Pacifier

The 12 Best Pacifiers For Breastfed Babies

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Overview

Did you know that pacifiers can reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)? (1)(2)

Studies have found that pacifier use can significantly reduce the risk of SIDS, particularly when placed for sleep. They recommend the use of pacifiers for all sleep episodes, including nighttime sleep and daytime naps. (1)

Some studies have also found a link between pacifier use and the possible reduction of SIDS risk for infants lying in prone or side positions, bedsharing, and using soft bedding. (2)

Still, some parents remain reluctant about letting their babies use pacifiers because of potential adverse effects (including misaligned teeth). (1)

The choice is still up to you, parents. For breastfed babies, researchers recommend introducing pacifiers only after breastfeeding has been well established. (1)

Here are our recommendations for the 12 best pacifiers for your little one:

The Top 12 Best Pacifiers For Breastfed Babies

Pacifiers are also called dummies, soothers, binkies, or simply “paci.” They come in different materials, sizes, shapes, colors, and types.

Which Pacifier Is Best For Breastfeeding Babies?

The following are our top choices to help you find the right pacifier for your breastfeeding baby:

Best Pacifier with Face Contouring

Cutest Pacifier Design

Best Orthodontic Pacifier

Best 2-in-1 Pacifier and Teether

Best Pacifier for Newborn Babies

Best Nighttime Pacifier

Best Breast-Shaped Pacifier

Best One-Piece Silicone Pacifier

Best Pacifier With Soft Toy

Best Pop-Out Pacifier with Built-In Case

Best Anti-Colic Pacifier

Best Butterfly-Shaped Pacifier

Continue reading to learn about each pacifier.

Nanobebe Baby Flexy PacifierAMAZON BUTTONWALMART BUTTONEBAY BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • The pacifiers are made of BPA-free medical-grade silicone.
  • The one-piece design adheres to the AAP guidelines for safe pacifiers.
  • The ergonomic design lets the pacifier curve around your baby’s nose and chin.
  • Ventilation holes can provide better airflow to prevent irritation on your baby’s face.

Material & Type

  • Silicone pacifier with a soft, rounded shape similar to a mom’s nipple

Size Options

  • For 0-3 months
  • For 3 months old and above

Variations

  • Teal
  • Pink
  • White
  • Gray

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Curves to your baby’s face making it easier for them to keep it in their mouth.
  • These soft silicone pacifiers are sterilizer-safe.

Cons

  • Some parents who bought the product complained about the pacifier being too hard, so their breastfed babies refused to use it.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

So very pretty and the only binky my newborn would take. I was so desperate she is a really fussy baby. These saved my sanity.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Negative Reviews

I passed these on bc my daughter refused them.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Itzy Ritzy Sweetie SootherWALMART BUTTONEBAY BUTTONAMAZON BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • These pacifiers are free from harmful chemicals such as BPA and PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
  • For safety, all the pacifiers are made of food-grade silicone.
  • There are holes at the sides of the shield for ventilation.
  • All products pass ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) safety standards.
  • The lovey soft toys can make it easier for your baby to hold on to the pacifier.

Material & Type

  • Round, nipple-shape pacifier made from 100% food-grade silicone
  • The soft toys are made of velour.

Size Options

  • For newborn babies and above

Variations

These are the color and style options you can pick for the pacifiers:

  • Apricot and terracotta braids
  • Buttercream and toast braids
  • Cotton candy and watermelon bows
  • Green and white cables
  • Hero red and hero blue cables
  • Nautical navy and robin’s eggs cables
  • Orchid and lilac bows
  • Sugarplum bows
  • Agave and succulent cables
  • Clay and rosewood bows
  • Blue arrows
  • Camo and midnight cables
  • Aquamarine and peach bows
  • Deep-sea and denim braids
  • Peacock blue arrows

These are the soft toy options:

  • Jolie the Unicorn
  • Peyton the Sloth
  • James the Dino
  • Alex the Fox
  • Lane the Llama

Product Recall

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • It’s a soft pacifier made with food-grade silicone.
  • These pacifiers are dishwasher safe.

