Why the rush to take away the pacifier?

ninasc · January 2011

I see all these post about getting rid of the binky and am wondering why you decided to take it away? LO has his for naps and bedtime and I don't see the need to change that

LauranBilly · January 2011

I dont get it either. I sucked on one until i was about 4. People talk about it messing up teeth, well.. i dont mean to toot my own horn, but i have amazing teeth. I get told so all of the time. Big Smile

so i will let my LO suck on Pacis- until she is ready to give it up, and or preschool/kindergarden time.

haleymay18 · January 2011

Each their own but we did it because there is a little girl at the DC my dd attends who has her teeth literally forming around where the paci sits, it scares the living helll out of me.

YAY! Baby K · January 2011

agree!! I am not planning to wean DS from his paci until i know he is ready..hopefully 3ish.. he only uses it for bedtime and he knows they stay in his bed. I dont mind him using it at night

lefirebug · January 2011

A couple reasons (we got rid of the paci a couple months before 1 yr old)...

-I figure it would be easier on DS if we took it away earlier. I thought if we waited til he was older and more attached and could understand better it may be more of an issue when we took it away. As it was he had forgotten all about the paci within a couple days.

-I don't want him to have dental issues because of it. I know there are conflicting opinions about this, but from what I understand it's better not to hang onto the paci too long.

-To improve his sleep. He was waking up at night and freaking out because his paci had fallen out of his mouth and he wouldn't just stick it back in. As soon as we took the paci away his sleep got LOADS better.

It's obviously a personal choice, but for us taking away the paci early-ish was for the better

LauranBilly · January 2011

haleymay18:
Each their own but we did it because there is a little girl at the DC my dd attends who has her teeth literally forming around where the paci sits, it scares the living helll out of me.

I have seen this too... and Yes it does freak me out as well!

lpnw2005 · January 2011

I don't really know either? I had a paci till I was 3 for only naps & bedtime. My teeth turned out okay, hopefully McCrae's will too. He doesn't sleep through the night now, I can only imagine if I tried to wean the paci! I really would be a walking zombie =(

The only thing I was really eager to wean out was his bottles, which he hasn't had one since the day he turned 12months but he hasn't missed it one bit.....YAAYYA

MuckDiva · January 2011

We aren't rushing to get DD to not use it either but we are trying to have her only use it when she naps/sleeps. Sometimes she will bring it with her out of the crib in the morning and chomp on it before breakfast. At DC she only uses it for naps but she sometimes finds it in her cubby before pick-up. DH and I are trying to get into the habit of having "Elmo hold it for us" since he stays in the crib all day.

She will drop it when she is ready. Hopefully by preschool.

shellybell15 · January 2011

Like pp said each to their own. I personally did not want a 4 year old walking around with a paci. DS started using it only at naps and night around 6 months. As soon as he started throwing it out of his crib so that I would come back in the room, I took it away. He was 9 months old. I figured the earlier I took it away the easier. I have seen my cousin struggle to take it away from her 3 year old and I didn't want to deal with that.

Geek_Girl · January 2011

DS hasn't used a paci while he was awake since he was about 8 months old. He still uses it for naps and bedtime, but that's it.

I don't have a problem with him sleeping with it, but I don't want him living on it and I don't want it messing with his teeth or his speech.

RNOHIO · January 2011

We got rid of the binky when DD was around 10 mos old. She was only using it at naps/bedtime. I didn't want her getting jealous of the new baby having a binky during the day when she didn't. We just took it away cold turkey and she was fine within 2-3 days.

I also wanted to rid the paci because I hear so many stories about how it can affect their speech development and teeth. I don't see a problem with naps/bedtime paci's but to be honest, I don't think that it looks good when a 2 year old is sucking on a paci all day long.

christina8091 · January 2011

One of my main reasons right now is because she is her upper lip has been very chapped and the paci is making it worse...

I would eventually like to be rid of it by the time she is 2....mostly for dental reasons....and nothing drives me more bonkers than to see a 4 or 5 year old with a paci.

