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Even if you don’t know it before you have your first baby, choosing the best pacifier takes a lot more work than simply picking out a pack and calling it a day.
In fact like baby bottles, you will probably come to trust a particular pacifier brand and style that works best for your family and stick with it, especially if you’re looking for a specific kind of pacifier, like those made for breastfed babies, since they’ll need a specific nipple to latch onto.
Unfortunately, even once you think you’ve found the very best one, your baby may end up turning away at it or simply not taking to pacifiers at all because yes, it happens, and yes, it’s frustrating and disheartening.
But if you can find the best infant pacifier for your breastfed baby and your little one adopts it as their own, then you’ve done your job in that department.
Luckily, there are several different options that may work for your baby and these are the top five best baby pacifiers for breastfed babies, so one is bound to be the one your own baby finds as not only the easiest to latch onto but also the most comforting.
For some families, baby pacifiers are a big no-no, which is totally fine, but for other families, they’re soothers that help during all kinds of periods in a bay or toddler’s stages, and just because you’ve chosen to breastfeed, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to give your baby the best possible pacifier he or she will need.
Some recent medical research even suggests that pacifiers might help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in breastfed babies.
Without further delay, here our my top recommended types of pacifiers in order of preference…
Contents
1. Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Fun Pacifier
Tommee Tippee not only makes pacifiers but also bottles and sippy cups for different stages that many parents come to know and trust. So it’s only natural that the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Fun Pacifier is a big name on this list.
The “fun” part of the pacifier is, of course, the many designs and pictures of animals that are on each of the pacifiers, but there’s so much more offered. The design of the nipple itself is made to feel close to the real thing for your baby to easily transition between breastfeeding and using his or her pacifier.
It also as a dentist-approved symmetrical orthodontic shape that makes it easier for babies to keep the pacifier in their mouths and support natural oral development in them. The nipple is also similar to that of a bottle, and if you’re using the Closer to Nature bottles, it’s an even easier transition for your little one.
And in a study performed by Tommee Tippee, 68% of babies who were given the pacifier accepted its design the first time around, and you can’t argue with those kinds of results.
- Child Age Range/Sizes: The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Fun Pacifier comes in the following sizes — 0-6 months, 6-18 months, and 18-36 months.
- Where To Buy: You can find the pacifier on Amazon or in-store at Babies ‘R Us.
- The Best Part (pros): If you’re using the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature brand in other products, then utilizing the pacifier means keeping with a design your baby is comfortable with already.
- The Not So Great (cons): The design on each of the baby pacifiers seems to rub off relatively easily and after a short time of using them, you may find the “fun” design fading.
- Price: On Amazon, the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Fun Pacifier is around $6.
2. NUK Newborn 100% Silicone Orthodontic Pacifier
Since they’re technically for newborn babies, the NUK Newborn 100% Silicone Orthodontic Pacifier comes in just one size, which is 0-3 months, but it’s still worth trying for your infant who may need soothing from something other than a diaper change, bottle, or breastfeeding.
Much like bottle nipples of different sizes and speeds, once your baby grows out of the pacifier, so to speak, you can always help them graduate to a different one, but in the meantime, the NUK Newborn 100% Silicone Orthodontic Pacifier is not only good for soothing your baby but also good for their oral development.
Thanks to the shape of the nipple itself, it allows for more tongue movement, which in turn allows for more jaw muscle movement promotes proper teeth alignment in your baby and actually helps prevent thumb-sucking in the long run. Plus, the curve of the pacifier shield fits perfectly under your baby’s nose to keep their nostrils clear and add extra comfort.
To sanitize the pacifier completely, you can even wash it in the dishwasher on the top rack (dishwasher safe), which can give you more peace of mind when trying to sterilize it.
- Child Age Range/Sizes: The NUK Newborn 100% Silicone Orthodontic Pacifier comes in one size, which is 0-3 months.
- Where To Buy: You can find the pacifier on the manufacturer’s website and on Amazon or in-store at Walmart.
- The Best Part: Not only does the pacifier work to soothe your infant, but it also helps their overall orthodontic health and development, instead of hindering it like thumb-sucking might do. Also: easy to wash!
- The Not So Great: Since it comes in just one size, you’ll have to eventually find a new pacifier that works for your baby.
- Price: On Amazon, the NUK Newborn 100% Silicone Orthodontic Pacifier is around $5.
3. Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier
The Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier is called as such because its design to do just that — soothe your fussy or sleepy infant into calming down and soothing themselves with a pacifier as opposed to a bottle or breast when they aren’t even hungry.
According to the manufacturer’s website, it’s the leading pacifiers supplied to newborn babys in hospitals and more than 2,000 hospitals in the United States use them for infants.
The one-piece design and shape adhere to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, which means that you’ll be using a pacifier that has already been cleared for safety and usefulness for your own infant.
The nipple of the pacifier is designed to promote healthy and normal orthodontic development in babies and its shaped and sized specifically for a baby’s mouth to allow them to latch easier and be soothed with the pacifier.
