3rd Trimester
Pacifier or not?
I used to be a live in nanny for the first 3 years of the most adorable little boy! The parents never gave him a pacifier and were very adamant on NOT ever using one. I never had a problem appeasing him without it. I actually never even thought of giving him one when he was fussy, because they were just not an option.
When he got older, taking the pacifier away was obviously a non-issue since he never had one.
Anyone else planning on not using one? Why? Why not? Any second time moms do/try this?
I'm not sure what I plan on doing, I kind of naturally always thought to use one.
Thoughts?
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Re: Pacifier or not?
We are using one. I read that it helps reduce the risks of SIDS, so that was enough for me.
My SIL took her kids' pacis away at 1 year. None of the three girls had an issue with it. When they were sleeping, she just gathered them all up and put them away.
She also took bottles away at 1 year.
I think we are going to use one but try taking it away before he is too old. When I was younger my parents gave one to me and didn't take it away in time. I sucked my thump until I was in 3rd grade and had the worst teeth imaginable until I got braces for 5 years! haha
I don't know if that would be the case with our little man but I don't want to risk it. My parents both tell me they wish they would have taken it away sooner.
I have no clue if baby boy will get a paci. We'll decide once we see what his temperament is.
I swore DD would never have one, but she ended up being a paci kind of kid and still uses one. It really isn't a big deal. Her teeth are perfect, her speech is better than fine, and even her pediatrician said there's no harm in her still using it.
We've learned not to say what we'll do one way or another ahead of time.
Bloggin' It
DS never liked the paci and completely rejected it by the time he was about four months old. BUT he hated the car, and I wish he would have liked the paci so that I would have had some option for soothing him in the car (we took A LOT of miserable LONG car rides in his first 14 months until I finally turned him forward and the screaming magically stopped).
I am hoping that this baby likes a paci. I don't have an issue with weaning a child off of one (I was there and an active participant when we weaned both of my brothers off of theirs) and I think that when it comes to soothing a baby the more tricks in your bag the better (and this is one trick that can be used in the car, when other things in my bag of tricks are not an option).
There have also been some studies that suggest that babies that sleep with a paci are at a decreased risk for SIDS, I don't know how much stock I put in a lot of SIDS research (I really am of the mindset that if we don't know what causes it we can't know how to prevent it), but the paci seems like a benign thing to at least try with.
Keep in mind, not all babies will even TAKE a paci, it was certainly a struggle with DS and when he decided he was done, he was DONE.
Even though it was offered, my daughter wouldn't take one. It made it easier on me because I didn't have to worry about taking it away. Thankfully, she didn't suck on her thumbs/fingers either.
DD was given one in NICU, but didn't take to it. When she was about a month old I was in so much pain from her "pacifying" on me after nursing that I tried one again and she went for it. Took them away cold turkey at about 1 1/2 years old, no problems.
There are some respectable pros for little ones:
-reduce SIDS risk
-comfort/help with Sleeping through the night (STTN)
-give mom's nips a break
We will use one. But if she's not interested, that's fine.
When DD was born she had automatically picked up the habit of sucking on her middle and index finger. Her Dad did that as a child and it affected his teeth. So, I felt like a paci was better than that and immediatedly removed her fingers and replaced with the pacifier.
We didn't have too much of a problem giving it up when I took it away. But whenever my parents kept her, they would let her have it so it did delay the process a little.
Because every baby is different and some babies have a much stronger need to suck than others, I'm letting my baby decide. I do, however, have rules for the paci.: only for bedtime/naptime and when they are young babies - only for nap/bedtime and really fussy times when nothing else will work.
I do not worry about nipple confusion whatsoever or getting rid of it when they are older. I've never had an issue getting rid of the paci.
I'll never say never when it comes to what I will or won't do as a momma. I have several different kinds of pacifiers from my shower that are available if the need arises. I plan to breastfeed and the LC who taught our breastfeeding class recommended waiting two weeks before introducing the pacifier.
DS will get one... if he will take it.
We tried a million different ones with DD and she refused them all. Ironically, she found one in her crib around her 1st birthday, and hasn't let go of it since. She loves that thing.
I tried to take it away around her 2nd birthday, and she then started sucking her fingers instead, so I ended up caving an giving it back after about 2 months. Trust me, I hate it and I was SO judgemental in regards to other people kids having them, but its not a battle that I want to fight right now. I would rather she drop the paci when she is ready instead of being a finger sucker at age 8, KWIM?
