The Best Pacifier for Breastfed Baby 2023 – Reviews and Guide

Breastfed babies are used to get their milk supply from direct latching on to their mothers. But there are times when they get fussy and angry even though they’re already well-fed and burped.

If you’re a breastfeeding mom, chances are, you’ve never used a pacifier for your little infant yet. But don’t worry; you can use one without interfering your breastfeeding, and this review of the best pacifier for breastfed baby will show you what pacifiers will suit you and your baby best.

Pacifier for Breastfed Baby Summary​

Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier is a simple, no-fuss pacifier that is good for a breastfed baby. It has a no-frills design, is made from strong silicone material, and is BPA-free.

Breastfeeding moms recommend this pacifier as their babies have not experienced nipple confusion while using this product. Philips’ pacifier is also used and trusted by most hospitals nationwide.

Another hospital-grade pacifier is the WubbaNub Infant Pacifier. This product has a one-piece construction conforming to medical pediatric associations standards.

This pacifier can withstand repeated use and sterilizing without distortions. It also comes with a cute plush toy to give extra security and cuddles to your baby.

MAM Glow in the Dark Pacifier is a good choice if you’re struggling to locate your baby’s pacifiers inside his crib at night. Your baby can also easily find this pacifier if it accidentally falls off from his mouth in dim light.

This product has soft nipples and an anti-slip texture. It also has features to protect your baby’s skin from saliva rashes.

The First Years GumDrop Newborn Pacifier is one good introductory pacifier. It’s lightweight and good for newborns up to three months of age.

The GumDrop Pacifier is made from sturdy silicone, comes in cheery colors, and is designed to fit baby’s face without touching his nose. It’s small though, and you might need to purchase a larger one once your baby outgrows this product.

Breastfeeding babies close to the teething years may benefit from the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Pacifier. This pacifier is, especially, created for infants and toddlers aged six to eighteen months.

The Tommee Tippee Pacifier has symmetrical nipples with no flat parts to ensure that your baby’s developing teeth and gums are not adversely affected. While this is a good traditional pacifier, water may tend to get inside the pacifier nipple after several washes, posing a risk for mold or dirt accumulation.​

Top 5 Pacifier for Breastfed Baby on the Market​

1. Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier

Are you looking for a simple pacifier that doesn’t interfere with you and your baby’s breastfeeding relationship? The Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier might be a good choice.

This pacifier is made from hospital-grade silicone, making it durable, odor-free and taste-free. The Avent Soothie pacifier is also free from latex, BPA and phthalates.

Avent Soothie pacifier is constructed in an orthodontic design to make it fit newborn mouths without interfering with the natural development of the teeth, gums, and tongue.

It has a comfortable fit and its size is adequate enough to prevent swallowing accidents.

The pacifier is easy to clean and sterilize – place it on a steam sterilizer or boil it for five minutes. Sterilizing will not cause any distortions in the pacifier’s shape and design.

Many mothers have observed that letting their newborns use this pacifier doesn’t lead to nipple confusion and difficulties in direct breast latching.

The Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier is suited for newborns aged 0-3 months. It’s used in most hospitals to soothe newborns and is also given out to parents upon hospital discharge.

One small downside maybe the absence of a Snap-On Hygienic Cap, an added hygienic feature present in other Philips Avent pacifiers.​

2. WubbaNub Infant Pacifier

If you want a sturdy pacifier that can do double duties, you may want to check out the WubbaNub Infant Pacifier.

The WubbaNub Infant Pacifier is made from the Soothie, a kind of hospital-grade silicone. It is constructed in a one-piece fashion to conform to the American Academy of Pediatrics standards.

This product is somewhat big and may be appropriate for infants aged three to six months. This pacifier isn’t recommended for your baby’s teething stages, though.

WubbaNub Infant Pacifier is available in green nipple color. It is tasteless and odorless and doesn’t crack up easily even after prolonged use.

The nipple is attached to adorable stuffed animals, making it virtually hard to lose and easy to locate even at night. It’s sewn onto the tip of the animal toy’s face and isn’t removable.

There are various cuddly toys to choose from – giraffe, monkey, elephant, kitty, puppy, and penguin, to name a few. The toys are all stuffed and do not contain small parts like beads.

It’s a bit hard to sterilize the WubbaNub pacifier. You may dip the pacifier nipple in a cup of boiling water, or toss the nipple and toy inside the washing machine and dryer.​

3. MAM Glow in the Dark Pacifier

Check out the MAM Glow in the Dark Pacifier if you’re having difficulty locating and putting on your baby’s pacifier in a dark room at night.

This MAM pacifier is made from a soft yet strong BPA-free silicone material. The nipple has an anti-slip texture to help it stay securely in your baby’s mouth.

