Barbara, thank you for your wise words on pacifiers.  I have heard so many
women tell me that they couldn't breastfeed because their baby received a
bottle in the hospital and then had "nipple confusion".  If we perpetuate
this as a profession, I feel it does more damage then good.  Why not focus on
other reasons to avoid bottle nipples and pacifiers instead of sayiing it
causes "nipple confusion."  I try to keep the focus on avoiding formula
(unless medical necessity) due to hazards of formula, the importance of
supply and demand, the importance of mother/baby having frequent
opportunities to build skills at breastfeeding, and frequent feeding reducing
engorgement. It takes more time to educate and help mothers see the bigger
picture of how breastfeeding works, then to simply have a list of rules.  A
mother/baby is a unique dyad.  Rules can become big stumbling blocks.  I feel
we need to help moms to understand the system (making of milk) and their
babies by educating more in a broader sense then blanket rules.  This is not
only beneficial to the mother/baby we are working with at that moment, but it
empowers the mom to help other women by knowing that each breastfeeding dyad
is unique. JMHO.

<<"The relationhip between exposure to artificial nipples and pacifiers and
the development of the aversive feeding behaviors associated with nipple
confusion is neither refuted nor supported in the research literature.
Despite this, recommendations given by health care providers to avoid bottle
feeding continue to be driven by the belief in the phenomenon of nipple
confusion.  Concern that exposure to artificial nipples will inevitably
interfere with breastfeeding has even resulted in ...legal action.  Clearly,
from this [current] review of the literature it would be appropriate for
health care providers to take a more moderate position when they educate
parents."

D. Dowling, W. Thanattherakul, Nipple Confusion, Alternative Feeding Methods
and Breastfeeding Supplementation:  State of the Science, Newborn and INfant
Nursing Reviews 2001, 1(4):217-223.>>

Warmly,
Pat Lindsey, IBCLC
Pediatrics Plus Staff LC  www.pedsplus.com
Private Practice www.PatLC.com

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html