AutumnBride929 · January 2011

We try to only let DS have it at naps and bedtime and sometimes in the car if he starts having a meltdown and we are on a longer trip. I don't see the rush to get rid of it so much if it's only used sparingly like that but it's just the toddlers that walk around all day with one their mouth that for some reason annoy me, lol.

TSD · January 2011

Teeth. Clearly, my son's teeth are pushed out from it and he has a space. I took him to the dentist at 19 mo because he had a chipped tooth. He told me some kids have a stronger suck than others, my son has a very strong one, and I should get rid of it by two. He said if I get rid of it by then, his teeth will go back. The longer you use it, the more of a chance of changing the whole shape of their bite for good.

Just because one person had a paci till 4 and their teeth are fine doesn't mean that would be the case for anyone/everyone else. I'm not willing to have him have buck teeth because he likes a paci.

Also, speech therapists say it interferes with speech as well. No reason to take that chance either.

Cityplanner · January 2011

DD just uses hers to go to sleep at night. She's only been sleeping through the night for a month and I am not going to switch up one tiny thing with regard to nightime. I might feel differently if she needed it all day. As it is, I'm a teeny bit worried about her teeth, so I'm kind of happy to hear all these "I took a pacifier and my teeth are fine" stories.

amandopolis · January 2011

DD only uses hers to sleep and in the car, but I want to eliminate it completely by 2. My cousin used one until she was 4 and she has the most messed up looking teeth, and her tongue has a little groove in it. It really scares me.

NDwife07 · January 2011

For us, we didn't see a reason to keep it. She wasn't particularly attached to it and didn't need it at night. It was just one more thing to keep track of.

FWIW, we didn't get rid of it until around 17m. She had only been using it at naps and bedtime.

jennyandty · January 2011

DS doesn't use the pacifier but I think the concern would be the effect is has on teeth and the fact that it is easier to take it away sooner rather than later. A 3-4 year old walking around with one in their mouth just doesn't seem right.

nmr79 · January 2011

We'll probably begin winding it down in the next couple of months. She only uses it for naps/night time. She doesn't miss it when she's awake. Her top teeth are just starting to break through now (late teether), so I have a couple of months to worry about it:)

ninasc · January 2011

I spoke to my dentist and to an orthodontist and neither was worried about the pacifier affecting teeth if it is only used for naps/nighttime so I am not too worried about it. Also, LO doesn't actually keep the pacifier in his mouth the entire time he is asleep and he doesn't wake up if it falls out.

I have heard the brand of pacifier makes a difference--orthodontic ones are better than say soothies.

And as far as speech, I don't see why this would be a problem if the paci is only used while LO is sleeping. I definitely cringe though when I see a 3 or 4 year old out in public with a binky.

Scooter359 · January 2011

We did it because his binky obsession was ridiculous. If he saw one while eating a meal or snack he would try and launch himself out of his chair to get it, throw a fit, refuse to eat or drink, he wanted one all day, he is actually sleeping better now without it.

mstopka · January 2011

lefirebug:

A couple reasons (we got rid of the paci a couple months before 1 yr old)...

-I figure it would be easier on DS if we took it away earlier. I thought if we waited til he was older and more attached and could understand better it may be more of an issue when we took it away. As it was he had forgotten all about the paci within a couple days.

-I don't want him to have dental issues because of it. I know there are conflicting opinions about this, but from what I understand it's better not to hang onto the paci too long.

-To improve his sleep. He was waking up at night and freaking out because his paci had fallen out of his mouth and he wouldn't just stick it back in. As soon as we took the paci away his sleep got LOADS better.

It's obviously a personal choice, but for us taking away the paci early-ish was for the better

Exactly this. We took DD's paci away at 7 months, at the same time we sleep trained her. I just don't think it's good to be dependant on any object for sleep, soothing, etc. However, sleeping isn't going so well for the past week (see my post below). Huh?

lefirebug · January 2011

I want to add a "ditto" to all the mentions of speech development. DS started "talking" a LOT more as soon as the paci was gone. He learned lots of new sounds right away. As mentioned, I don't know if this would be as much of an issue if they only use it when they're sleeping.

wellfleet04 · January 2011

My kids are thumbsuckers, so I don't have any advice about pacis (and, my daughter's pediatric dentist told me not to stress that she still sucks her thumb at 3.5, so there's that...), but I saw your screen name and wanted to say HI!