Cons

  • The material might be too soft so that babies with teeth can easily make holes in this pacifier.
  • The circle shield might be too big for small, newborn babies.
  • Some parents complained about the rubbery scent of this product.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

EBF babies favorite paci – easy for them to hold on to too.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Negative Reviews

My son loved these pacifiers, but they need to have a warning about using them with an older baby. They advertise the pacifier as 0+ and durable. As soon as my son got teeth, he chewed through the pacifier.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

TOMY Boon JEWL Orthodontic Silicone PacifierEBAY BUTTONAMAZON BUTTONWALMART BUTTON

Note: The First Years Gumdrop pacifiers are currently not available on TOMY’s website but can still be purchased in other retail outlets.

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • A pediatric dentist designed this orthodontic pacifier for natural oral development
  • The gem-shaped nipple of the orthodontic pacifier can encourage your baby’s little tongue to stay in its proper place while self-soothing.
  • The shield is flared out so it can let your baby’s jaw move more freely while sucking.
  • The one-piece design can make this pacifier easier to clean.

Material & Type:

  • The orthodontic pacifiers are made of BPA-free, PVC-free silicone.
  • The newborn pacifiers are round and made of latex-free, BPA-free silicone.

Size Options

  • Boon JEWL orthodontic silicone pacifier (four sizes): Newborn, Stage 1 (0m+), Stage 2 (3m+), and Stage 3 (6m+)
  • The First Years Gumdrop newborn pacifiers: For newborn to 3 months

Variations

Color options for the orthodontic pacifiers:

  • Blue pack (varying shades of blue with one yellow pacifier)
  • Pink pack (varying shades of pink)

Color options for The First Years Gumdrop newborn pacifiers:

  • Blue and green pack
  • Pink and purple pack

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Cleaning and sterilizing this pacifier can be easy because it’s dishwasher and sterilizer safe.
  • The orthodontic nipple is gem-shaped, not just for style but for keeping your baby’s tongue in place while sucking.
  • The narrow neck can make it comfortable for your baby to suck on the pacifier.

Cons

  • Some parents observed that the orthodontic pacifier was too hard for their babies.
  • The First Years Gumdrop newborn pacifiers are only for babies up to three months old. No bigger sizes are available.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

My son is solely breastfed if that’s info you need. I didn’t do anything but put it in his mouth. No coaxing, no waiting.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Negative Reviews

Was not impressed by the material. It’s very hard to suck on.” – Reviewer on Target.

Ryan & Rose Cutie Pat (Slant) 2-in-1 Pacifier and TeetherAMAZON BUTTONWALMART BUTTONEBAY BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • It’s made of safe, non-toxic, and 100% medical-grade silicone.
  • It’s free from BPA, PVC, phthalates, and latex.
  • It’s CPSC (the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission) compliant, and FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approved.
  • It’s a pacifier that your baby can also use as a teether.

Material & Type:

  • 100% medical-grade silicone pacifier and teether with a slant nipple

Size Options

  • Tiny: For preemies
  • Stage 1: Newborn up to 6 months (or for babies without teeth)
  • Stage 2: Six months and above (or babies with teeth)

Variations

The following colors may be available for all pacifier designs and stages:

  • Gray
  • White
  • Tan
  • Ivory
  • Pink
  • Black
  • Charcoal
  • Blue
  • Clear
  • Oxford blue
  • Sanibel peach
  • Slate
  • Warrior purple

Variations available for the Cutie Pal baby shower gift set:

  • Girl
  • Boy
  • Neutral

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • The pacifier portion can soothe your baby, while the teether handle can be used for teething relief.
  • It’s made of non-toxic materials.

Cons

  • The slanted pacifier is for babies without teeth. Once your baby starts teething, you need to switch to another type of pacifier.
  • It may be discolored by colorful foods, drinks, and dyes.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

My son loves this thing.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Negative Reviews

Baby can’t keep it in his mouth. The nipple is too small and the outer ring seems too rigid or big. Now that he’s teathing he uses it as a teether sometimes, but he’s still not that interested in it.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Chicco PhysioForma micro Orthodontic PacifierWALMART BUTTONAMAZON BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • These mi-cro pacifiers are small, lightweight, and can be just the right size for your newborn baby.
  • These products are BPA and latex-free.
  • The soft, satin-textured silicone nipple may provide more comfort and less slip from your baby’s mouth.
  • The inclined nipple shape can guide your baby’s tongue placement.

