Does pacifier interfere with breastfeeding?

Despite calming the baby, the use of a pacifier hinders breastfeeding because when the baby sucks on the pacifier it "unlearns" the correct way to get on the breast and then finds it difficult to suck the milk.

In addition, babies who suck a pacifier for a long time tend to breastfeed less, which ends up contributing to the decrease in breast milk.

So that the baby can use the pacifier without interfering with breastfeeding, what you should do is only offer the pacifier to the baby after he already knows how to breastfeed properly. This time can vary from baby to baby, but it rarely happens before the first month of life.

It is recommended to use a pacifier only to sleep and that it is suitable for the baby's age and that it has a shape that does not harm its teeth.

Other problems caused by the pacifier

Sucking a pacifier as a baby still decreases the frequency of feedings, so the baby may be less weight than he would have and the production of breast milk decreases, because the higher the frequency of feeds, the more milk the mother's body produces.

Babies and children with more sensitive skin may become allergic to the silicone that is present in the pacifier, causing the area around the mouth to become dry, small wounds and flaking, which can be severe, requiring abrupt interruption of the pacifier and use of corticosteroids in the form of an ointment.

The use of a pacifier after 7 months of age still hinders the formation of the crooked dental arch, respecting the shape of the pacifier. This change causes the child to not have the correct bite, and it may be necessary to correct this years later, using an orthodontic appliance.

Can the baby suck his finger?

Sucking your finger can be a seemingly natural outlet that the baby and child can find to replace pacifier use. It is not recommended to teach the child to suck a finger for the same reasons, and because although the pacifier can be thrown in the trash, it cannot be done with the finger, which is a more difficult situation to control. It is not necessary to punish the child if he is 'caught' by sucking his finger, but he should be discouraged from this whenever he is observed.

How to comfort the baby without a pacifier

An excellent way to comfort the baby without using a pacifier and finger is to hold it in your lap when you cry, to bring your ear close to the heart of the mother or father, because this naturally soothes the baby.

Notoriously the baby will not calm down and stop crying if he is hungry, cold, hot, dirty diaper, but the lap and a 'cloth' used only by the child may be enough for him to feel safe and can rest. Some stores sell products like cloth diapers or stuffed animals, sometimes called 'dudu'.