Pacifier

[crybaby]

Did any of you use a pacifier? I did and I am not sorry but it sure is more difficult to take away than a bottle. But it helped me through some difficult times.

[Craving_chocolate]

My sister had one for a long time and was almost three before my mother was able to get rid. There were times in fact when she could be seen with two in her mouth.

They are horribly hard to get rid of, you are right.

[PurpleFDU]

My mom's homeopathic doctor recommended she not use one, so I never had one. I did suck my thumb forever though. I think for myself I would work more on making my child feel safe to replace what a pacifier does for the baby.

[momx3angels]

Harder than a bottle, maybe. I don't know, mine were nursed. But so much easier than a thumb. My oldest threw out the pacifier at 1 and never looked back. My youngest was another story. He was about 2 and 3 months before he lost the pacifier. My middle girl wouldn't take one. She was a thumb girl. She's 6.5 and I still have to remind her not to suck her thumb.

[misty]

I use a pacifer, somehow I prefer it to sucking the thumb because he will stop in a few months (hopefully). My sister continued to suck her thumb up to age 7, my brother much later. I don't want that to happen to him.

[LoveMaGirl]

First up, it's nothing to do with feeling safe. Babies are born with a need to suck-it's a reflex action and you cannot take it away. Without a pacifier they will find something else to suck-even if that means nursing forever or eating too much, and eventually will find their thumb.

It's a lot harder to make a kid stop thumb sucking than sucking a pacifier.

My daughter had a pacifier from six days old when she wouldn't stop nursing all the time-I mean every twenty minutes. Once she had a pacifier she was so much happier.

I took it away at five months old, when the in born need to suck lessens. At that point I reduced her to a month of just having it to go to sleep.

Finally at six months old I took it away altogether. It was an easy transition, shse doesn't remember it and it made both our lives easier.

[grandma2twins]

I've had three kids. None of mine really used a pacifier much. The oldest did a bit but preferred her thumb. The other two just didn't want one. The need to suck is an instinctive reflex but it is stronger in some babies than in others.

My granddaughter was one of those that used two pacifiers. She used to take her twin brother's to go along with hers. She was very particular about her pacifier, too. She lost one in a store once and we couldn't find it anywhere. We bought a new one of the same brand and type but she screamed bloody murder for two or three days before deciding to use it.

[misty]

My son is 19 months now and still using his pacifier. I plan to phase out by age 2. Last night I saw him trying to put in two at one time, I guess he was doubling the pleasure.

[cdavid]

I hear the good and bad stories of this, and I am still confused. There are so many things that new parents have no clue about.

[babyboomer]

I did used one on my baby when she was quite young and was into sucking heavily. And I agree that it's way too difficult to remove away. It does help sometimes.