Philips does have other pacifiers for your baby to graduate to, being that these are made strictly as pacifiers for newborns and young infants, but if this is the kind given to your baby shortly after birth, then it will be a comfort to your baby to already have them in supply once you come home.
- Child Age Range/Sizes: The Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier is designed for infants from 0-3 months of age.
- Where To Buy: You can find the pacifiers on Amazon or in-store at Target or Walmart.
- The Best Part: Since the majority of hospitals use the pacifiers, you won’t have to worry about any pacifier nipple confusion with your newborn.
- The Not So Great: Since you need to hold the pacifier in your baby’s mouth at first as they latch onto it, there’s a chance that they’ll spit it back out soon after.
- Price: On Amazon, the Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier is around $4.
4. MAM Orthodontic Pacifier
There are a variety of sizes and colors offered by MAM, but the MAM Orthodontic Pacifier is where it’s at for breastfed babies, especially since it’s softer and thinner than the average pacifier, making it feel more natural.
And since breastfed babies are more accustomed to latching onto nipples, this is especially useful in getting them used to use this particular pacifier. Not only that, but Mam pacifiers promote healthy and proper alignment of your baby’s teeth while also being good for your infant’s jaw development.
The shield of the pacifier allows a guard to lay against your baby’s mouth and help keep the pacifier in, which prevents those nights of rushing out of bed to re-insert your baby’s pacifier into his or her mouth.
But thanks to the small holes in the shield, air can circulate in and out of the area around your baby’s mouth to keep them comfortable while using the pacifier. Plus, the anti-slip textured design helps keep it from slipping out of your baby’s mouth.
The MAM Night Orthodontic Pacifier also glows in the dark, which makes finding it in the middle of the night or early morning that music easier.
- Child Age Range/Sizes: The MAM Orthodontic Pacifier is for babies ages 0-6 months old.
- Where To Buy: You can find the pacifiers on Amazon or in-store at Toys ‘R Us and Bed Bath & Beyond.
- The Best Part: The glow in the dark feature really takes the pacifier up a few notches as a feature made especially for parents.
- The Not So Great: Since the nipple is thinner and softer, you may run the risk of it tearing more easily than that of other pacifiers.
- Price: On Amazon, the MAM Orthodontic Pacifier is $6.
5. WubbaNub Infant Pacifier
Believe it or not, the WubbaNub Infant Pacifier is even cuter than the name given to it, because it’s actually attached to a small stuffed animal that babies can cuddle as they suck on their pacifiers and also makes it easier for you to find the pacifier if it gets lost.
Having the plush stuffed animal on the end of the pacifier also makes it easier for babies themselves to grip and put the pacifier into their mouths over time. Since the pacifier itself is a soothing, often given to newborns in the hospital, the WubbaNub Infant Pacifiers are given to infants in NICU and well-baby units all over the United States.
And just in case your nursery is themed with a certain animal or you’re a dog family rather than a cat one, the pacifier and plush animal combo comes in a variety of different animals for every taste and need.
But also because you probably won’t want just one for your infant, and rightfully so, as the pacifier is designed for orthodontic health and is an easy transition from breastfeeding to sucking on a pacifier.
Note: Our kiddos were big fans of the Wubbanub infant pacifier giraffe edition.
- Child Age Range: The WubbaNub Infant Pacifier is designed for babies who are six months old and under and who do not yet have teeth coming in.
- Where To Buy: You can find the pacifier on Amazon or in-store at Buy Buy Baby and Target.
- The Best Part: The unique lovey stuffed animal attached to the pacifier makes it not only unique, but a beloved companion to help promote self-soothing with your infant.
- The Not So Great: Since the pacifier and stuffed animal have to stay together as one unit, it may be difficult to clean one or both parts and not as easy to clean as detachable paci units.
- Price: On Amazon, the WubbaNub Infant Pacifier is around $14.
Final Thoughts | Which Pacifier is Best?
Like bottles, formulas, and even diapers, finding the right pacifier for your breastfed baby is going to depend on your little one and also may require a little trial and error, because babies are nothing if not fickle creatures who change their minds at the drop of a hat.
In this case, overall your best option is going to be the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Fun Pacifier, which is best for your baby because of its design and help in aiding the natural oral development of your baby’s teeth.
Of course you may eventually find that one of the others on this list might work for your child specifically, but because of its shape, design, and ability to keep your baby latched on more easily, the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Fun Pacifier is likely your strongest choice for a solid pacifier for your baby as they grow, develop, and eventually give up their pacifier and breastfeeding for good.
P.S. Don’t forget to pick up a good pacifier clip for mobile little ones (much more sanitary).
Further Reading:
- Best Milk Storage Bags for Breastfeeding (maximize the milk supply)
- Best Sippy Cups to Transition from Bottle
- How to Find the Best Breast Bump (if you need one)