The orthodontic nipple is developed symmetrically to fit your baby’s developing mouth easily.

It has a shield with holes that lets your baby’s skin breathe. This feature stops saliva pooling in the pacifier’s shield and prevents skin breakdown and saliva rashes.

The shield is also curved so that it sits comfortably on your baby’s skin. It also has a textured surface. It is a bit hard, but comfortable nonetheless. It won’t hurt your baby if ever the pacifier falls off from his mouth.

An interesting feature of this pacifier is its glow-in-the-dark ability. Leaving it on in daylight will “charge” the pacifier and enable it to give off a glow when used in a dark room or at night.

Sterilizing the pacifier through boiling, steaming or placing in the microwave does not affect or lessen its glow in the dark ability.

This pacifier is suited for newborns and infants up to six months of age.

The product comes with a storage case. This case is reusable and can safely be used in the microwave for sterilizing the pacifier.​

4. The First Years GumDrop Newborn Pacifier

​The First Years GumDrop pacifier is a simple pacifier for your newborn. You might want to consider buying this if you need a safe, sturdy pacifier for infants aged 0-3 months old.

This product is constructed in one piece and is made from odor and taste-free silicone material. It features a design wherein you can put your finger inside the nipple so your baby can suck it as well.

It’s also BPA-free, latex-free, and phthalate-free. This ensures no harmful chemicals for your baby.

It is designed to comfortably fit your baby’s mouth and face. The pacifier doesn’t obstruct your baby’s nose.

Sterilizing the pacifier is easy since it can be tossed into boiling water or in the dishwasher anytime.

GumDrop pacifiers conveniently fit most types of pacifier attachments.

The pacifier is small and lightweight. Since it only fits babies up to three months of age, you’d have to buy a bigger one once your baby outgrows this pacifier type.

GumDrop pacifiers come in various bright colors such as green, blue, pink, and purple. Each purchase comes with two pacifier packs, so you’ll have a spare one each time.

5. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Pacifier

Babies aged six to eighteen months may try out the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Pacifier. This is a large pacifier for teething babies.

Tommee Tippee pacifier is made from BPA-free silicone. It features a nipple with a symmetrical body, wider in the mouth side and thinner in the base, and has no flat sides.

The pacifier nipples fit comfortably in your baby’s mouth. The symmetric construction doesn’t interfere with your baby’s natural oral development.

Closer to Nature pacifier has a traditional shield with jungle-themed animal designs. There are options for boy, girl and unisex shield designs.

Breastfed babies may use this pacifier especially when they start teething. There are minimal chances of babies getting nipple confusion while using this pacifier.

While washing the pacifier, water might get inside the nipples, which may cause hygienic issues. Carefully wash and sterilize the pacifier to avoid water penetrating through the nipples.​

Pacifiers and Nipple Confusion in Breastfeeding Babies

​An exclusively breastfed baby using a pacifier – this might seem a contradicting idea. Breastfeeding babies aren’t usually given artificial teats, bottles, and nipples to prevent them from having the so-called “nipple confusion”.

What is nipple confusion, anyway?

It’s a condition wherein the baby gets confused as to which is the artificial and which is the real mother’s breast. This leads to difficulties in latching and breastfeeding the baby.

Nipple confusion often happens when the baby is introduced to bottles and artificial nipples early on in life.

But babies cannot always stay in their mother’s bosom all the time. When they get fussy and irritable even though they are fully-fed, one solution is to give them a pacifier to suck on.

There are different pacifiers especially created for breastfeeding babies (examples are the ones in this review). These pacifiers can safely be used by breastfed babies with minimal to no risk of developing nipple confusion.

Timing is key to successful breastfeeding and pacifier use. Below are some considerations on when to start pacifier use even if you’re breastfeeding.

When to Start Pacifier Use​

You should not let your baby use a pacifier when you’re just starting out on breastfeeding.

It is recommended that you have established a good breastfeeding relationship with your baby first. A steady breastmilk supply from you is also a must before you start giving pacifiers to your baby.

Giving a pacifier early in life might produce nipple confusion and might cause your baby to have difficulty latching on to you. This translates to a lesser milk production within your body.

Wait for at least 6-8 weeks before using a pacifier. This timeframe is already enough to have your breastmilk supply hyped up, should you lose further breast stimulation from your infant because of his pacifier.​

Advantages of Using a Pacifier

• Soothes babies by letting them naturally suckle
• Pacifier use is linked to preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
• Helps stop the development of thumb sucking habits
• Helps babies fall asleep faster

Disadvantages of Using a Pacifier

• Increased risk of interfering with breastfeeding
• Dental issues especially during the teething years
• Increased ear infections