A midwife's guide to choosing the right pacifier
Ditte Bach, Midwife, Babyinstituttet.
As a midwife with over 20 years of experience in the beginning of life, babies, and breastfeeding, I’m often asked: What kind of pacifier should I choose for my baby?
It’s a particularly relevant question for those who wish to breastfeed.
For babies who are going to be breastfed, I always recommend round pacifiers, as they almost never cause nipple confusion or problems. This is because the baby latches onto the round pacifier in much the same way as they do the breast. And that latch is crucial for good sucking technique. The tongue needs to wrap around the nipple and then move rhythmically. This wrapping action is essential for effective milk transfer, especially for the rich, satisfying hindmilk. It’s also important for thorough emptying of the breast, which in turn is vital for establishing and maintaining a healthy milk supply.
In my experience, round pacifiers, unlike other types, support this wrapping motion and help train the muscles used for breastfeeding.
The size of the pacifier also plays a key role. It’s important that the pacifier isn’t too long, as that can trigger the baby’s gag reflex. On the other hand, it shouldn’t be too short either, as that would prevent the baby from wrapping their tongue around it properly (instead, the pacifier would be held in place by pressing it against the roof of the mouth with a flattened tongue). If the pacifier is too short, the baby will often drop it easily, leading to restlessness and frustration. When the size is right, the wrapping motion is activated, the sucking muscles are exercised, and the baby is better able to keep the pacifier in their mouth.
For babies who are not breastfed, round, anatomical, and symmetrical pacifiers all work well. This is because it’s easier to extract milk from a bottle, and switching between pacifier and bottle rarely causes confusion.
So, in short: the right choice of pacifier can support breastfeeding, if that’s your goal. More generally, pacifiers offer comfort, soothe the baby, and for many, they make it easier to fall asleep.
In my experience, FRIGG’s round pacifiers are particularly breastfeeding-friendly, and overall, FRIGG pacifiers are a safe and reliable choice.