We used a pacifier for our first and it was never an issue. We took her pacifier away at a year and then her bottle shortly after that and she wasn't phased by either.
That being said, DD #1 has always been a very easy going child, so it didn't surprise me.
I do plan on using one with this baby too and will just play it by ear.
Every baby is different - That being said I was against using a pacifier until my daughter was trying to use me as one. After 4 hours of her constantly on the boob I needed a break. Some baby's just need to suck and in the beginning they don't have the coordination to make the connection between mouth and thumb...even though in utero they were able to.
I gave her a pacifier in the hospital and we had no nipple confusion what so ever after that. She's 8.5 months old and EBF with no problems.
I cannot speak for LO2 as I am not sure how they will react with or without one.
With DS, we bottle fed donors milk (he was adopted so I did not BF) so we were not concerned about nip confusion, we tried a paci and he just spit it out , so we quit. He has a security blanket he holds on to when napping or sleeping however.
If we are to use one with LO2, we will wait two weeks before offering it as we want to establish a good BF latch first. We would also plan to take it away sometime before their first dentist appt at 2 years of age.
I was pretty anti-paci at first but I slowly realized my SO was going to win this argument...
So we plan on giving her one but it will not be given past one...period. I WILL win that argument.
We used a Soothie pacifier with G. It was the only kind he'd use, but he loved it. It really served to soothe him, and I'm glad we used it. We didn't want him to get to old and still be using a paci, so we were just aware of any good opportunities to wean him off of it. Turns out, when he started to cut molars just after his 1 yrs b-day, he didn't want his paci for several days. So we just gathered them up and never gave them back. He didn't even notice - it was a non-issue.
My niece, however, used one until she was four years old, and I felt that was WAY too long to allow pacifier use. I was determined to wean G before that, and we did.
Big brother and sister are excited to meet the new baby! It's a GIRL!
~ G ~ 10/2008
~ E ~ 7/2010
I had a preemie, so my opinion might be a little different. A nuk was essential for my DD to learn how to suck, swallow and breath, something that isn't developed as early as she was born. I was told "the NICU doesn't believe in nipple confusion"....when she was ready and at about 35 weeks gestation, we put her to breast, and besides normal preemie breastfeeding issues, she nursed and I pumped for 11 months.
When she was 19 months we left the nuks out with the cookies for santa, she was thrilled and never had a problem giving them up.
I think it is important to be open to anything...not having a nuk was not an option in the NICU.
I had no real plans either way until DD started using me as a paci and my nips couldn't keep up. I think I gave it to her when she was about 3 days old. It has caused zero nipple confusion and it has really been a lifesaver. I don't think I would have given it to her if she'd had trouble latching on me, but she's been an excellent BF'er from day one.
We were given a "pacimal" as a shower gift and we love it. The animal part detaches so when it is time to wean the baby from the paci, she can keep the animal and it will be less traumatic for her. Plus, the animal makes it easier for the paci to stay in her mouth.
Pacimal: https://pacimals.com/
We have the bunny and it is adorable.
We are planning on not using one right away, and possibly never. I too have heard about reducing SIDS but so does breastfeeding, which I plan on doing exclusively. (We also plan on some form of co-sleeping.)
If we find a reason he needs a paci (and I sincerely hope not), it will be only while he is really little, first few months. Pacifiers for kids that can walk is just ridiculous IMO, and kids who can TALK and still have them... just no. Personal preference.
Mama to Sebastian, born 9/2010
I was adamantly against them for the first month and then figured he would decide. Hospital staff gave him one a few times and it did cause nipple confusion and we had a few rough days, but we got through it.
After a month, I tried and he didn't care about them at all. I've tried two different kinds. MiL thinks we are ridiculous and always tries to use one when she cares for him. It doesn't cause nipple confusion anymore and I know he needs the comfort when my boobs aren't around, so I don't really mind. (MiL lives far away so only sees him every month or two...and didn't see him at all for first 6 wks) He takes it fine from MiL, but won't from me. That's just fine with me! The only time I wish he would take one is when we are in the car and I can't give him the boob.
I will definitely use a pacifier. It has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS and is a natural way for an infant to help calm themselves to sleep. I have been a Nanny for 13 years and in my experience have seen that as long as you ONLY use the pacifier IN the CRIB that there aren't any issues giving it up when the child has outgrown it around the age of 2 years old.