Getting Rid of the Pacifier

Posted on October 16, 2007 in Parenting, Products & Other Cool Things by little mochi

I don’t know if my baby misses his pacifier or not…he’s been off it for nearly 3 weeks now.  Of course, this means a fussier baby at times.  This also means it makes it harder to put him to bed at night.  My  husband and I used to pop one of those soothers into his mouth and let him suck on it for awhile.  Then I’d pull it out of his mouth as soon as he falls asleep.  It seemed so easy.  It wasn’t until I ran into a family friend, who happened to be a dentist.  She said, “Don’t let him use the pacifier!  It’s bad for him!  It can cause dental problems later.”  According to her, getting your baby off the pacifier is much harder after the 6th month and will continue to get harder as each month passes.  That day, we stopped giving him the pacifier.  We figured “Let’s stop him now at 3 months old!”

Does he miss his pacifier?  Many times, when I watch the baby sleep, I notice his lips move as if he is sucking on the pacifier.  Strange.  I know it was something my little brother, who is now 15 years old, used to do when he was a baby.  Is that what happens when you suddenly strip the pacifier away? 

Anyhow, I ended up doing some reading to validate our dear dentist’s claim.  And this is what I found:

All babies have a natural desire to suck on something.  It’s their way of preparing themselves for their first meal.  Many parents use the pacifier to help the baby learn to self soothe. If that is the case, many parents give their babies a pacifier only at naptimes and bedtime. If a pacifier is not introduced, the baby will usually find something else to satisfy that sucking desire such as a thumb, finger, or toe. 

One of the fears of pacifier use is the baby’s long term dependency.  They fear that their baby will still be sucking on it at 3 years of age and in some cases, at 6 years of age.  On the contraray, they also fear that if they don’t introduce the pacifier, their children will become thumb-suckers, which is probably an even harder habit to break.  (That makes me wonder if I should let my baby suck on his pacifier again???)

According to my pediatrician, pacifier use during a baby’s first year is harmless.  But the baby should be weaned off of it after one year.  I didn’t ask why at the time, but I’m assuming it’s because the pacifier can cause long term dependency. 

If some of you parents out there are debating like am I on this pacifier issue, here are some pros and cons for you to consider before you make your decision.  

CONS:

PROS:

Although there seems to be more cons than pros, a peace of mind from a screeming baby can be worth a lot for some parents.  If you choose to use a pacifier, however, try to use one that comes is one piece to prevent choking.  Also, try to get one that is “orthodontically correct” to lessen the chances of future dental problems.  And don’t give your baby a pacifier just to hold off on feeding or diaper changing.

I’m not sure which way I’ll go yet.  I guess I better decide soon as my baby is quickly approaching 4 months. 

Please let me know what you think and what you would do.



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