Using Pacifiers – Or Not? There are two sides to this argument
Being a parent is a mind-boggling task. Being a mother is sometimes even harder. From the first moment your baby is born, people ask you what you want to do. What is the right choice for your baby?
“I have no idea; my baby did not come with a user guide!”
We, parents, are continuously riddled with a sense of guilt for any and all decisions we make, simply because we are not sure.
When it comes to pacifiers, there is no right or wrong answer. I compiled some points for you to consider.
Birth to 12 months
- Has proven to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS
- Helps babies to develop sucking reflex especially with babies that were born prematurely
- Helps breast fed babies to go longer between feeds
- Helps them sleep
- Soothes them when they are upset or crying
One year and older
- Soothes them when they are upset or crying
Dangers of prolonged use of pacifiers
- Ear infections
- Can harbor harmful bacteria and cause skin rushes around the mouth
- Early abandonment of breastfeeding
- Oral malformations
- Delayed speech
- Establishment of the smoking habit in adolescence
(Researchers at the Universitat Jaume I Desirée Mena and Jennifer Sánchez, from the Predepartmental Unit of Nursing, have reviewed 1,897 scientific articles on the harmful and beneficial effects of pacifier use in newborns and infants.)
The Best Way to Stop the Use of Pacifiers in Reluctant Children
It’s just never easy, is it?
You might be lucky, and your child won’t care one way or another. The Sooner you stop the pacifiers, the easier it will be.
When your child is two years old or older, he or she has now established a habit that is not that easy to break.
Many books on Amazon or your favorite bookstore with cool stories should motivate your child to give up his binky.
When my daughter was two (yes, I know, don’t judge – :-)) we collected all the pacifiers in the house, put them in a small bag, and hang them on a tree in our backyard. The next day, the “Binky Fairy” brought my daughter a nice present for the pacifiers she collected for other babies that needed them more. 🙂
The only advice I would give you, don’t leave them hidden, just in case you need them, even if your child has a tantrum. If your child knows that the pacifier is hidden and there is a chance for them to get it – they will fight you harder. When there is no pacifier in the house, you won’t be able to give in…
Good Luck!
