HELP! how to make baby take a pacifier?

amother

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 5:24 pm

My baby is 3 months old... she used to take a pacifier very well and sleep "like a baby" with it.. now she sticks her hands and fingers inside and rejects the pacifiers.... I tried 2 different types and she spits them out... what do you reccomend? I want her to take a paci rather than her thumb.....

Rebshosh

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 7:52 pm

I dont think you can make a baby take a pacifier. My DS took one until four months, then would spit it out and scream if I tried it. I kept at it for a week or so, but he just didn't want it. I say a thumb is not so bad. Your baby knows how to soother herself and that's great.

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 8:00 pm

I second the "you cant force a baby to take a pacifier" thing.
My daughter took one for about a month. Then she just stopped. We tried many many many different types and at different angels. Nothing worked. But she also did not take her thumb, so you may be lucky anyway. But I dont think there is really anything you can do but let the baby do what they feel.

supermommy07

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 8:02 pm

thumbs are better..u dont have to go to her in the middle of the night when she loses her paci. I have plenty of friends whose kids are over 2 and they still wake up constantly at night cuz they "lose their paci .. u have to go to them and find it for them. my kids are thumb suckers (refused pacifiers) and I have watched them find their thumbs in their sleep.. so cute! howver thumb is worse for their teeth but im not worrying about ortho yet! they only suck thier thumbs at bed time.

AlwaysGrateful

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 8:23 pm

Will he let you swaddle him with his arms in? If you do, he can’t get to his hand, and he might take his thumb.
I did that with my ds. You may think it’s mean, but he slept MUCH better and was much happier when going to sleep as well. If you have one of those Velcro swaddles, you can do it pretty easily.

Laughing Bag!

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 11:30 pm

I dont think you can make a child take a pasi. DD never really liked her pasi not that I tried much though. she did however find her thumb which dh didnt exactly like as he had bad memories of himself being "tortured" about it as a kid. However because my experience as a kid wasnt so bad I did let dd suck her thumb as long as its in bed only. now that shes 18 m she knows that its only for bed and I BH dont have her walking around with her thumb in her mouth and she still has a form of soothing herself that never gets lost! O and about teeth I find that pasis are worse for the teeth than thumb sucking, I sucked my thumb up untill... (ok konly in bed) Dh sucked his thumb until age 11 we both have beautiful teeth without any intervention!

BeershevaBubby

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 11:51 pm

supermommy07 wrote:

Fingers are not better. You can take the pacifier away cold turkey or cut down on when and/or where they use it but they'll always have access to their fingers.

DD1 and DS1 took pacifiers - DD from the start, DS at 2 months old and it took buying several different types until we found one he liked.

DD2 sucked her fingers.

DS2 doesn't use either. Never has.... he wants to comfort suck he comes to me.... and he's 18 months old.

supermommy07

Wed, Sep 22 2010, 12:12 am

My WHOLE family sucked their thumbs and none of us sucked outside of bedtime and all stopped by the time we were 5 or 6.But every child is different. I see kids well over 2 with pacifiers at the mall, park... u name it. Some parents seem not to know how to get rid of it. Naturally it is better for a child to learn how to sooth themselves with out outside help I.e. pacifier. So in a way thumb is better.
Now as a dental professional, I can (with authority) say that thumbs are worse then pacis for oral and tooth development. I am happy for u and Ur husband that u have beautiful teeth... but that doesnt mean thumb sucking isent harmful for the oral cavity. It can cause a narrow palate, over bite, speech problems, just to name a few. OBVIOUSLY not every child who sucks his or her thumb will develop this just as not everyone who does not wear sun skin gets skin cancer.
Personally I hate pacifiers, and I was glad that my kids did too. I do understand why some parents like to use them, but if ur baby doesnt want it, why would you force them into a bad habit? Also I just dont understand why I saw toddlers sucking them?

supermommy07

Wed, Sep 22 2010, 12:16 am

SavtaHelen wrote:

try dipping it in your milk, or sugar water. Personally I am against this practice but I have seen it work

PLEASE DONT DIP IT!!!!! Its really really unhealthy!

amother

Wed, Sep 22 2010, 12:36 am

WOOOOW thank you all for sharing experiences with me and giving advice!!!

well I sucked my thumb until I ws 11 yrs old BH I have great teeth but personally I dont want my baby to be like me and suck it until later age.... a paci you can take away a thumb u cant...
I bought her another type today we will try it tomorrow and see if this one helps... I also heard about dipping it in my milk we will see...
could this be a face?? it just happened from one day to the other when before she could not go to sleep without it... she slept with it and in themiddle of the night dropped it and that was it... now she just smiles at me and pushes it awat with her tongue... today I tried so much that I made poor baby cry... so I didnt want to try more.. ill try tomorrow....

amother

Wed, Sep 22 2010, 8:32 am

Yes actually the paci Soothies she was given in the hospital and she loooooveees it until now that she rejects any of them... that was the only paci I was giving her.... but now even that one she rejcts... I know I cant force my baby to anything but maybe there techniques or something to help them take it..

busymom2000

Wed, Sep 22 2010, 12:21 pm

ds1 didn't want to take it in the beginning I tried different types & pushed it constanlty, he started taking it by 4 months & am very happy he did a mother can't always be a pacifier, ds2 is 4 months now starting to take sometimes, hope he starts to take it regular I believe it's a big help & would prefer it rather than the thumb