Material & Type:

  • BPA-free and latex-free silicone orthodontic pacifier

Size Options

  • The mi-cro pacifier is only available in newborn size (for 0-2 months).
  • The soft silicone and light pacifiers are available in three sizes: 0-6 months, 6-16 months, and 16-24 months.

Variations

The mi-cro pacifiers and light pacifiers come in two colors, with cute prints on the shield:

  • Pink
  • Blue

The soft silicone pacifiers have three options:

  • Teal
  • Pink
  • Clear

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • These pacifiers come in a reusable case that lets you sterilize them in just three minutes.
  • The orthodontic design may be helpful for your baby’s oral development.
  • The ventilation holes can help promote air circulation to minimize skin irritation and moisture buildup.

Cons

  • The mi-cro pacifiers are designed for newborn babies and should be replaced as your child grows bigger.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

Compared to other ones I have bought my son prefers these. Now that he has tried these pacifiers he doesn’t want the other ones anymore.” – Reviewer on the Chicco website.

Negative Reviews

Unfortunately, no matter how perfect It looked to me and no matter how many times we tried to use it, Maisie wouldn’t take the pacifier. Every time we put it in her mouth she spit it out immediately.” – Reviewer on Walmart.

Philips Avent Ultra Air Nighttime PacifierAMAZON BUTTONEBAY BUTTONWALMART BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • It’s made of BPA-free materials.
  • This nighttime pacifier glows in the dark, so you can easily find it even with the lights out.
  • It’s designed to provide as much airflow as possible through the shield.

Material & Type:

  • BPA-free orthodontic silicone

Size Options

  • Avent Soothie Heart: For ages 0-3 months
  • Avent Ultra Air regular and nighttime pacifiers: For ages 6 months and above

Variations

Color options available for Avent Soothie Heart:

  • Blue
  • Light blue
  • Green
  • Pink
  • Purple

Avent Ultra Air classic and nighttime pacifiers:

  • Plain colors
  • Printed (combination of stars and sleeping cartoon animals)

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • These products come with an ultra-light travel case that can also double as a sterilizer. You can just add some water inside the case and pop it in the microwave at 750 to 1000 watts for three minutes.
  • The pacifiers are dishwasher safe.
  • The designs on the shield look cute.

Cons

  • The Ultra Air Nighttime Pacifier is only for babies six months old and above; no smaller sizes are available for this design. But you can try the Soothie Heart for younger babies.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

I love you because their super light And for whatever reason the shape of the actually nipple pacifier part is my baby’s favourite.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Negative Reviews

“I honestly didn’t have my baby try them due to there being moisture inside the pacifiers after doing the microwave sterilization.” – Reviewer on Philips USA website.

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Breast-Like PacifierTommee Tippee Closer to Nature Breast-Like PacifierEBAY BUTTONWALMART BUTTONAMAZON BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • The breast-like pacifier has a rounded shield and soft, silicone nipples. This product stretches like skin and may help prevent nipple confusion in breastfeeding babies.

Material & Type:

  • BPA-free and BPS-free (bisphenol-S) silicone pacifier with a rounded nipple

Size Options

  • Moda and Breast-Like Pacifiers (two sizes): For 0-6 months and 6-18 months
  • Fun Style pacifiers (three sizes): For 0-6 months, 6-18 months, and for 18 to 36 months

Variations

The breast-like pacifiers (classic and nighttime) are available in these colors:

  • Blue
  • Yellow
  • Pink
  • Gray
  • Slate
  • Cedar
  • Teal
  • Silver
  • Coral
  • Sage
  • Iron
  • Cream
  • Coffee

The ultra-light pacifiers come in these colors:

  • Blue
  • Green
  • Pink
  • Yellow

The fun-style pacifiers have bright, playful animal prints.

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • The breast-like pacifier has rounded nipples and shields that mimic a mom’s breast. The design may help your baby avoid nipple confusion.
  • The nighttime version glows in the dark.

Cons

  • Unlike the handle of regular pacifiers, this breast-like pacifier features a hole at the back portion of the shield. The hole is tiny, but some parents complained that their babies’ fingers got stuck inside.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

Seamless transition from breast, bottle, & pacifer.” – Reviewer on the Tommee Tippee website.

