2 Minute Doctor Blog: SOOTHERS - yes or no?

Baby Buy Doctors
Feb 1, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Mar 6, 2021

Soothers can be a godsend for some babies/parents. Many babies have a strong suck reflex and self soothe by sucking. Helping them out with this process can be calming for them, but there are some things you should know before you make this decision!

What About Nipple Confusion?

There are no concrete studies about whether nipple confusion actually exists. Some moms swear that their baby had issues latching after introducing the soother, others say it was no problem. Because feeding is so important, experts recommend that soothers be avoided for at least 4-5 weeks, and better off at the 6-8 week mark when mom's supply is truly established. The reason we recommend this is because you want your baby sucking on the nipple as much as possible in order to stimulate supply :)

What about SIDS?

In 2012, The American Academy of Pediatrics on Breastfeeding stated:

"Given the documentation that early use of pacifiers may be associated with less successful breastfeeding, pacifier use in the neonatal period should be limited to specific medical situations. These include uses for pain relief, as a calming agent, or as part of structured program for enhancing oral motor function. Because pacifier use has been associated with a reduction in SIDS incidence, mothers of healthy term infants should be instructed to use pacifiers at infant nap or sleep time after breastfeeding is well established, at approximately 3 to 4 weeks of age." ( Policy Statement)

Things to Think About:

- Breast should always be the first thing your baby (especially newborns) are sucking on. For reasons described above - to increase your breast milk supply.

- Always make sure your soother safety is followed. If there are any loose parts, throw it out. Don't put your baby to bed with a soother clip that they can get wrapped up in.

- We recommend (on our site! - check out the teething section!) the full silicone soothers that are one continuous piece. These are better for cleaning also. Some soothers have areas where moldy water can fester bacteria.

- Some babies who take soothers are more prone to yeast infections in the mouth.

- Some studies have linked pacifier use to increased incidence of ear infections. In the first months of life, this isn't typically a problem. But when your baby is older (older than 1), it can become an issue. There is always a time to start weaning them off :)

- Some (not all) studies show that babies who take a pacifier wean from the breast earlier because their sucking needs are met with the soother instead.

When to avoid the pacifier (from KellyMom.com)

If you observe any of the following problems, it would be a good idea to discontinue pacifier use, at least until the problem is resolved:

Baby is having difficulties nursing well (this may be due to nipple confusion).
Baby is having problems with weight gain (in which case baby needs to nurse as often as possible).
Mom is having problems with sore nipples (baby may be causing this due to nipple confusion)
Mom is having milk supply problems (in which case she needs to put baby to breast, not pacifier, at every opportunity in order to increase milk supply).
Mom and/or baby have thrush, particularly if it’s hard to get rid of or repeated.
Baby is having repeated ear infections (an increased incidence of ear infections has been linked to pacifier use).

I personally used a soother for my baby. He weaned himself off it (started spitting it out) around 7 months so I didn't have to go through the weaning process. He would only get it at nap time and bed time, and it really helped him to soothe to sleep. I do believe I experienced nippled confusion in the early days (I started around 9 weeks old). Now, if he sees his "soo soo", he just chews on it, but he looks at it like a long lost friend :)