Posted on Thu, Mar 29, 2012 @ 01:30 PM
New moms are often exposed to well-intentioned but unnecessarily dire warnings about pacifiers and a rumored negative impact on breastfeeding.
However, most breastfeeding moms use pacifiers, and even the staunchest pro-breastfeeding advocates (i.e. La Leche League and Dr. Sears) concede that pacifiers can be a huge help to the breastfeeding Mom rather than a detriment.
Here are 6 facts that explain how pacifiers and breastfeeding play well together.
1. Babies have a strong need to suckle. 'Comfort nursing' is when a baby nurses not for nourishment, but to soothe or entertain himself (also known as 'non-nutritive sucking'). In effect, when a baby comfort nurses, he uses his mother as a pacifier. Sometimes that’s absolutely fine and a lovely bonding experience for mother and baby. However, breastfeeding moms often need to tend to many other tasks and pacifiers can assume the role of 'comfort nurser' for her. Older babies may even prefer the pacifier for this, since they can also look around and move about while they comfort nurse.
2. Pacifiers keep the peace. Sometimes your baby is hungry but you are temporarily in a situation where you cannot feed him. In these instances, the pacifier can tide baby over for a short time until you can tend to him. This temporarily resolves the problem of a screaming infant in an already stressful situation: parents can appreciate how crucial this can be.
3. Babies know the difference. When baby is very hungry, he will no longer accept a pacifier as a substitute for the breast. As long as your baby is gaining well, you don’t have to worry that he is using the pacifier too much.
4. You can always take it away. Babies may come to depend on the pacifier, but unlike your child’s thumb, when you decide to wean your baby off his pacifier it can easily be taken away. The thumb proves more difficult in this case.
5. Pacifiers soothe colicky and teething babies. In these situations, the pacifier may be preferable to the breast. Sometimes colic is caused when babies cannot digest their food well, and teething babies are likely to bite or nurse in a manner uncomfortable to mom.
6. Pacifiers make sleeping safer. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends putting baby to sleep with a pacifier, as it decreases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Used judiciously, pacifiers and breastfeeding complement each other beautifully, and make breastfeeding easier for baby and mother.
Posted on Mon, Mar 12, 2012 @ 07:50 AM
Managing a tight household budget is imperative in this trying economic atmosphere. A bit saved here and there can make all the difference, we know! It is with this maxim in mind that we would like to announce the following discounts on MAM products now available to our MAM Moms and Dads.
Receive 50¢ off of all MAM Products at the following retailers:
Kinney Drug|Present- 3/31| Kinney Store Locator
Kerr|Present-3/31| Kerr Store Locator
Weis|Present-3/23|Weis Store Locator
From our family to yours, we hope that you find these discounts tremendously useful in managing your household expenses this month. If these stores are not in your area, not to worry! We work with MAM USA retailers nationwide to bring you helpful discounts as well as the best products. Each month we will announce these discounts on our blog: stay tuned!
Cribsie Awards- Win MAM Anti-Colic Bottles!
25 MAM Moms and Dads will be randomly selected to win 2 MAM Anti-Colic Bottles- learn why and how below!
MAM Anti-Colic bottles have been selected as *finalists* in the prestigious Cribsie Awards in the 'Best Bottles for Gassy Babies' category!
Shown to significantly reduce colic symptoms in 80% of babies and possessing the unique ability to be microwave-sterilized in a mere three minutes with no extra parts, MAM Parents like you all wisely choose the MAM Anti-Colic bottle for YOUR little ones. The next step is to make other parents aware which bottle is best for their baby by voting for the MAM Anti-Colic Bottle to win the Cribsie Award!
Vote here - once you do so and confirm your vote, you will be sent a confirmation e-mail to the e-mail address you provide to register.**Please forward this confirmation e-mail to mamusablog@mambaby.com along with your mailing address and baby's gender. This information coupled with an official Cribsies vote confirmation letter will constitute a valid entry. Voting for The Cribsie Awards and entry for this contest ends 3/17/12 at 12:00 A.M.(EST)**
Thanks, all! We hope you have a lovely week! As always, please post below with any comments or questions.
Posted on Mon, Mar 05, 2012 @ 09:06 AM
This St. Patrick's Day, win your baby a little luck o' the Irish with MAM Eco 0-6 month pacifiers featuring a four-leaf clover!
To enter to win these beautiful MAM pacifiers, we ask you to comment on this post and answer two questions for us to help us determine our pacifiers collections for the latter part of 2012 and for 2013. Nothing helps us to meet your high expectations for MAM more than hearing directly from you! Please be sure to include your e-mail address in your post so we can contact you and receive your mailing address should you win!
1) What color SHIELDS (outer part of the pacifier) would you like to see MAM pacifiers feature?
2) What types of designs, patterns, and motifs would you like to see on MAM pacifiers? Please use your imagination here- we love and appreciate your creativity!
Answer these two questions in our comment section and you might just be one of 25 randomly-selected winners!
Interested in purchasing a few? MAM Eco 0-6 pacifiers are available from RiteAid, Buy Buy Baby, and Amazon.com (Purchase on Amazon)!
*Entry deadline is Friday, March 9th at 12:00 A.M. PST. Please be sure to include your e-mail address with your entry! Contest open only to residents of the United States and Puerto Rico.*