Anyone make it through without pacifiers?

I started using pacifiers at 5 weeks...and they were GREAT to get the babies to sleep. Once they were sleepy, I just laid them in the crib with the pacifier and they would fall asleep within 10 minutes, quietly sucking. The problem is that I'm BF and I noticed their latches getting smaller and smaller, and they started doing a weird sucking thing and clicking, especially DS. Over about two weeks, he went from being my better nurser to the biggest cause of pain...TMI, but my nipples started getting sore again and I even got a blocked duct. So...I took away the pacifiers. It took about 5 days to get them latching correctly again so I'm pretty sure it was some type of nipple confusion issue.

Now I need to hear from anyone who made it through the first year without using pacifiers. :unsure: Nights are tough...they sleep well once we get them down, but it now takes a LOT more rocking, patting, walking, etc. to get them to settle...and naptime, too, unless they drift off nursing. Please let me know if you were ok without them...I need encouragement so I resist popping one back in when I'm exhausted at bedtime tonight!

 

I managed without problem after 4 months... I think I would have died without them before that though.

 

Well, it was more of a choice by her than a decision by me ... but my Hailey doesn't use a paci. She used one when she was really little like 1-2 months, but then just wasn't interested in it. Jake loves his, and still uses it for naps and bedtime. But she just never did. Even now, if she finds one on the floor, she walks over to Jake and sticks it in his mouth.

So you definitely don't NEED them. Your babies are so young that they are still learning how to sleep. If you really feel like it is causing the nipple confusion, just keep the pacis away. I never breastfed, so it wasn't something I had to deal with. You may want to move this (or ask again) specifically in the breastfeeding forum. You might be able to re-introduce the paci at a later date without it affecting their latching ability!

Good luck!

 

My problem is that my girls WONT take the pacifiers, haha. They just suck/lick/drool all over their hands.

I'm sure yours will get used to falling asleep w/o pacifiers. Surprisingly, mine put themselves to sleep just fine at night as long as they're snug and their bellies are full GL!!

 

DS2 would have NOTHING to do with any sort of artificial nipple. I did use them in the early days with the girls, because I didn't tandem feed much. So whoever was feeding second would have a paci while she waited. This lasted until I'm thinking 4 or 5 months, and after that they weren't interested adn we just didn't use them any more.

 

Like some of the pp, mine took a pacifier in the first 2 months or so, but just to keep busy at times--not to sleep. And over time, they just dropped it and once in a while (out of curiosity), I will give them one, and they just spit it out. I find they have learned to sleep really well! They do love their hands know and I'm ok with that...perhaps that will be a problem in the future, but for know, it's cute how they slurp their fingers and hands.

It can be done and it will take some time for adjusting, but I know my nights go well, because they only wake up to eat...no need to worry about reinserting pacis or anything like that.

Hang in there!

 

My Little guy takes a binky right now but he hated it when he was tiny (almost exactly like his big brother), but DD has never taken a binky and has no interest in them. So it is totally possible to get through the first year without a binky.

 

Despite my best efforts to get Sarah & Allison to take a pacifier, they just wouldn't, and they turned into really healthy sleepers! I would recommend you read the Healthy Sleep Habits book for good ideas about soothing the child to sleep at this age.


If the nursing issues are fixed, though, I don't see any reason not to give the pacifiers back.

 

When I was in Lamaze class and later when I was in the hospital, the lactation consultants both recommended against using a pacifier for the first 3-4 weeks. They said that until you are sure that the latch is good, then you shouldn't use a pacifier. So I decided at that time not to use one. When I had trouble with my guys latching (up to 6 weeks old), I decided not to use it at all, but my husband started using it to quiet them. They really didn't want to take it, but he got one of them to take it eventually, and it did appear to make the latch worse (much weaker and shallower). I then said that it was either the pacifiers or my nipples. My husband decided he'd go with my saving my nipples over the pacifier. :lol:

It's funny too because I've given them bottles from 2.5 days old, and for what ever reason the bottle doesn't hurt the latch like a pacifier does.

You're definitely not alone on this one. You'll need to make sure you swaddle them good and find some other sleep techniques. We put our little guys in their carseats and rocked them to sleep in the double snap and go at that age. We then took them out and out them in bed. (Well we put one guy in his carseat in his bed--he throws up a lot.) But the point is, there are some other soothing techniques.

 

We made it through the first year with no pacifiers! I did try to give it to them, but they actually decided for themselves {at like 2 weeks of age} that it wasn't for them. :huh: My son did start sucking his thumb and my dd never sucked on anything. They were/are great sleepers. :good: I was happy after hearing stories of going in a million and one times to replug the paci, etc. My dd was swaddled, so she never could get to her thumb. Good luck, I hope you find what works for you and your little ones.

 

In my experience, the issues you're having with bedtime aren't related to lack of pacifiers, it's more a function of how old your twins are. In a month or two, they'll start learning how to settle themselves more and bedtime will become easier. Have you thought about allowing your babies to sleep in places other than the crib? Mine napped wonderfully in their papasan chairs with the vibrate feature on for the first four months, but trying to get them to nap in their cribs was a struggle before four months.

My DDs used pacifiers for the first few months and then gave them up on their own. They started sleeping through the night at about five months adjusted age, and have been great sleepers ever since.

 

I don't have too much advice.

The twins NEVER took pacis...not b/c I didn't want them to, they just never wanted them. Reagan started sucking her thumb at 4 months (she's 3 and still sucks it when she's tired or really bored). They self-soothed awesome! At 6 months they both latched onto some lovie blankies (and still have those at night), but that's about it. We haven't had to "take" anything away, but we'll have to deal with Reagna's thumb issues later.