Negative Reviews

My baby got her little index finger stuck in the hole of the pacifier(the nipple part)! She started crying during a nap and we found this STUCK on her finger. We had to lubricate it to remove it!” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Dr. Brown’s HappyPaci Pacifier with Lovey Soft Toy HolderWALMART BUTTONAMAZON BUTTONEBAY BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • The pacifiers are BPA-free (bisphenol-A), known to be a harmful chemical.
  • The HappyPaci is a one-piece silicone pacifier that’s shaped like Dr. Brown’s bottle nipple.
  • The one-piece construction can make it easier to clean this pacifier.
  • The contoured butterfly-shaped shield curves away from your baby’s nose.
  • The lovey soft toy set comes with a HappyPaci pacifier and a soft toy holder (different styles are available).
  • There are vents for airflow.

Material & Type:

  • All the pacifiers are round and made of BPA-free silicone.

 

Size Options:

  • Lovey pacifier with soft toy holders: Pacifiers for 0-6 months, lovey toy for all ages
  • HappyPaci silicone pacifier: For 0-6 months
  • PreVent, Advantage, and Advantage glow-in-the-dark (two options): For 0-6 months and 6-18 months

Variations:

The HappyPac, PreVent, and Advantage glow-in-the-dark pacifiers have the following options:

  • Pink
  • Blue

The Advantage pacifiers have the following designs:

  • Chemistry
  • Space
  • Airplanes
  • Stars

The following choices are available for the pacifier set with soft toy holders:

  • Triceratops
  • Giraffe
  • Fox
  • Bunny
  • Unicorn
  • Deer
  • Lion
  • Sloth
  • Dinosaur

Product Recall

  • On March 15, 2018, Handi-Craft Company, the importer and distributor of Dr. Brown’s products in the US and Canada, voluntarily recalled around 600,000 Dr. Brown’s Lovey pacifier and teether holders because the snap could detach from the ribbon, posing a potential choking hazard. (3)(4)
  • The CPSC, Health Canada, and Handi-Craft Company jointly issued the advisory which affected products sold from August 2015 until March 2018. (3)(4)

The recall involved eight lovey soft toy styles: (3)(4)

  • Giraffe
  • Zebra
  • Turtle
  • Deer
  • Bunny
  • Reindeer (Special Holiday Edition)
  • Frog (Special Holiday Edition)
  • Spring Bunny (Special Holiday Edition)

Consumers were advised to check the tags attached to the holder for the following lot codes: (3)(4)

  • RICH0317
  • RICH0417
  • RICH0516
  • RICH0517
  • RICH0615
  • RICH0616
  • RICH0617
  • RICH0715
  • RICH0716
  • RICH0717
  • RICH0815
  • RICH0817
  • RICH0916
  • RICH0917
  • RICH1016
  • RICH1116
  • RICH1215
  • RICH1216

Customers with loveys from these lot codes were told to call the company at 1-833-224-7674 for replacement.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Designed to be reversible, the pacifiers have a round silicone bulb and symmetrical (top or bottom) shield designs.
  • The pacifiers are sterilizer and dishwasher safe (top rack only).
  • The soft toy can make it easier for your baby to hold the pacifier in place.
  • The soft toy can be easy to hand-wash and air-dry. It’s also compatible with other pacifier brands.

Cons

  • The soft toys have beads inside that could become a potential choking hazard if the seams are torn.
  • Orthodontic pacifiers are not available.
  • The company had a massive recall in 2018 due to a potential choking hazard from the ribbon snaps. (3)

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

I love how it has a big gap from her nose to her paci so I know she is getting plenty of air. It’s also an added bonus to see her curled up to a little animal!” – Reviewer on Dr. Brown’s website.

