Pacificer use

[dannysmom]

Hi, I was wondering if you all could share your experience concerning pacificer use. My daughter never used one. My son Daniel with Ds is 2 months. Prior to surgery, I was afraid to offer it because he needed all his energy to drink his bottles. Now that surgery is over and he is stronger, I am considering giving him one because he sucks alot on his fingers. He makes quite a bit of noise and it is actually quite amusing. Everything is quiet around the house and then out of the blue, you can hear him sucking like crazy!! I am hesitant because a friend of mine has a daughter that is 2, and is totally addicted to her pacificer. When she was small, if it fell out while she was sleeping she would scream and scream until you put it back in. She is now 2 and uses it all the time still.

I know some kids just NEED that sucking. If my son is one of those kids..I want to give him what he needs. He has a pretty calm temperment, although he does get a little cranky and that is when he starts sucking on his fingers.

I am unsure since my daughter never had one. What are your thoughts everyone?

[belovedlife2]

As a lactation consultant, one of the reasons we do not recommend pacifiers because the act of sucking makes a baby feel full. Therefore they don't eat as often. If weight or caloric intake is a concern with your son, you may not want to offer the binky until you are sure about his weight. Also, as a side bar, when dealing with breastfed babies, one feeding cue is hand sucking, tongue thrusting, etc. It may be that he is still a little hungry. Things are a little different when dealing with formula, so you may want to consult with your pediatrician. On another note, the sucking is calming, so if your son has procedures coming up you may want to try to gethim used to the binky, just don't offer it all the time, limit itsa use, then you canwean him off. We tried the binky with Peanut, but she hated it.
Just wanted to give you some feed back.

[Jessie]

Lisa,

I'm with you on not wanting to let my baby get addicted to having a pacifier. I also agree that some babies need it more than others. I'm hoping my little bun in the oven just doesn't want it! Me and Brian both feel the same way - we can't stand it when we see a toddler walking around with a binky in their mouth and fear that we could wind up like other parents - finding it really hard to take it away. Sorry if I offend anyone on here by saying that, that's just the way I feel about it.

Jessie

[Becky]

Justin could not eat any by mouth for the first two weeks of his life so they gave him the pacifer in the PICU so he would know how to suck when he could finally take a bottle, but I can say I wish he never had one he is 5 and still on it at night, he doesnt want it during the day but the minute we say nite nite he is looking for it, it can fall out of his mouth once he is asleep and he wont wake up for it but if he does wake up for a drink he also needs the pacy to go back to sleep.
Good luck
Becky

[momofrussell]

Well, I am an anti pacifier kinda gal, so I never used them for any of my kids. Regan and Russell learned to suck fingers instead.. (it's only cute when they are months old LOL) and Reece would have LOVED a pacifier if I would have caved. She was a SUCKER like you wouldn't believe! But.. I just constantly nursed her instead.

I have heard if you use one, to get rid of it at around 3-4 months old so it's easier to break them.

Ultimately, it's really up to what you want to do. Therapists and doctors mean well and they know alot, but they don't have to live some of our kids! You do what you feel is best for Danny!

Hugs!

A.,

[laurasnowbird]

Sorry, I'm no help, I am also squarely in the anti-pacifier camp. I was especially determined not to use one with Ethan because shortly before he was born a study was released that showed a link between pacifier use and ear infections, something that are kids are at an increased risk for because of their small ear canals. These are links that discuss the risks and benefits:

www.drpaul.com/library/15SEP2000.html

www.drgreene.com/21_608.html

I think you have to make the decision that works best for your family. The studies suggest that if you limit use, or use the pacifiers only at night time, the negative impact may be minimized. I was especially impacted by the fact that one of the articles specifically mentions DS as being a factor that makes a child more prone to ear infection.

[andrewsmom]

ok..... maybe I'm not the "norm" here. But I just wanted to add to this. My 3 older children all had pacifiers. They all only used them at night once they turned 1 and got rid of them completely by the time they were 2. We had no problems with them. When Andrew was born he had a hard time sucking and we tried SOOO hard for him to take a pacifier, but he wanted NOTHING to do with it. We were told that using a pacifier would help the muscle tone in his mouth. He is now 17 months old and I still try every once in a while to get him to suck on one because of the low tone in his mouth. Hey, if it can help with tone and later on speech, then I'm all for it.

