To pacify or not to pacify??

[Rayven]

The age old question that always gets a heated debate going............
To pacify or not to pacify? What are your views on the subject?

My older two children both had pacifiers - when i had my eldest i was dead set against using one, but after many sleepless nights (nothing could calm her) & a good few days where she would constantly cry with no respite i was at the end of my rope - & after a very emotional day when my OH came home to find me in tears we decided to try her on one and she promptly fell asleep. Don't get me wrong - i didn't use it to 'shut her up', i'd tried everything else - and when i say everything i mean 'everything' - walking, singing, feeding, changing, winding, driving, cuddling.................

Now when i had Oliver i hadn't really thought about whether to use a pacifier or not. During the day he settles absolutely fine - has a feed, gets changed, is winded & goes in his moses basket and falls asleep by himself, but at night he just doesn't seem to settle & needs constant comforting to the point where he'll want a bottle every 40 minutes (for comfort) and then throw up the majority of the feed or he'll want to fall asleep with me and scream the place down if i put him down. Well tonight he's started the hourly feeds a bit earlier than usual, but didn't really seem bothered by the actual feeding bit - so after 4 oz he then started crying as if to want more - so i wondered whether it may just be a comfort thing, so thought i'd try him on a pacifier, just to see - & he promptly had a few sucks and fell asleep.

Do you think pacifiers are a good or bad thing? Would it be better not to get in the habit of using one in the first place?

 

[Moulder86]

I only use it to help him sleep, I would rather a dummy than a thumb because at the end of the day I can remove the dummy.....you can't chop off their thumb. I know some might not go for their thumbs instead but mine did so my personal opinion dummy but only at certain times.

x

 

[mommyof3co]

I think pacifiers are a really good thing, and they actually reduce the risk of SIDS. They don't cause problems with teeth unless the kid has them until like 4-5 and I would hope they wouldn't haha. It's also easier to get them off of that then their thumb. All 3 of my boys used them, my oldest until a year, my 2nd until almost 2yrs (he was very attached) and then my youngest is 15mo and still uses his, it will be gone before he turns 2

 

[ryder]

Pacifiers are not a prob... some people think they arnt good for bfing babies, but when I had mine and was trying to bf they encouraged a pacifier.

 

[ryder]

btw, overfeeding to the point of throwing up can contribute to reflux.

 

[Laura--x]

Sorry to gatecrash.. but what are pacifiers?? Just dummys? x

 

[nikky0907]

I use a pacifier. I gave it to Lola when she was just days old and she loves it...I give it to her at night and she falls asleep like a log.

 

[fairywings]

Pacifiers are not a prob... some people think they arnt good for bfing babies, but when I had mine and was trying to bf they encouraged a pacifier.

Really? Did they say why?

 

[ryder]

Pacifiers are not a prob... some people think they arnt good for bfing babies, but when I had mine and was trying to bf they encouraged a pacifier.

Really? Did they say why?

To help encourage the sucking reflex... and give her something to suck on.

 

[bv82]

I see nothing with using a pacifier as needed.
Mia needs it for soothing when she is ready for sleep, but she rarely uses it when she is awake because she is too busy talking.

 

[Pyrrhic]

Niamh will take one every so often. To be honest, if it brings her comfort then I'm fine with it. It's not like she's still going to be sucking on it when she's 18!

 

[Chel]

I give Jasper a dummy, only at sleep times if he's unsettled. He tends to drop it once he's asleep, so I'm in the habit of just taking it off him once he's settled.

I'm careful with the dummy not to get attached, either of us. I think its important to not use the dummy occasionally so that your confident that he can settle without it if need be.

At the end of the day, do what feels right, its really up to you and bub.

 

[x-amy-x]

Caitlyn has a dummy and always has. It comforts her and I have no problems with it at all. I hope weaning her off it isnt as bad as everyone says it is though


xxx

 

[bv82]

On the subject of weaning off the dummy:
Amy, my mom dipped my dummy into mustard when I was little.
I threw it away instantly and I have never ever wanted it after that. hahah silly kid!

 

[x-amy-x]

thats genius!

 

[Sarah88]

Savannah won't take one which suits me fine. I didn't want her to have one anyway, personal decision though. I don't like walking around seeing toddlers with them, or newborns tbh. Savannah's used one about 3 times when she's had a belly ache but they generally make her vomit.

 

[CamoQueen]

David doesn't like them. God knows I have tried... I have tried several different brands but when I try to give them to him he grimaces and spits them out. On the rare occasion that he takes one, he spits it out soon after. I wish I could find one he likes.

 

[Linzi]

Seth has one at bedtimes and naptimes as it helps him sleep. Before he was here I was dead against him having one but it does make for an easy life.

xxx

 

[Chel]

David doesn't like them. God knows I have tried... I have tried several different brands but when I try to give them to him he grimaces and spits them out. On the rare occasion that he takes one, he spits it out soon after. I wish I could find one he likes.

I had to convince Jasper to take one, he just wanted the boob ALL the time. He'd be crying for the breast and I'd put the dummy in his mouth and he'd get angry and spit it out.

What I found worked was to hold him in a breast feeding position and pop the dummy in his mouth and hold it in place against my chest, so he'd feel like he was breast feeding. He'd still protest a little, but then he'd settle down and start sucking.

Now when I give him the dummy I just need to hold it in his mouth for a minute, until he stops crying and starts sucking and then he'll generally keep sucking until he's asleep.

 

[Chel]

On the subject of weaning off the dummy:
Amy, my mom dipped my dummy into mustard when I was little.
I threw it away instantly and I have never ever wanted it after that. hahah silly kid!

Thats horrible and fantastic!

I'll keep it in mind!