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Breastfeeding and Pacifiers: when to introduce a pacifier to your baby
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Hooray! You’ve weighed up the pros and cons of introducing a pacifier and you’ve decided what’s best for your baby.
Like most parents, you’re probably now wondering how to introduce a pacifier, and it’s completely normal to have a lot of questions. You might wonder exactly when to use a pacifier, or if using a pacifier for a newborn’s breastfeeding journey makes a difference when transitioning to bottle-feeding.
When it comes to breastfeeding and pacifier, we’ve got the answers – so let’s dive into it. If you have any medical concerns, though, remember that we’re no substitute for a professional who knows you and your baby, so ask your doctor for advice.
1. When to introduce a pacifier:
When can you introduce a pacifier? If you’re using a pacifier for a newborn, breastfeeding should have been established first, which means it’s best to delay introducing a pacifier until about four to six weeks.1 If you’re switching from breastfeeding to feeding your baby from a bottle, using a pacifier may help your baby get used to the artificial nipple shape of the bottle.
While most babies have no problem swapping between their mother’s nipple and the artificial nipple shapes of feeding bottles, there is still conflicting evidence about whether early pacifier use can cause breastfeeding difficulties. Therefore, it is recommended to postpone pacifier introduction until your baby’s feeding method and pattern are well-established,1,2 whether that’s breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or a combination of both.
If you’re considering a pacifier because your baby is struggling to accept the artificial nipple of a bottle, try the Philips Avent Natural Response baby bottle. The wide, soft nipple feels and works like the breast to complement your baby's own drinking rhythm. The unique nipple releases milk in the same way as your breast, too, using your baby's natural tongue compression to open the bottle nipple. During pauses, the milk flow automatically stops, allowing your baby to swallow and breathe comfortably before drinking again.
2. How to introduce a pacifier to your baby:
Once your baby is ready for a pacifier, use these tips and guidelines to help introduce it effectively:
1. A pacifier does not substitute a meal
If you’re breastfeeding, it’s important that you stick to your regular feeding times. In other words, don’t let the pacifier take the place of or delay your newborn’s meal times. A pacifier can make it harder to spot the signs that your baby is hungry,1 so be sure to use pacifier solely to meet your child’s suckling needs after meals or at bedtime.
2. Don’t force it
If your baby doesn’t want a pacifier, there’s no reason to force it. The pacifier is solely meant to comfort and relax your baby when they are upset or need to suck. If your baby spits the pacifier out, that’s the end of the session and there’s no need to put it back in.1
3. Keep it clean
It’s easy for a pacifier to accumulate germs. Just as you would with a bottle, you should sterilise your baby’s pacifier on a regular basis: every day for the first six months, and twice a week after that. You should also sterilise a new pacifier before you first use it.
4. Never tie it anywhere
Remember never to tie your baby’s pacifier anywhere. This includes around your newborn’s neck, hands or cot. For the safety of your child, the pacifier shouldn’t have a cord or other attachments at all.1
5. Leave the honey and sugar in the cupboard
Ensure that you are giving your baby their pacifier clean and ‘as is’. There’s no need for any sweetener, sugar or honey. In fact, a pacifier coated in sugar could result in tooth damage for your baby.1
6. Introduce it during bedtimes
While you’re soothing your baby to sleep, offering them a pacifier can help them drift off. Choose a soother that’s safe, BPA-free and designed for your baby’s age. Offer the pacifier whenever your baby is settling down to sleep, both day and night, but you don’t have to replace the pacifier if it falls out while your baby is sleeping.1
1. A pacifier does not substitute a meal
If you’re breastfeeding, it’s important that you stick to your regular feeding times. In other words, don’t let the pacifier take the place of or delay your newborn’s meal times. A pacifier can make it harder to spot the signs that your baby is hungry,1 so be sure to use pacifier solely to meet your child’s suckling needs after meals or at bedtime.
2. Don’t force it
If your baby doesn’t want a pacifier, there’s no reason to force it. The pacifier is solely meant to comfort and relax your baby when they are upset or need to suck. If your baby spits the pacifier out, that’s the end of the session and there’s no need to put it back in.1
3. Keep it clean
It’s easy for a pacifier to accumulate germs. Just as you would with a bottle, you should sterilise your baby’s pacifier on a regular basis: every day for the first six months, and twice a week after that. You should also sterilise a new pacifier before you first use it.
4. Never tie it anywhere
Remember never to tie your baby’s pacifier anywhere. This includes around your newborn’s neck, hands or cot. For the safety of your child, the pacifier shouldn’t have a cord or other attachments at all.1
5. Leave the honey and sugar in the cupboard
Ensure that you are giving your baby their pacifier clean and ‘as is’. There’s no need for any sweetener, sugar or honey. In fact, a pacifier coated in sugar could result in tooth damage for your baby.1
6. Introduce it during bedtimes
While you’re soothing your baby to sleep, offering them a pacifier can help them drift off. Choose a soother that’s safe, BPA-free and designed for your baby’s age. Offer the pacifier whenever your baby is settling down to sleep, both day and night, but you don’t have to replace the pacifier if it falls out while your baby is sleeping.1
What you need
-
Natural Response
Baby Bottle
SCY903/01
- 1 Bottle
- 9oz/260ml
- Medium Flow Nipple
- 3-6m
-
ultra air
Pacifier
SCF376/18
- With glow-in-the dark button
- Orthodontic & BPA free
- 2 pack
- 0-6M
Choose the best pacifier for your baby’s need
We can answer the question, ‘when can you give a baby a pacifier?’, but no one knows your baby like you do. When to introduce a pacifier is entirely up to you, but the trick to introducing a pacifier successfully is to never force it and never let it substitute mealtimes. A pacifier is intended only to meet your baby’s natural suckling needs outside breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
When to stop using a pacifier
Knowing when to use a pacifier also means knowing when to stop. A pacifier is a temporary measure, and it’s recommended that you phase it out between six and twelve months.1
There are several disadvantages to letting your baby use a pacifier for too long. Babbling and playing with sounds is important for speech development, and your baby may be less likely to experiment with sounds if they have a pacifier in their mouth. Using a pacifier can also change the way your baby’s teeth grow.1
You can wean your baby off their pacifier gradually, reducing pacifier use to only when they’re going to sleep, then phasing it out altogether. If they miss the pacifier, you could try giving them a blanket or toy they’re fond of when they want to be soothed.3
With older children, it may be harder to convince them to give up the pacifier. You may be able to persuade them to trade their pacifier for a toy or activity, to encourage them to give it away to someone they care about, to give them stickers to reward them for not using the pacifier, or to win them over by reading or inventing stories about children giving up their pacifier. Pointing out that kids older than them don’t use pacifier can help as well – children enjoy feeling grown-up!3
With the right approach for your child, you can help to wean your baby off their pacifier and move on to the next exciting stage in your journey together.
References
1 Using a dummy, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. https://www.hct.nhs.uk/media/2349/use-a-dummy-v2.pdf
2 Use of dummies (non-nutritive sucking): information for parents, NHS Southern
West Midlands Newborn Network. https://www.networks.nhs.uk/nhs-networks/staffordshire-shropshire-and-black-country-newborn/documents/SWMNN%20Use%20of%20Dummies%20Information%20for%20Parents.pdf
3 Ditch the dummy and bottle, NHS Derbyshire Family Health Service. https://www.derbyshirefamilyhealthservice.nhs.uk/our-services/0-5-years/toddlers-1-3-years/feeding-and-nutrition/ditch-dummy-and-bottle