[CC]

Well, I did pacifiers with both my kids. Funny Kodi Lee being our first I even had one packed in my bag and on the way home from the hospital she cried a little and I put it in her mouth and that was that she was addicted I tell you Actually she was soooo cute she had three of them, one to suck on and when she was falling asleep at night she held one in each hand and would pop her nose first with the right hand then with the left till she fell asleep Chris we also started right away on the pacifier he did the same cute thing, I kid you not BUT OMG was I yelled at by the ST at Early Intervention to GET him OFF it now, she said it would not help his speech Hmmm WEll I will admit I continued to let him use it, he loved it and I loved my sleep, LOLOL

Just wanted to add that neither of my kids ever sucked their thumbs even after they gave up the pacifier which I was happy bout since my niece did right up thru 10 years old

Would I do it again, give a pacifier to another Baby if I ever had one, YOU BET But thats just my thoughts

CC ~

[mom2nicole]

That is so funny CC, my daughter also used to sleep with 3, one for mouth and one for each hand. I didn't like the fact that Nicole needed them to go to sleep, and it drove me nuts when she would walk around with them during the day. My husband wouldn't let me get rid of them because then she might fuss and he couldn't stand that. I took them away right before her fourth b-day and my husband gave one back, I was so mad. But then the next weekend she lost that one while he was watching her and she hasn't had one since. (I found it that night under the entertainment center, but he doesn't know-hehehe-SO I threw it away) It was hard at first during the night she would wake up and want it but it only took about 3 nights.
Good Luck Lisa, do what you feel is right!
Michelle

[shellk]

None of my kids liked pacifiers. It is funny, I tried with my oldest and she would spit it out, with Kourtney she wanted nothing to do with it either. And my youngest my son who is 2 he never wanted anything to do with it either. I tried with hom more, because I had a c-section, and was at home a lot by myself afte he was born and it hurt to much to get up every time he let out a wail.

I do know many kids who have been on them. They just were'nt for my kids.

Good luck
Michele

[Jackie]

all 3 of my first kids used pacifiers...the old fashioned rubber Binky types...no problems with them.....

But Em would not take one .........

Jackie mom to Emily 25

[ALLISA]

I have to say that I think there is nothing at all wrong with a pacifier.....my 2 older boys had them.....just until about 1 years old, then I took it away because I also didn't want a toddler with one.

They missed it for about 2-3 days and life went on just fine !!

Erin never wanted one....we tried different ones....I think her little tongue was just too much for that teeny tiny mouth of hers and nothing extra was going to fit in there !!

[Connie]

OK....

All of my kids used paci's until they were about 4 months old then they gave them up but, the funny part was I just threw them in the toy box so they could play with them with their dolls or what ever. Well my GRAY who was 18 months old and cutting his eye teeth climbed in the toy box and was playing....it all of a sudden got really quiet so I went to check. He had found one of those paci's and was gnawing a way on it. Well it seemed to help him cut those eye teeth so I didn't think anything about it. The child was "3" before we were able to get rid of it and he affectionately called it his "MINE".

They can do wonders to help sooth an unhappy child and give comfort to them but it can be a pain to break the habit when they are older.

Connie

[donnac]

My oldest took a binky until she was about 2. I remember it being hard to break her from it.

Tyler did the finger sucking also, but would never accept a pacifier. He did suck his thumb for quite some time, and still does on occassion. I remember our speech therapist being glad that he never had a pacifier, but I don't remember why.

Donna

[hannahsmomuk]

Well Hannah wouldn't have a pacifyer no matter how hard I tried. I even wedged one in her mouth and zipped up her hoody top to hold it in and she still popped it out

Our speech therapist said that it would help develop the sucking muscles so we really did try Hannah but she wouldn't have it for love of money. She still has a weak suck even now

Rebecca on the other hand I thought was going to be like Hannah and wouldn't have one either for the first 3 weeks of her life but after only going for an hour through the night and waking up every hour for a feed, I was desperate for sleep and so in the pacifyer went and she had it.

Now I only give it to her for going to sleep and car journeys when she hates going into her sleep. I must say its useful for if she is really bawling as I know it will make her quiet