pacifiers

Mommy2BAK wrote: Who uses them? At what age do you try to take the pacifiers away?

amynicole21 replied: We finally got Sophia's away from her about a month ago... she was 2.5 yo! Nightmare.

I swore I wouldn't give Nora one, but it looks like she be a finger/hand sucker anyway.

Sunflower04 replied: Can't help. My DS nevered used one.

My2Beauties replied: I took Hanna off the paci at 10 months. It only took one night of her whining a bit, after that she didn't even want it anymore! The sooner the better!

Mommy2BAK replied: When I first had Blakely we decided we were not going to give her a paci, but I eventually realized that she was using ME as a paci so we gave her one. I have learned in my Early Childhood classes that children with pacifiers are usually not biters. Since children have a natural urge to suck on something or bite something so if they have a paci they are less likely to find other resources. Blakely still has a paci, but she has bit me a few times and it hurts!!

dolfinrse replied: Zack only took a pacifier the first few months and that was only to calm him down while we were making his bottle. He stopped taking it on his own.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: We gave Andrew his paci the second night at the hospital because nothing else would comfort him while he had to be in the bili blanket and we couldn't hold him. I was planning on giving him one sooner or later anyways though because I think that it will be easier to take away than trying to get him to stop sucking his thumb. I have no idea when we'll try taking it away... probably when he is around 2? My nephew is almost two and his is still permanently attached to his mouth.

b&bsmom replied: Both my children used paci's. With both of them I started weening them around 1 and a half to two. I would only let them use it in bed and in the car. ( if they were really sick they sometimes got it too.) My daughter I started putting her to bed and told her we would wait 5 min and then if she was still upset I would give it to her and every night we made it longer. It took about a week and then she gave it up. I believe she was about 2 and a half. With my son. He went cold turkey just before two and a half. He was throwing a fit at my inlaws and I had told him if he didn't stop he was not getting paci for bed. He didn't stop we came home I put him to bed and that was it. He told everyone the garabage truck has his paci's. With my daughter we gave them to a friend for her baby. You will know when they are ready to give it up. I think it is easier to give them the paci because you have control. I had a friend whose daughter sucked her thumb and they tried everything to get her to stop. I think she finally stopped around 6yrs old. I see nothing wrong with using the paci. I don't know if what MommmytoBAK said about biting, Inever heard that but neither one of my kids ever bit. Good luck

huggybugboy replied: I gave Miles a pacifier at 2 weeks. He got nipple confusion really bad so we took it away until he got the hang of nursing. Then we gave it back to him at about 5 weeks since he was using me as his paci. Ive heard from more than one person that babies lose the sucking need at around 6 months and if you pay attention it's easy to wean them from it then. I'd almost rather him suck his fingers. If they fall out in the middle of the night he could put them back in. He usually wakes up (and everyone else) if he loses the binky.

ediep replied: I stopped giving Jason his paci when he was about 5 months or so.

Alice replied: Brian arrived from Korea at age 7 months without one.

Both girls came home from the hospital with one, but both stopped on their own by about 3 months old.

RayaJoysmommy replied:
I TOTALLY agree with that. I keep saying the same thing and getting really weird looks from everyone.

Tamatha replied: My DH and I are torn about this issue... whether to let Trey have a paci... especially since he discovered his lung capacity yesterday and has been using it to the fullest extent! But his little mouth isn't strong enough to nurse, and I've read that a pacifier can sap what little strength he has before I even get a chance to put him to breast. Since the paci is in the parents' control, we can pop it in whenever he gets fussy, rather than only when he has the urge to suck--then he can just put his fingers in his mouth. But then you have to break him of sucking his fingers eventually... WHAT TO DO?!! I think I might do what one of you suggested--once he gets the hang of nursing really well and is totally off a bottle, we might try the paci again. Until then, fingers it is!

luvbug00 replied: Mya used one from birth and weened hersel at 1.5 years old but she wouldn't mind having her Binky again.

Josie83 replied: Cassie's dummy is still a very sore topic in our house She only actually ever used it in bed, in the car and when she was upset, I never used to let her walk around with it in and it never really came out of the house

I wanted to get rid of the bloody thing when she was about two, but she used to get realy stressed out and upset, so I gave her a bit longer. When she got to about two and a half, I stopped giving her it, I told her that she was too bg for it and they were put on a high shelf in her room. BUT Jason would still give her one if she asked him for it when I wasn't there and so do my sister and in laws when they babysat for her. So I was sort of fighting a losing battle.

In the end I just chucked them out, which was maybe a bit harsh but she forgot a out them soon enough! if she saw one in the house now she would want one, and sometimes she says she misses her dummy but we just tell her she's too big a girl to have one xx

JessC replied: My mom did NOT use pacifiers on use, because whats the point? KWIM

Plus she didnt use one of my half brother either. He didnt like it.

iluvmysweetiepies replied: Alexia & Brooke still love their soothers! I don't know when we will try taking them away. I don't really see them as a problem though. They usually only suck on them when they are fussy or tired.

Josie83 replied:
How do you mean, what's the point? xx

JessC replied:
Well that was just my opinon, but whats the point?

