Second, it saddens me to see someone that works with parents of newborns have such misperceptions of the problems pacifiers can cause. As a childbirth educator, doula, and breastfeeding educator, I can assure you that nipple confusion is most certainly NOT just a buzz word. Yes, there are plenty of babies who will go back and forth between breast and bottle or pacifier without any noticeable difficulty with their latch or sucking. But there are also plenty of babies who have major difficulties when asked to do so – I’ve seen them, and spent a lot of time working with their very frustrated mothers to correct the problem. It is not cruel to ask mothers to provide their breast for their baby whenever they need it, but it IS cruel in my opinion to tell a mother who wants to breastfeed that she can use a pacifier or give bottles to her newborn baby and there won’t be any problems associated with it. You obviously haven’t sat with a woman in tears over breastfeeding difficulties that were caused by this misinformation. Moms who were furious with their care providers who gave them the misinformation. Moms who were breastfeeding beautifully at the start, and the addition of even one bottle or pacifier use derailed that train.

I don’t veiw giving women the facts as using scare tactics. Not every breastfed baby who is exposed to an artificial nipple will get nipple confusion. But for those that do get it, it is an absolute bear to correct. And women have a right to know that before deciding to give a bottle or pacifier.

And as for talking to a good pediatrician about breastfeeding – if it was a good pedi, then they would be telling mothers to avoid artificial nipples as well. But a pediatrician is not the best person to talk to about breastfeeding anyway. If your tv is on the fritz, you call a tv repair man. If your car breaks down, you call a mechanic. Similarly, if you’ve got a breastfeeding problem, you should talk to a breastfeeding expert. Doctors get amazingly little education about breastfeeding during their schooling – there is just too much to learn and too little time. Much of the information they get about breastfeeding once they have graduated comes from formula representatives. Instead, why not talk to a board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC)? These people have had much more training and study of the subject than any pediatrician will ever have. And despite your attempts to disparage La Leche League, their volunteer moms are extremely knowledgeable about breastfeeding and can be very helpful. They work with moms to achieve their breastfeeding goals, not push any particular agenda. And they do it all for free.