There are times when pacifiers seem like magic wands for moms. Pacifiers provide a significant comfort boost for many babies.
It's not a secret that pacifiers can quickly soothe and comfort your babies when they're crying, especially if they have a strong need for suckling but still cannot get their fingers in their mouth.
Between feeds, babies find comfort in their baby pacifiers. Pacifiers help prevent Sudden Infant Death syndrome and help with sleep and fussiness. Pacifiers allow babies to self-soothe, allowing parents to relax while their baby is calm. Let's find out whether a pacifier is a right choice for your baby and when is the right time to introduce your baby to a pacifier?
Is a Pacifier Right for Your Baby?
It is okay to give your child a pacifier. Pacifiers can help soothe a fussy baby and help her get to sleep at night whether she is fussy or needs help falling asleep.
Your little one may also benefit from using a pacifier when she needs to be distracted at the doctor or when her ears start popping on the plane.
On the other hand, others are not as interested in them, especially if they first discover their thumbs or fingers. There are also some downsides to pacifiers, so it's important to weigh both positives and negatives before making a choice.
We will find out the pros and cons of using a pacifier in our coming topics. First, let's know when the right time to introduce your baby to a pacifier is?
When is the Right Time to Introduce Your Baby to a Pacifier?
Before introducing a pacifier, you should wait until your baby has become accustomed to breastfeeding (around 3 or 4 weeks old). Breastfeeding involves a different sucking mechanism than sucking on a pacifier.
What Are Some Ways I Can Get My Baby to Take a Pacifier?
Introducing a pacifier to a baby can be a challenge because every baby has its preferences. Anything that worked for your older child, niece, nephew, or friend's baby may not work for your newborn. When it's time for your child to encounter a pacifier for the first time, follow these steps:
- Before giving your kid a pacifier, make sure it's spotless and sanitized.
- With the teat of the pacifier, gently massage the area surrounding your baby's lips and cheeks. It activates babies rooting reflex, which will cause your infant to turn their face towards the stimuli.
- Keep an eye on your child's actions.
- If your child's mouth opens, they look for anything to suckle.
- Please wait for the suckling response to begin by gently placing the pacifier on their bottom lip or the front part of their tongue.
Your baby will gradually try to explore and feed on the pacifier if the first exposure is satisfactory.
When to Remove Your Baby's Pacifier?
Usually, the baby only looks for some comfort, which comes in sucking. The calmness and quietness afforded by a baby pacifier extend to parents, who enjoy a little peace until the pacifier is taken away. And remember, any pacifier will have to be taken away at some point.
Parents should break their children off the pacifier if they find it comforting. Consider the life-changing events in quick succession: walking, potty training, and big-kid beds. Parents shouldn't feel awful about putting a pin in their kids' grenades, especially when they're being pushed out of their comfort bubble. The age of three is a good target for eliminating the pacifier, but it's okay if a pacifier is needed from time to time.
Pros of Using the Pacifier
Pacifiers are equally as necessary as baby wipes, and they offer many of the same advantages. Carry a few on hand at home, in your car, and in your purse to give to your newborn. You can rest confident that sucking on a pacifier is less a daily ritual than sucking on a thumb, and behaviors are unlikely to be established before six months. Pacifiers are beneficial during sleep and naps because they make:
- Babies fall asleep quickly and stay asleep for long periods.
- If your baby is solely breastfed, they will relax and self-soothe back to sleep if they wake up.
- If you desire this, your baby will stay satisfied between feedings for longer.
Babies benefit from pacifiers because they comfort and distract them:
- When they're being bathed, but before they go into the water.
- When they're fussy from general worry or fear when they're receiving a check-up or injections
- Pacifiers also assist in the reduction of anxiety.
- Pacifiers aid in relieving ear pain caused by changes in air pressure.
Cons of Using a Pacifier
There are a few dangers to be aware of when using pacifiers.
- If a pacifier is used too early, it can cause nipple confusion.
- Your infant may become tired and only breastfeed for a short time.
- Become reliant on a pacifier to self-soothe when awake, wake up crying if the pacifier falls out while sleeping, and spread germs
- Ear infections are more likely to occur as a result of this (more common after the age of 6 months)
Finally, utilizing a pacifier for an extended period interferes with your baby's arriving teeth. Baby teeth may become somewhat misaligned as a result of them.
Conclusion:
If a pacifier appears to work for you and your baby, don't be afraid to use it, especially around suggested sleep times and during fussy periods when your baby and you both seem to need relief.