Pros and cons of pacifiers?

TranquilityAndPeace

Tue, Mar 05 2013, 11:56 pm

I'm wondering if I should buy my one week old baby a pacifier.

I don't like the look of pacifiers. I don't like how they accumulate germs. I don't like how babies fuss when they lose them. I really don't like when toddlers/preschoolers walk around with them.

I only gave a pacifier to one out of three of my other kids, because he was exceptionally colicy.

This baby is fairly calm but she keeps sucking at everything, so I know that she'd love a pacifier. She's sucking her sleeves, collar, burping cloth, etc. She has a hard time finding her fingers, but if I put her thumb into her mouth, she sucks that.

Am I being selfish by not buying her pacifiers just because I don't like them, or are there also some good reasons not to give babies pacifiers??

MaBelleVie

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 12:01 am

My first was pretty addicted, so I thought I would just avoid it with my second. Well, she made it pretty clear that she wanted it. She HAD to suck to fall asleep, but she wouldn't nurse unless she was hungry. So she would suck on anything her tiny mouth could reach in a desperate attempt to soothe herself to sleep. She seemed frustrated and dissatisfied with her fingers. Finally I caved and gave her the paci, and life became more simple. She was happy with it and could suck as much as she wanted til she fell asleep. I still use it almost exclusively for sleeping, but its a great thing.

I would follow the baby's cues.

cinnamon

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 5:38 am

I love the paci for babys and unfortunately my five year old loves it for herself. We are having a hard time getting her to stop.

My five month old refuses the paci and takes his thumb I hate thumb sucking and I don't know what I will do if I can't get him to stop.

The best paci relationship is the one my now three year old had. He took it nicly as a baby and then around 15 months he just stopped and never looked back.

All in all I am pro paci's.

As for the five year old, we decided on r"h as the cutoff date if she doesn't give it up by then I will be taking away all the paci's in the house (also the toddler's and the baby's) and we will simply not have any for a while.

hop613

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 9:10 am

I am not willing to be my baby's pacifier, if the baby gives me a choice. The biggest reason I can think of not to give a newborn a paci is because of nipple confusion. But if you always offer to feed the baby first, I don't think it's a major issue for most babies. Like others have said, you can't take away a child's thumb.

I think pacis are a real bracha from Hashem! With other kids to take care of, I think a paci is an invaluable tool to calm and soothe a baby. Both of my kids also only nursed/nurse when they are hungry, but needed to suck to fall asleep. I think there is a good window in the 8-14 month age range where the paci can either be taken away, or only used in the crib/car. My 2 year old still has his paci in the crib/car but this doesn't bother me, and I figure he'll grow out of it eventually.

amother

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 9:18 am

My older son took the paci almost till age two and a half and had hard time getting rid of it. With my second son who is now almost two he refused a paci as a newborn so I never pushed and he never used it. He did not suck his thumb either. Now he has a hard time drinking from a straw or drinking out of many sippie cups. I think its because he never had that sucking movement.

MaBelleVie

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 9:44 am

amother wrote:

How did he drink breast milk or formula without sucking?

MMCH

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 9:52 am

I am a huuuge pacifier fan.
I am not willing to be my baby's pacifier, she learned how to self soothe from a very young age, traveling is easy you always have something that comforts them that doesnt involve taking off your shirt, whenever shes nervous or overwhelmed, she always had something, and I really believe babies and toddlers do need something to calm them down.
HOWEVER,
with that being said, there are also big con's. my 2.5 year old is addicted!!!! her teeth are crazy, it follows her everywhere, you always have to make sure you have a million, when shes a baby and she wakes up bc it fell out its very annoying, ect you get the picture, bh when she turned 2, we made a rule that she can't have it out of the house...so thats taken care of, but she uses it constantly at home. my next goal is to only use it on the couch or the crib...
I like paci's better than thumb sucking (if you can control it), I sucked my thumb until I was 11, with braces!!!!!!

MimiMommy

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 10:13 am

I don't know, one week seems very young to start with that ...maybe wait another week or so until her feeding routine is more established?
I also hate the look of toddlers with pacifiers. I gave my kids pacifiers starting at about a month, and got rid of the pacifiers at about 7 months. Luckily for me it was never a problem. They did love to nurse, though.

Ema of 5

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 10:13 am

vordale wrote:

My daughter is addicted to hers also. She is 3.5 now…I told her when she turns 4 she can't have it anymore. Also, its only for when she goes to sleep, so she's not walking around with it all over the house or when we go out. When we go away, she can have it in the car, but I only take one, so if it gets lost…oh well :-)

smile22

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 10:21 am

Mybaby took a paci at first and I was so happy then after 2 months he decided he likes his fingers better then a paci.

It’s cute that he sucks his 2 fingers but he is totally obsessed and I don’t think it’s going to be cute once he gets a little bigger.
I would go for the paci, you can always take it away.

shnitzel

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 10:27 am

My first didn't want a pacifier and I was relieved.

When this baby was born she also tried to suck everything. She was comfort nursing so she could suck more and then spitting up tons. I have a huge milk supply and overactive letdown and she would try to suck for comfort and kept getting milk out anyways and would be so frustrated and in pain. Now she takes her paci and it is a huge relief to both of us.

There is really no downside. You can always chose to wean off the paci before they hit toddlerhood.

imaima

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 2:00 pm

vordale wrote:

if she goes to sleep with the paci then it doesn't equal self-soothe. Self-soothing means that she needs no external people or objects to go to sleep.

ez-pass

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 2:05 pm

My son didnt want the paci and I didnt push it. He is 21 months now and bh does not need it. He sleeps with his blanket. I give him a bottle before bed.
My 2.5 month old also didnt like it. BH she is very calm and doesnt really need it bh. I am happy that they are not paci takers or thumb suckers.

TranquilityAndPeace

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 3:11 pm

Thanks for all these posts.

I'm wondering if she's learn to self-soothe better and more effectively without a paci, then if she became dependent on it.

MimiMommy; I like your advice to wait until she's a bit older.

irg2013

Wed, Mar 06 2013, 3:11 pm

According to "Happiest Baby on the Block" the infant desire for pacifiers/sucking (2 weeks - 3/4 months) is different from older babies/kids. Apparently if you stop with the pacifier around 4/5 months (when they are coordinated enough to eat their hands!) they don't get attached to it...so that may be a good middle ground?

Dunno if this is true though because my baby is only 3 months Smile

She does seem to be losing interest in her pacifier, but it was a bracha the first few months. She is exclusively breastfed and we haven't had any problems with nipple confusion.