There are different phenomenons that have gone around about giving your breastfeeding baby a binky pacifier. Is it safe? Will it affect the baby’s suckling habits? What is the best time to give your baby a pacifier and what should I look for before getting the best binky for breastfed baby? The questions are endless.
What is a Pacifier/Binky?
A pacifier or binky is an artificial nipple given to infants in order to sooth them to sleep and also to strengthen their muscles when suckling. The pacifier emulates the shape of a nipple and is also made from soft plastic, silicone or natural rubber material that will be gentle to the infant when suckling.
When is the Best Time to Give your Baby a Pacifier?
The recommended time for giving the binky to the breastfed baby is after 6-8 weeks, this is because the mother’s milk at this time has sufficient supply and the binky’s main work at the time is to sooth the infant to sleep. However, if the mother has decided not to breastfeed, the binky can be given to the infant from about 2 weeks to help strengthen the suckling muscles when feeding. At this stage in life, all the infant does is suckle. This can be noticed when the infant is not feeding and playing, there are suckle like motions the mouth makes that imitate the feeding habits. The pacifier helps to keep the infant busy when they want to suckle without actually feeding.
Factors to Consider Before Using a Pacifier
There are several important factors parents must consider when in search for the best binky for breastfed baby, which are:
- The make – There are different pacifiers from different companies in the market today, most of them claim to be the best. The first important factor to look for before using a pacifier is its sanitation. Pacifiers that come without a short noose for hanging around the neck or a covering to avoid exposure to air should never be bought. Infants lack the ability to pick up the pacifiers when it falls down or parents need to cover the binky or pacifier to avoid exposure to germs in the air when not using. With this stated, the first thing you should look for in a binky is a short noose and a covering for the pacifier.
- Quality material – The main aim of the pacifier is to simulate the nipple in every way. Getting a binky that is made of soft material and easy for the infant to suckle on is by the far the best factor to consider, this way the infant will not know much difference when suckling on the pacifier or the nipple.
- Nipple confusion – This is when the infant pulls harder on the nipple creating soreness because of confusing the nipple with the pacifier. This is a clear indication that you need to get a softer pacifier in order to avoid soreness after suckling.
Best Binky for Breastfed Baby
Here are a few pacifiers that have come well recommended by moms after using them.
These binkies are given to newborns at the hospital hence improving your trust in them. They are soft, gentle on the infant’s muscles and sooth the baby to sleep. However most of them do not come with covers or a noose which means you will need to get a new one as the baby gets older.
This is designed in a way that will help you keep track of the pacifier and also makes it easy for the infant to hold. However some parents have complained that it is made from hard material that can cause nipple confusion.
This pacifier is not only adorable but made from very high quality and draws attention to the baby. It has the mustache shape at the top of it making your kid look adorable but at the same time soothing him straight to sleep. It doesn’t come with a noose around the neck and will get lost very easily.
This binky has a collapsible nipple which goes hand in hand with the baby’s palate. This is designed for the over protective parent who has high concerns about the child’s dental care and alignment. The binky is not as soft when compared to other binkies and can cause nipple confusion when suckling from the breast.
A common problem with all pacifiers is collection of saliva in it and the shield doesn’t allowing the baby’s skin to breathe. This binky has found the answer to this and has round holes in the shield that ensures these problems are kept at bay. The shield can act as a great advantage in that the baby may easily take it out if the mouth and play with as he/she is in the grabbing and clutching phase.
These simple pacifiers offer a range of features which will make the choice of the best binky for breastfed baby very easy.
When to Avoid the Pacifier
As much as some mums swear by the pacifier, others do not really consider it to be much of a blessing. If the following issues occur when using the pacifier it is best to discontinue the pacifier and only continue with a different make once the issue is resolved.
- Weight Gain – when the baby has issues in weight gain, it is important to put a stop to the use of pacifier. This will help to improve the feeding habits and ensure a substantial weight gain.
- Sore Nipples – This can be brought up by nipple confusion by the infant, this will call for a softer binky or no binky at all.
- Low Breast Milk Supply – When the mom has got low supply of milk, it is important for to constantly put the baby on the breast in order to trigger a better flow of milk.
- Mouth Thrush – If both mum and baby have got repetitive thrush on both nipples and baby’s mouth, discontinuing the binky is the best idea.
Getting the best binky for breastfed baby will depend on all these factors, from the make of the pacifier, to the quality along with the response both mom and baby gets from the binky. It is highly recommended to put a stop to the pacifier as soon as teething starts. This paves way to the teething ring, where the child will have to bite into it to have relief of the soreness of gums. Over use of the pacifier stunts the growth of the child in terms of speech and can make it hard to outgrow. Some pacifiers are also known to pass infections from one place to the other and disinfecting it as often as possible along with the baby bottles is a must! Having two or more pacifiers of different makes will help you choose the best one for your kid.