5 Tips To Make Your Infant Accept The Baby Pacifier

Can't make up your mind about giving your infant a baby pacifier? OR maybe your little one simply refuses it? Not for long...

Have you heard that a child using a baby pacifier will get ugly teeth and have trouble learning to talk? Well, studies show that these risks are way overstated.

Instead there are clear benefits of using a pacifier when babies are young, at least if used in a safe and hygienic way.

The most important benefit is that it seems to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

Two other benefits are that mom doesn't have to be the baby's human pacifier and that it is easier to teach the baby to fall asleep on its own if he uses a baby pacifier.

Last, as many babies suck on something anyway, a pacifier might be a good alternative, because they can be thrown away. It might be much harder to help the baby (or toddler when the day comes) to break the habit of sucking his thumb.

Young babies need to suckle. Many babies have a strong urge to suckle especially during their first four months. After that the need decreases.

So, easy decision, go ahead and buy one. Put it in to the baby's mouth and... he spits it out?! Again and again..?

Look below for a few tips on how to make your baby accept the pacifier. If you want to learn more about safe dummy usage (how to wash it, when to throw it away etc), you'll find tips on using baby pacifiers here.

Baby Pacifier Acceptance Tips

• Wait a few weeks
• Be patient
• Try when your baby is content
• Tap it
• Try different kinds

Wait a few weeks

The general recommendation is to wait a month with the baby pacifier if you plan to breastfeed. I did that with my first baby. With my second baby, the breastfeeding went so well that I tried to introduce a baby pacifier when my newborn was less than two weeks old. It didn't work at all! Not that it interfered with breastfeeding, he just didn't want to have anything to do with a pacifier.

Actually, none of my babies have been interested in a pacifier until they were 2.5 months old.

So don't give up!

Be patient

Try every other day or so and not when your baby is crying hysterically.

Try when your baby is content

Forget it!

No one, baby or adult, appreciates having an unknown object shoved into his mouth when upset.

Let the baby get used to the pacifier when he is a little bit tired or showing signs of wanting to suckle. But not when he is starving or too tired!

Tap it

Some parents notice that their baby immediately starts to suck on the pacifier if they put it in his mouth and then tap it lightly with a finger nail.

Another trick is to shake the pacifier a little bit inside the baby's mouth.

Both these tricks stimulate the baby's instinct to suckle.

Try different kinds

There are all sorts of different pacifier styles and materials that you can offer your baby. He might not like the first one you choose.

All my children have preferred pacifiers made of latex, rather than silicone. I don't know why, but maybe it is because they are slightly softer.

But there are really no baby pacifiers that are harmful for your baby's teeth today. Just pick and choose the style you (and your baby) like.

You'll also find a large selection of baby pacifiers at Amazon.

Would other parents find this valuable? Share it!

Baby Pacifiers in our Forum

• Baby using breast as pacifier
• How to get rid of pacifier dependence?
• 7 month old with pacifier dependence

 

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