Negative Reviews

This item is meant for a baby who will be putting it in their mouth, yet the stuffed animals feet are filled with BEADS!!” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Wubbanub PacifierAMAZON BUTTONWALMART BUTTONEBAY BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • It’s made from materials that don’t contain BPA, latex, phthalate, lead, or AZO dyes (bright dyes that may cause reproductive harm, allergies, or cancer). (5)

Material:

  • Latex-free, phthalate-free, and BPA-free medical-grade silicone pacifiers
  • Lead-free, non-toxic dyes are used for the plush animals

Type

  • Silicone pacifier with a soft toy

Size Options

  • One size for all collections: 0-6 months (or babies with no teeth)

Variations

The lovey soft toys include different animals with the following themes:

  • Classic
  • Nursery Tones
  • Arctic Collection
  • Farm Friends
  • Jungle Friends
  • Puppy and Kitty
  • Heart Warrior Collection
  • Major League Baseball
  • Jimmy Fallon Collection
  • Special Lovey Edition
  • Limited Edition
  • Pretty in Pink
  • Forest Friends
  • Storybook Friends

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • All the pacifiers come with cute animal soft toys, with lots of designs available.
  • The soft toys can be used with other pacifiers.
  • The company removed beans or other beads from the soft toys as these may become potential choking hazards if the seams are torn.

Cons

  • The pacifiers are only for babies zero to six months old.
  • The products are not dishwasher or sterilizer safe.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

My baby loves these. Every baby is different, but my daughter loves these because the doll has some weight and helps to stay put.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Negative Reviews

In the past, we have loved the wubbanub pacifiers. But this most recent order is terrible. It smells terrible, like plastic, and my son refused to use it.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Doddle & Co. The Pop Silicone PacifierEBAY BUTTONWALMART BUTTONAMAZON BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • This silicone pacifier doesn’t contain latex, lead, PVC, BPA, or phthalates.
  • The pop pacifiers have a unique case-and-pacifier-in-one design.
  • For the smaller pacifiers (0-3 months), the case pops closed when the item is dropped. You just need to pinch the case of the bigger pacifiers (3+ months), so it will close.

Material & Type:

  • Lead-free, PVC-free, BPA-free, latex-free, and phthalates-free 100% silicone with round nipples and a built-in case

Size Options

  • There are two sizes available for all pacifier types: 0-3 months (or for babies without teeth) and 3+ months (or for babies with teeth)

Variations

The following are the colors available for the pop pacifiers:

  • Blush
  • Gray
  • Lilac
  • Navy
  • Teal
  • Cream
  • Coal
  • Peach
  • Rust

The colors above are available for Tokyo and Holland pacifiers, plus these special colors:

  • Spice
  • Cloud 9 (light blue)
  • Scout green
  • Smash cake (light brown)

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • The sides of the pacifier have holes designed for pairing with a pacifier clip.
  • The pacifiers are dishwasher safe.

Cons

  • It’s more expensive than other popular pacifier brands.
  • The pacifier case could pop close even while the baby is using it.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

My diaper bag usually is filled with crumbs and the pacifier falls out of little man’s mouth a lot but it almost instantly folds into its case! keeping it clean from dirt and crumbs.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Negative Reviews

This pop pacifier, once the baby stops, the thing goes back to it original form and you have to put it back in the baby’s mouth over and over again. ” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Nuk Airflow PacifierEBAY BUTTONWALMART BUTTONAMAZON BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • The Airflow pacifiers are designed with special ventilation holes that may help reduce colic, gas, and spit-ups.
  • The heart-shaped shield provides space under your baby’s nose.

Material & Type:

  • The Airflow and other pacifiers with hard shields are made of 70% plastic and 30% silicone.
  • The Comfy orthodontic pacifiers are made of 100% silicone.

Size Options

  • Airflow, Classic, Genius, and Comfy orthodontic pacifiers come in two sizes: 0-6 months and 6-18 months.
  • Space and classic orthodontic pacifiers, three sizes: 0-6 months, 6-18 months, and 18-36 months

Variations

Options for the Airflow pacifiers:

  • Ladybug
  • Bikers
  • Mixed

The Comfy orthodontic pacifiers have these opinions:

  • Green
  • Blue
  • Pink
  • Purple

For the Classic orthodontic pacifiers, these options are available:

  • Bikes
  • Sports (football and baseball)
  • Space
  • Princess (crowns and ribbons)

Options for the Space orthodontic pacifiers:

  • Whale and bear
  • Tiger and koala
  • Owl and fox
  • Cat and ladybug

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • These pacifiers are sterilizer and dishwasher safe.
  • You can also sterilize these in the microwave using a sterilizing storage case.

Cons

  • The thin handle easily tucks into the shield and can make it harder for babies to hold the pacifier.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

This pacifier has a airflow vent right under the bottom lip to help prevent her chin from chapping. We’ve been using them for 2 cold weeks now and no sign of chapped chin!” – Reviewer on the Nuk website.

