Anyone Break From The Paci At Around 8 months?

regenab

So my DH never wanted to use a paci on the girls, but I convinced him to let me do it when they were 6-8 weeks old (they wouldn't really take them before that time, they just preferred to cry a lot instead) with the intention of breaking them of the paci at 4 months old adjusted. Well here we are at 7 months adjusted still using the paci for naps and sleeping time and car rides for the one (she hates the car, absolutely flips out every morning and every night on the ride to and from daycare). My DH really wants to take them but I have been holding off because well let's just say it, they make it easier on me.

See DH is military and travels constantly he is only home on weekends and only 2 weekends a month at that, so the rest of the time it is all me and my daycare provider. They sleep so well with the paci. I am breaking from using them in the car, I give them their teethers instead to occupy them to and from daycare and that has been working.

I know sounds like I don't want to give up the paci, but I really do, I don't want to have to deal with it when they are older. If I am going to take them I want to do it before they turn 1, but I am finding it really hard to do.

Any suggestions or ideas on how I can get past this and just break them of them? My BFF said to wait until I take them off the bottle at about 1 and then break them of the paci, but DH is always making comments when he is home how he always has to be sure to have the paci in hand when putting them down or it is a crisis. I really want to tell him to F*** off, but I hold my tongue because I know how guilty he feels about us being alone most of the time and I don't want to pick a fight with him when he is home, I want to enjoy our time together since it is so short.

 TIA

sweater

Is there any particular reason for the Paci-Hate?

Paci's are meant to soothe babies...and your babies are babies. NICU's push paci's rather hard because they are comforting to them. I wouldn't be so concerned about it since your girls are so young. My son was PACI-OBSSESSED coming home from the NICU. My husband and I just realized that he only uses it to be comforted during naps/bedtime. I think over time most babes are willing to just give them up.

Why punish yourself by taking it away? I would just set an age you absolutely don't want them to have it and make them disappear.

Honestly...my husband said he does NOT want our boys walking around with paci's in their mouths. But if our one son is 14 months old and just wants it at night...I can gaurantee you dh will give in ?

coffee bean

I agree with sweater.  My girls like pacis, but I'm convinced they don't need them except for naps / bedtime.  Starting last week, we've decided to always keep pacis in the crib.  Whenever they get up, I say "Paci needs a nap - but the paci in your bed!"   I don't think it's a big deal if they use them to fall asleep, but I also don't want them walking around with pacifiers in their mouth....just my .02.

regenab

DH's problem with them is he had a horrible time with breaking his son (from his first marriage) of the paci, it took weeks. He also went through another paci breaking cycle when he was living with a girlfriend several years before meeting me and she had a daughter they had to break of the paci, again a not so fun experience for him. His thoughts are the older they are the harder it will be to break them.

My feelings are similar to you alls, I don't want them walking around and talking with a paci in their mouths, for me I want to break the paci like my BFF suggested when they lose the bottles because they won't have nipple for the bottle anymore they can break the paci at the same time. Just feeling a lot of pressure from DH. I am feeling a lot better after you ladies have replied.

I will say that most of the time I don't think my girls use the paci as a comfort tool as more of a habit. My girls have never had an issue when the paci falls out while sleeping, in fact if they wake up at night they put themselves back to sleep with a little fussing and then fall asleep, not reaching for the paci. I will find the paci on the other side of the crib in the morning where they can't even reach them. When they are in their cribs in the morning playing while I am getting one of them dressed they will actually put the paci in and out of their mouths like a toy. I think this is just fueling DH's problem with the paci because they don't rely on them to comfort themselves and when I have attempted to go without the paci, sometimes they do sleep and other times they don't and I give in and let them have the paci.

Anyway, thank you ladies at least I know others feel the same as I do that it is ok for them to use the paci for a while longer.