>...I know of a few breastfed toddlers, and even one preschooler who use
>a pacifier, and in their situations, Mom(s) made an informed decision that
>for her child, a pacifier was useful.  These moms nurse on cue, and
>generally for several years.

Maybe we should say they nurse "on modified cue".  I don't know how one
would sort out the baby's cue to nurse and the baby's cue for a pacifier,
given that nursing is biologically normal and pacifiers, whatever we think
of their pros and cons, are not.  What comes to mind for me is the saddest
nursing strike I've ever seen.  Mom got sick when baby was about 5 weeks
old, and opted to pump for bottles for a week.  Baby went on strike, and
still agrees to nurse only at night at 2 3/4 months.

Lots of other issues involved for them, of course, but I think of this baby
crying during the day, mom offers to nurse, baby pushes away, mom offers
bottle or pacifier, baby accepts.  Was that a nursing cue?  A bottle cue?  A
pacifier cue?  In this extreme case, the baby offers "nursing cues" during
only a few hours each day, but gets oral satisfaction at lots of other
times.  Maybe no clothed, cold climate mom truly nurses completely "on cue",
but certainly a pacifier is an additional modifier of cues.

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY

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