Negative Reviews

With the handle the way it is, it’s really hard to put in a newborn’s mouth without hanging out to the whole thing.” – Reviewer on the Nuk website.

MAM Perfect PacifierWALMART BUTTONAMAZON BUTTONEBAY BUTTON

Key Features

Safety & Best Features:

  • MAM Perfect pacifiers are thinner, lighter, and have larger ventilation holes than regular pacifiers.
  • All pacifiers are made of BPA-free and BPS-free materials.
  • These pacifiers have butterfly-shaped shields and cute prints with plenty of designs available.

Material & Type:

  • Rounded-nipple BPA-free and BPS-free silicone pacifiers

Size Options

  • Start Newborn and Perfect Start (one size): 0-2 months
  • Mini and Clear pacifiers (one size): 0-6 months
  • Trends pacifiers (one size): 6+ months
  • Attitude and Love & Affection : 6+ months
  • Perfect and Camo (two sizes): 6+ months and 16+ months
  • Original and Perfect Night (three sizes): 0-6 months, 6+ months, 16+ months

Variations

All pacifier types have different prints and designs available, including the following:

  • Love & affection (examples: “I love daddy” or “I love mommy”)
  • Attitude (examples: “free to be me” or “little dreamer”)
  • Animals
  • Flowers and nature

Product Recall

  • None

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • The packs can come with reusable sterilizing cases.
  • Plenty of cute designs and prints are available.

Cons

  • Some babies used to the original MAM pacifiers or other thicker pacifiers might not accept this thinner version.

What Customers Say

Positive Reviews

These are designed to allow their front teeth to come in properly while still being comforted by the pacifier. My baby loves them!” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Negative Reviews

It looks like the original except they just melted it at the base. Weird.” – Reviewer on Amazon.

Summary & Recommendation

These are some of the popular pacifiers you can choose from:

Types of Pacifiers

  • Rounded
  • Orthodontic
  • Silicone
  • Latex
  • One-piece
  • Multi-piece
  • 2-in-1 pacifier with built-in case
  • Pacifiers with soft toys
  • Pacifiers with clips
  • Pacifier for teething molars

Pacifier For Breastfed Baby FAQs

Why Use A Pacifier?

The following are some popular reasons for getting a pacifier:

  • Soothing your baby
  • Possibly reducing the risks of SIDS (1)(2)
  • Assisting tube-fed babies learn how to use a bottle
  • Possibly enhancing oral development in babies with feeding issues

How Do I Choose A Pacifier For My Newborn?

Pay attention to the size indicated on the packaging. Size 0 or 1 may be ideal for your newborn baby.

Are Pacifiers Bad For Baby’s Teeth?

Prolonged use of pacifiers can affect oral development, particularly in children over two years old. Some children might have misaligned teeth with prolonged use.

Are Pacifiers OK For Breastfeeding Babies?

Pacifiers can affect breastfeeding, especially because they may cause nipple confusion. Researchers recommend waiting until breastfeeding has been well established before introducing a pacifier. (1)

Is Rubber Or Silicone Better For Pacifiers?

It may be better to choose silicone over rubber. Silicone can withstand high temperatures, last longer, and may retain its shape better than rubber.

When To Avoid Or Discontinue Its Use?

  • The baby has difficulties latching on during breastfeeding
  • Your baby refuses to breastfeed
  • You’re having milk supply issues

When Should I Replace A Pacifier?

Always check a pacifier before giving it to your baby. Replace it if:

  • There are holes
  • The nipple part looks like it might be torn off the shield’s base
  • It shows signs of discoloration
  • It smells bad
  • It looks dirty
  • There’s water inside the nipple part

Some manufacturers recommend discarding your baby’s pacifier after one month of use.

How Do I Wash A Pacifier?

Always use a mild soap and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, you can sterilize the pacifier using a microwave or sterilizer for baby bottles.

 

REFERENCES

(1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16216900/

(2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21505778/

(3) https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/Handi-Craft-Recalls-Dr-Browns-Lovey-Pacifier-Teether-Holders-Due-to-Choking-Hazard#

(4) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/recall-pacifier-teether-dr-brown-choking-1.4582363

(5) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27635691/

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