Some people in my family have younger kids and they coudnt get them away from it, and now the kids have wear and tear on their teeth thanks to the pacifiers. - and they werent even that old!

I dunno, Its just something that always have stumped me. I just think its not a good idea. BUT thats my opinion.

AND i meant my mom didnt use them on us. - Had a typing error

b&bsmom replied: There are problems with both sucking thumbs and fingers or sucking paci. You have to do what your child and you feel are the best. Paci's worked for my kids and I believe in using them (just my opionion) However, someone mentioned it is bad for teeth. I have a cousin who sucked her thumb till she was 10 and her teeth are horrible from it. Either way there are pro's and con's on both. You have to find what works best for you.

Josie83 replied:
I appreciate your opinion but I think that they DO have a point, because some children are calmed by sucking. Like others said, some parents would rather their child fulfilled their need to suck by using a dummy as opposed to their fingers/thumb, which you cannot take away from them. That's why I gave it to Cassie, ebcause it soothed her and was another security item for her when she was small. I know its not something that works for everyone, but I do think it has a point.

I know what you're saying about the teething problems, though. That's why she only ever get hers at night or when she was upset etc. I would never let her just walk around with it in her mouth for the sake of it

You never know what's going to workm for your child. I would have rather she did have one, but she quite clearly benfited from having it, so I gave her one against my better judgement It worked for her, so that's what mattered for us! xx

gr33n3y3z replied: we have 4 children
3 didnt use them bc they didnt like them

and one did and she stopped on her own at 6 months

Jamison'smama replied: Jamison had a very strong sucking need from the beginning--before she could understand how to get her thumb or fingers into her mouth when she needed to. She was latched on to me morning noon and night both the pediatrician and the lactation consultant recommended a pacifier when she was about 2-3 weeks old.

Some children have a strong need to suck and a pacifier is a lifesaver. So as far as 'what's the point' it is for their sake sometimes, it helps soothe them, fulfill a sucking need and helps everyone get a break.

Mommy2BAK replied:
Maybe once you have your own children you will understand the "point" LOL

Jamison'smama replied: Whoops, forgot to add the answer to the question you asked...well I guess it wouldn't be THE answer.....it would just be MY answer, but I don't have one. Jamison still has hers occasionally at night--not often but there are times when she just has some issues relaxing where a pacifier can help. I think with Jack it will be much easier to get rid of. Jamison is just such an oral kid. I would think that having them only at night in bed is okay to do for as long as she needs it--within reason. Our pediatrician said there is a window around 10 months that changes can be made a little easier than other times but that he doesn't start getting really worried about pacifier use until age 4. The permanent teeth won't be affected so I wouln't worry too much about that yet.

c0mplexual replied: Cameron is 1 & 1/2 and still uses his paci. BUT, the only time he usually has it is for bed or if hes sick.
When hes just playing throughout the day, i dont let him have it. I tell him hes a "big boy" and he only needs it for bedtime. Same thing with a bottle because i'm trying to get him off of those and on to his sippy cups now.

I think it varies with every child really. I know when i was a baby i didnt give mine up until i was 3! lol

I gave it to my son when he was about 2 weeks old. I dont see why not, after all it IS a form of comfort for them.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: Katy used one (and typically had a reserve in her hand) 24 hours a day until about 20 months when I took hers away. She would occasionally get ahould of Matt's until we took his away at 12 months but she stopped *needing* one.
Katy was the difficult one but she dropped it at Sams club first thing in the morning and we were out All day so everytime she asked i told her she dropped it. She fell asleep in the car so by the time she woke up it had been 24 hours so hers was gone
Matt was 12 months and i did something similar but he never really seemed to care but he was no where near as dependant as Katy was.
Teeth problems wouldn't start unless they are using the pacifier when the perminent teeth come in and Katy talked more with a pacifier in her mouth then most kids her age and it was always understandable

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Holy cow, touchy subject.....

I took Zach's soother away at around 6 months or so.... don't really remember, but it was before the bottle, and the bottle was before walking, and walking was around 9 months.... lol

Emilie still has it, but only for bed, and only at home. And when she's REALLY whiny/sick, which isn't that often.

We're trying to take it away now... it's not THAT bad. mShe gets that it's only for bed - no problem. If we don't take it to bed with her, no problem, we only give it to her if she asks for it and cries about it.

I just think it shouldn't be used as a means to shut the kid up - just as a quick fix until the boob / bottle can be ready....

although, selfishly, when the kids were really young and feeding 24/7.... I MUCH preferred them using the soother as a soother than my boob as a soother.

jacobsmama replied: My son jacob got a bad cold at like 8 months and I was up all night with him having hard time breathing and he wouldn't suck on his paci so we stopped using. It after all I had to be up anyhow might as well and night time was the only real time he used it and maybe in the car b/c he hates the car to this day and he is 17months!

moped replied: Jack used one for about 5 months and that was it.............he threw it out of his crib so I threw them all away........................but I heard that they don't have that sucking need after 3 months of age....................I can't remember where I heard that.

JessC replied:
um... yeah... I guess so.

Mommy2BAK replied:
LOL, saved my eardrums many times, and made Blakely calm down. Those paci's can be a lifesaver!