Do you remember me from P&F a looooong time ago? I have a 5 year old golden named Tess. I remember Jack and Millie I also have a 3.5 year old DD and a 21 month old DS, which is why I'm on this board sometimes.

kiwi443 · January 2011

Many of the reasons mentioned (messing up his palate/teeth, speech concerns) factored into our decision.

I also knew that the longer he had it, the more difficult it would be to take it away. We decided to take it at 14 mo. It was rough for 2 nights, but he adjusted and is happily paci-free.

m0132 · January 2011

RNOHIO:
We got rid of the binky when DD was around 10 mos old. She was only using it at naps/bedtime. I didn't want her getting jealous of the new baby having a binky during the day when she didn't. We just took it away cold turkey and she was fine within 2-3 days.
I also wanted to rid the paci because I hear so many stories about how it can affect their speech development and teeth. I don't see a problem with naps/bedtime paci's but to be honest, I don't think that it looks good when a 2 year old is sucking on a paci all day long.

This exactly. Although, 3 months after we took away the binky she started sucking on her pointer finger..I think it was a combination of weaning from BFing and teething that triggered that but she still does it when she is tired.

tashacu02 · January 2011

Flame me if you want (not that I would know or care anyway b/c I won't come back to check the post just for that). But I think it looks ridiculous for a child over the age of 18ish months to have a tiny pacifier hanging out of their mouth. My sister had hers until she was like 3 or 4 and when we look back at her pictures they look ridiculous. I'm sorry, but once you get a certain age you need to learn to soothe yourself another way. It's just like seeing an adult suck their thumb! Ewwwwww! To each their own, but for my kid and future kids it was/will be gone by a year. And not to mention the girl on toddlers and tiaras that had it, her speech, teeth, and attitude when she didn't have it was terrible.

hokies94 · January 2011

I agree. I see no need to take it away right now. He uses it at nap and bedtime. I can see if he were using it all day long, but just at naps and bedtime I'm fine with. If it helps him sleep, I'm all for it-he sleeps 11-12 hours at night and it's not something I want to mess with.

We let DD#2 keep hers until she was about 3-same thing-night and naptime. She was old enough to reason with when we decided to get rid of it. It was around Easter and we told her the Easter bunny needed to take the pacifiers to her new baby cousin. She was old enough to buy into this and gave them up voluntarily. No fights, no impact on her sleep. Her teeth are fine as is her speech.

I see no need to rush it.

tabi_ja · January 2011

I think the people who are choosing to take it away know what's best for their kiddos. For mine, he's okay with having it only at naps and bedtime (and very occasionally when he's sick), and it works for us. I don't allow it during the rest of the day to help prevent speech and dental issues, though. And when he starts showing signs that he's ready to wean, I will. Until then, we do what works for us.

BelleBaby · January 2011

I was mostly concerned about speech development. They would keep those things in 24/7 if we let them and it was keeping them from talking as much. Especially E. So we said new year = no pacis. We went cold turkey and they've done fine.

Also, it made B's sensitive skin break out under the paci and it really bothered him.

Plus, I hate seeing kids that are over the age of 2 with pacis in their mouths. It looks silly IMO.

oceanlover · January 2011

the only thing that bothers me is my SIL keeping it in her bra causing niece to pull down the tops of all the women in the family in a desperate search for her 'binky'.

Ick!

i wish i was making this up.

DEBBIE33CASEY · January 2011

We've actually taken it away a lot later than I'd planned to. When I was PG I planned to take it away at 12 months. But I slacked and decided 18 months. Well, 18 months landed right on the holidays so it was our new years resolution to get rid of it after Jan 1st and we're not looking back even though it's been a tough trip.