Olivia takes a paci only at nap time or at bedtime. She doesn't want it any other time. So, I'm happy for that at least!

 

Mine are 7.5mnths and don't use pacis for sleeping. They never really liked them actually. So, it is possible to make it through without. We used swaddling, white noise and a good bedtime routine everynight to get them ready for bed. Now they only use the pacis to play with or suck on while awake a bit.

 

DD never took a pacifier but she is a thumb sucker. I was totally determined to get at least one of the boys to take a paci and they never took to them either. And they dont suck their thumbs. So I made it with 3 that never took a paci.

 

Ana used a paci until she found her thumb (around 3 months). Meara never used anything (despite my best efforts to get her to use a paci). They are both good sleepers.

 

Never used a pacifier once over here. I read "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and she said not to use them. They are considered one of "those things" that causes problems for a person later on.. (Re-binking all nite long, tooth problems, losing the thing, breaking them of it..) It was a clear choice for us. Never had a problem since we never started it

Even tho yours have used it; they are young enough now that you should not have a problem AT ALL with not using it. You'll be fine.

Don't worry!! LOTS of us don't use them One less thing to have to pack and NOT LOSE, right? LOL.

Good luck, it CAn be done!

 

I made it through the first year without binkies!!

My first DS LOVED his, but when I got back his baptismal pics when he was about 7mo I was really disappointed that every single picture he had that binky in his mouth and you couldn't really see his face, so I took it away, that day! Nap and bed time was a little bit hairy for a couple of days, but he was truly fine after that and we never looked back.

The twinkies...DS never really attached himself to it and as soon as DD started to show less of an interest...around 3 or 4mo...I was finding it laying in the crib while she was sleeping, so I snatched it and never gave it back! She was never fazed at all by the fact that it was gone.

 

No pacifiers here! I tried them a handful of times and my girls just didnt seem that interested! I did however nurse them to sleep for the first few months of their lives and I do have one thumbsucker.
At 4.5mo I let them cry a bit to get to sleep and at 8mo I did full blown CIO to sttn but it only took 1 night and they have sttn since.
It CAN be done!!!

Good luck!!

 

Niether of my girls used pacifiers or thumbs/fingers. They just never were interested in either. However, they each ended up attaching themselves to a blanket that had a satin edgea t around 5 or 6 months; they would suck on it until they fell asleep. Before that, we just self-soothed as best as we could until they developed their love for the blankie. They still use the same blanket, but they no longer suck on the edges to fall asleep and haven't done so for a really long time.

My girls have always been really good at self-soothing and going to sleep on their own for the most part-we do stil have our nights. However, they rarely wake during the night unless they are sick and sleep really well. I'm actually glad they never liked them, I've read some posts were parents have to keep plugging them back in so the baby will stay asleep-sounds much harder to me.

 

We made it through 9 mths with no pacis! This was their doing though..I tried really hard for them to take pacis but they would spit them out every time. Now it's not a problem at all but it would have been nice when they were smaller and colic-y!

 

I dont really have much advise.. But we didnt use paci's at all. The babies didnt take them. EVER. They are like a play toy now.. They walk around sucking them.. Like they are trying to look cute. :wub: it is cute...

It can be done... but i feel that if you baby needs a paci then there is an extra need to suck. Its easier to take the paci away later.. The thumb is a hard battle to win.

 

Thanks for all of the stories...I needed that to stick to my decision. We're actually doing ok, I think. I did some extra "comfort nursing" the first night, but last night they were great...went to sleep with no real problem, just needed some rocking and cuddling and both were off in 20 minutes, even though they weren't totally asleep when we put them down. As long as they are sleepy enough and comfortable, they seem to be able to watch the mobiles and fall the rest of the way asleep (for now anyway...every day seems to bring new babies with new habits!). I think it may be a blessing in disguise after reading some of your posts...you're right, we won't have to break the habit later and we can avoid the binky game I hear about so much!

 

We have never used them with any of our kids.. They just never took to them.

 

Jack would never take a pacifier. I tried and tried to no avail. Lily took a pacifier until she was 3 months old. At that point we were spending more time re-inserting it after she spit it out that we took it away from her. It was a minor hump as at that age she did not know she had a choice. We ended up around 4 months letting them cry for a couple of minutes and then at whatever age the DR. said we could we started to let them CIO a little bit longer. I don't know if it would have been easier then if we had used pacis or not but I DO KNOW that at this age it is much easier not to have one!

In our case I do not think that having the pacifier would have helped Lily, our pre-nap screamer, as I do not believe that she was looking for something to help soother her to sleep as much as she just had no desire to go to sleep and was fighting it for all she was worth. In that situation, she would not have used the paci as a soother, she probably would have just thrown it to get us to come in and pick it up!

 

My oldest child only used a pacifier briefly and gave it up herself. However, I wish she had liked them! She's never been a "mellow" child and always wants someone with her even now. I wonder if her personality is why she didn't like them. My twins love their pacifiers and they are so much calmer. They will even go get a pacifier out of the basket if the other twin is upset to give to them. They obviously find comfort in them.

 

We ditched the pacifier (only one baby wanted it but he was completely hooked) around 3 months b/c he needed it to fall asleep and it would fall out over and over....you know how that goes! It was a rough several days but quickly he learned to suck on his hands or otherwise calm himself down. It was really hard to see him wanting it and so upset but in the long run I'm so glad we did it.