I think this is a dangerous practice regardless of any concern about
going against parents' wishes or interfering with breastfeeding!
What if the stuffing gets drawn through the hole by baby's vigorous
sucking?  What if the pacifier slips out of baby's mouth (or starts
to) and somehow baby gets the wrong end in its mouth and winds up
with the stuffing material in the mouth?  If baby "must" have
something to suck on while waiting for the doc, at least the nurse
could use her finger (gloved).  That, has drawbacks as we know, but
not the same dangers as a stuffed bottle nipple.
Of course, the ideal would be to leave baby in mom's room.  The doc
can certainly do the exam there.  When we first started to encourage
exams in the moms' rooms, some docs welcomed it (a few were already
doing so) but others were concerned about lighting, having the
necessary gadgets readily available and whether or not it would take
more time.  Most soon learned that it saved time as they could do
patient education and answer questions as they were checking the
baby.  (Although one doc complained that if he did the exam in the
room the parents might ask too many questions!?  Give me a break!)
Mom can soothe, cuddle or nurse baby right up to exam time (and some
docs actually examine the baby in its mother's arms) and right after
if it upset the baby.  If baby is nursing, most docs will go on to
examine any other babies they have, or do some charting until mom is
finished.  When they do have to interrupt because this is the last
thing they have to do before going to the office, they are always
apologetic and assure mom she can resume nursing as soon as they are
done.
This practice has been the norm for us for nearly 10 years and all
the docs seem to like it, even the one that worried about "too many
questions".  There are small "baskets" with the various tools such
as otoscopes and stethescopes that the doc can carry from room to
room and the charts are kept right outside each room, so those
complaints/concerns have been bypassed.

Winnie

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