Firstly, I partially agree with tashacu. For me, I think it looks silly to have a kid over 1 1/2 to 2 years old with a paci in their mouth. But that's just a personal observation/opinion. To each their own. I get the reasoning behind giving a baby a pacifier but my toddler is not a baby anymore (*tear*) and so I don't think she needs it like how she used to.

Secondarily, the teeth and speech arguement. I narrowly escaped going to speech therapy as a kid and want to give DD the best shot of not needing it as well. DD doesn't talk to us often if she had a paci in her mouth, but once the paci was out she'd talk up a storm. I started getting anxious when I'd see the paci in her mouth because I was worried about her teeth (Luckily I have very nice teeth but DH SHOULD have had braces as a kid, so there's an increased risk of her needing braces as she's older).

Thirdly, it was hard to keep track of. I swear I've purchased a million paci's and we could never find one. She would throw fits and fits and not sleep without one. It was stressful whenever we left the house and realized we didn't have a paci with us. I was ready to eliminate that.

Fourthly, I want DD to learn to soothe herself in other ways. The paci seems kind of like a drug that she's addicted to. I want her to learn other ways to calm herself down than using an outside source. And even though DD's refusing naps right now I can tell she's growing developmentally/behaviorally since we've taken it away. She relied on the paci way too much.

Fifthly (is that even a word?!), we're thinking about TTC soon and I want the paci to be a far distant memory when LO#2 is born so she doesn't try stealing it from the baby.

I am actually surprised that so many ppl think that we're doing it early. I fully think that everyone should do it when they want, but I'm just surprised at the reaction I've gotten from others (IRL and on the web) for taking it away at 20 months.

I am XPing this to the thread I started about paci's

DEBBIE33CASEY · January 2011

oceanlover:

the only thing that bothers me is my SIL keeping it in her bra causing niece to pull down the tops of all the women in the family in a desperate search for her 'binky'.

i wish i was making this up.

ICK!!!!! I don't even know your SIL and that grosses me out! LOL

Which leads to another reason we took it away.....

<--------------------- germaphobe Mom.

I felt like the paci was never clean. And if we were out in public and DD threw it (which happened OFTEN) and it hit the floor *germs*. Or if someone picks it up by the nipple *super germs*. I didn't have time to run to a bathroom and disinfect it everytime it hit the floor so it became a nuissance to have around.

Liz342 · January 2011

tashacu02:
Flame me if you want (not that I would know or care anyway b/c I won't come back to check the post just for that). But I think it looks ridiculous for a child over the age of 18ish months to have a tiny pacifier hanging out of their mouth. My sister had hers until she was like 3 or 4 and when we look back at her pictures they look ridiculous. I'm sorry, but once you get a certain age you need to learn to soothe yourself another way. It's just like seeing an adult suck their thumb! Ewwwwww! To each their own, but for my kid and future kids it was/will be gone by a year. And not to mention the girl on toddlers and tiaras that had it, her speech, teeth, and attitude when she didn't have it was terrible.

Liz342 · January 2011

tashacu02:
Flame me if you want (not that I would know or care anyway b/c I won't come back to check the post just for that). But I think it looks ridiculous for a child over the age of 18ish months to have a tiny pacifier hanging out of their mouth. My sister had hers until she was like 3 or 4 and when we look back at her pictures they look ridiculous. I'm sorry, but once you get a certain age you need to learn to soothe yourself another way. It's just like seeing an adult suck their thumb! Ewwwwww! To each their own, but for my kid and future kids it was/will be gone by a year. And not to mention the girl on toddlers and tiaras that had it, her speech, teeth, and attitude when she didn't have it was terrible

This. And I think it's an easier habit to break when they're 4 months instead of 4. Also, I didn't want my kids to be dependent on it to sleep. DD only had hers while sleeping until 4 months old and DS still has one in his crib but is pretty much done with it now. Neither kid ever had a paci during awake time when they were out of the newborn phase and it was great because there was no habit to break!!

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