"This is the only good pacifier for your baby's oral development."

"This pacifier is most breast-like."

"Never use this pacifier or your baby will need braces, a retainer, and veneers."

"If you don't use this $80 pacifier, your baby will never get into college."

So much fear mongering. So much information. It's overload!

So, how do I guide parents to choose a pacifier for their family....

Most hospitals give newborns the green Avent Soothie. I think this is a great pacifier because it's tubular in shape, which encourages the tongue to cup and sustain suction. This is a great starter pacifier, but it doesn't work for every baby. Especially weak babies. The front is very heavy and gravity pulls it out.

The Ninni is a nice pacifier for therapeutic use, but it takes some training for both baby and parent to get used to. It's very thin silicone so it requires the parent to keep their finger in the center until the baby learns how to use it.

I see some therapists saying to never use the MAM, but it's actually one of my favorites, especially for weaker babies who can not hold the Soothie in their mouths. My tongue tied friends have a lot of success with this one.

There's no pacifier that is breast-like. Breasts are warm, they conform to the mouth, they stretch to reach the soft palate in the back of baby's mouth. No pacifier can do that, but that doesn't mean they are all bad.

The only pacifiers I say to really avoid are "orthodontic". Orthodontic encourage the back of the tongue to sit high and flat, which is the opposite goal especially for breastfeeding.

The best pacifier is the one that soothes your baby, that encourages a persitaltic suck pattern, and encourages tongue cupping.

You've got this!

-Jenna