Why should I not let my baby “use me as a human pacifier”

[matthew8l]

@yoshinat0r I don’t have any science based evidence other than the fact that humans and our ancestral counterparts have undoubtedly been ‘comfort nursing’ their babies for hundreds of thousands of years and we’ve all made it thus far.

 

[toysernis]

@matthew8l Exactly lol. Baby isn’t “using mom as a pacifier” — baby is actually using a pacifier as mom. Breasts are the OG paci…

 

[feelinglostagain]

@toysernis You know what... Really good point there haha

 

[talusjumper]

@matthew8l Before the advent of modern medicine and scientific practices many of us didn't make it. That's like half the point of this sub.

 

[gorightgirl]

@yoshinat0r Someone once told me that we aren't human pacifiers, pacifiers are fake nipples. It's natural and normal and comforting for baby. It's only a problem if it's a problem for you and your family. My son used to do that, but now that he's 10 months he's started to grow out of it. We still nurse to sleep, but he rarely suckles for comfort like he used to. Just falls asleep now.

 

[loveis]

@yoshinat0r Pacifiers and bottle teats are made to look like nipples. They do not use you as a pacifier, it's the other way around. I am unaware of any reason why it would be harmful to them, but you may regret it for a number of reasons like they depend on it to get to sleep and one day you decide that it bothers you.

 

[calista]

@yoshinat0r I did this with all five of my babies. If it doesn’t bother you, it’s not a problem.

 

[michaellin]

@calista How did you wean of confort nursing? Help me please

 

[calista]

@michaellin Honestly, I usually would let them get tired of it. They naturally wean as they get older. If I had to speed it up I’d set limits, let them nurse for a certain amount of time, then be available to them and hold them but break the suckle and cover my breast so they couldn’t see it or smell it. It’s a process but it works.

 

[michaellin]

@calista Thank you , I will try this!

 

[audreyjk169]

@yoshinat0r Your baby nursing for comfort/using you as a pacifier is actually really beneficial to your supply. Helps baby be comforted, sleep, and it tells your body to produce more milk. It’s beneficial all around. The only reason to not is because it can get uncomfortable, and it isn’t always practical. You usually want to sleep yourself, or maybe get things done during the day, and we can’t always have our babies on our boobs. So for that reason it might be good to offer a pacifier instead. But if you’re comfortable and it feels good and natural and you’re able to do it, then there’s no problem with it and it’s actually beneficial

 

[russelae01]

@yoshinat0r The main drawback is that it could be very difficult for anyone else to get him down for a nap/sleep. It’s ok to keep doing it if you’re ok with being the only one to put him down for all naps/sleep.

I used to nurse to sleep and it drove my husband up the wall, because he would never be able to get our baby down for a nap without a huge crying fit. It only took me a few weeks to wean him off of that habit.

 

[evergold]

@russelae01 This too really depends on the baby. I’m nursing to sleep ant that’s the only way babe ever goes to sleep with me (+being outside in the carrier). My husband however can hold+walk him to sleep. He is fussing the first few minutes but then settles

 

[annjro]

@evergold Yeh I guess we're lucky that both of us can do it but mostly I nurse to sleep whereas my husband can rock him. I can sometimes rock him.

 

[souldevice]

@russelae01 While this can be absolutely true, I just want to offer my own experience for consideration.

I am a human pacifier. This is fine with me, but the only way I am getting him to go to sleep is with a boob.

On the other hand, my husband and mom who have been putting him to sleep since he was around four months old, have no issues getting him to sleep. He does cry for a couple of minutes but still goes to sleep quickly for them. I think he just knows that the boob isn't there...so this will have to do. He doesn't use a pacifier. They just rock him to sleep and that works for them. He did go through a learning curve with it at first but after the fourth or fifth time it seemed like he got it figured out.

 

[dabomb79]

@russelae01 Same experience here. It wasn't a problem in the early weeks, but as the weeks wore into months and my maternity leave ended, it became a problem for sure.

 

[butterfly777]

@yoshinat0r At this age, putting his hands in his mouth is exploratory. it doesn't mean it's to suck the thumb. I would highly encourage you to allow the baby to do this, and also get mouthing toys and chewys. I've found that the more my baby explores with his mouth, the less he nurses for comfort. As a therapist, I absolutely hate the pacifiers. Overall, I think they're improperly/overly used. We still nurse to sleep and on days he's not feeling well, the comfort nursing is longer, so anecdotally, I've also thought that if a baby is nursing prolonged time, then something may be the matter- not inherently wrong, but needing extra support.

edit to clarify: nursing prolonged, I mean, comfort nursing

 

[mariah_desiree]

@yoshinat0r I had a comfort nurser. She’s now a happy 2.5 year old who sleeps amazingly and has incredibly healthy teeth.

 

[soulhunters]

@yoshinat0r I was literally a pacifier for my baby because my milk never really came in, we ended up switching to formula but she would still latch and suckle for comfort. I had a teensy amount of milk but she mostly latched to fall asleep. It was a sweet time. Fast forward to now, she eventually got over it a weened herself off. She is getting better and better at comforting herself now. She’s doing great. Let him use you. It’s a short time and your milk is nutritious.

 

[marygraceandmercy]

@yoshinat0r this was me with both of my babies. they lived on my boob. they took entire naps there.