking, mother's milk supply may dwindle.
Comfort sucking at the end of a feeding helps to build mother's milk supply.
A 1999 study reported in the medical journal Pediatrics showed that mothers who used
pacifiers during the first six weeks after birth tended to wean their babies earlier.
What do you do when the human pacifier--mom--wears out or is not available?
We suggest offering the baby a clean adult finger to suck on if mother's nipples are sore or her
patience is wearing thin. Or try alternative methods of comforting your baby--walking, wearing
baby in a sling or front pack, patting her back or skin-to-skin contact with dad.
Finally, realize that there's nothing wrong with being a human pacifier. You want your baby to
learn to seek comfort from people, not plastic. Your baby's need to suck for comfort will
diminish with time. Meanwhile, enjoy cuddling with your baby at your breast.
AskDrSears.com is intended to help parents become better informed consumers
of health care. The information presented in this site gives general advice
on parenting and health care. Always consult your doctor for your individual
needs.