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Baby Pacifiers
Safe And Practical Usage

How old are the baby pacifiers that you give your infant? And how clean...? Learn how to use them wisely.

Once your infant has started to accept pacifiers, it is so easy to just continue using them. And forget the saftey checks... and to check it they are clean... and more.

It is also quite easy to just offer the dummy much more often that really needed.

(Makes the weaning of the pacifier harder eventually.)

So here's a checklist for pacifier usage.

Wash it

Wash the baby pacifier often in water. No soap.

And don't use your own mouth to clean it; it won't get clean, just full of your germs.

Instead, bring a small bottle of water when you go out. That's good for your own health too, especially if you breastfeed and need the extra fluid.

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Check the joints

"I can't believe how quickly dirt is gathered in the pacifier joints" a friend of mine said one day.

"You can't believe what??" I thought but said nothing. I was new to dummies; my baby had only accepted them for a month or so.

A week I figured out what she meant. In the joint between the actual nipple and the holder all sorts of muck may gather. Get rid of it often!

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Boil it

Boil the pacifiers now and then for 5 minutes. Then you don't need to worry about germs that may hide on the pacifier.

Be very careful to boil the dummy if your baby has a cold or baby thrush or if someone else, especially another child, takes it.

After you boiled it, squeeze out any water that has gathered inside the baby pacifier.

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Pull it

Make it a habit to grab the pacifier nipple and pull it now and then to make sure that it is not broken or torn. This is particularly important when your baby has got his first teeth.

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Throw it away

Don't use each dummy for too long, maybe a couple of months. They can become worn, get cracks and just stop being fresh.

A tip is to buy different colors at different times to help you remember how old the different baby pacifiers are. If not - well, you'll notice. They really to stop being fresh after a while!

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Use baby pacifier clips

If you plan to carry your baby in a baby carrier or a sling, baby pacifier clips can be very practical.

This is true also when the baby gets old enough to grab things and throw them away. Not to mention when traveling by car and you can't reach out to help your sad baby who lost his dummy.

These days, some baby pacifier clips are like baby jewelry. You can get them in real silver, with the logo of your favorite football team in it, with cute teddy bears, flowers and you name it.

Whichever pacifier clip yo decide to use, make sure it is safe! (Not to long, so your baby can get strangled and no small, loose pieces that can be swallowed.)

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Take it out

If you don't want your baby to become very dependent on the pacifier for staying asleep, make it a habit to pull the pacifier out slowly after 10 minutes or so when the baby is sound asleep.

That way he won't get used to sleeping with something in his mouth.

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Limit the usage

It can be very tempting to use the pacifier too much in my view.

A lot of moms habitually put in the pacifier as soon as the baby makes a sound or even when the baby appears to be completely happy.

That way, you really create dependence for your child and makes weaning the pacifier so much harder when the day comes. Try to avoid it!

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Have some fun!

Babies are so pretty. A pacifier doesn't exactly make them prettier, but why not have some fun if your little darling is going to cover a fourth of his face with plastic for a year or two.

In addition to pacifiers for everyday use, why not buy one or two for festive occasions; designer logos, one that matches the baby's dress or whatever.

Dummies with your baby's name is also both fun and can be very convenient if you have more than one child or at the daycare center.

Check out a few personalized pacifiers below.

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Baby Pacifiers
Safe And Practical Usage

How old are the baby pacifiers that you give your infant? And how clean...? Learn how to use them wisely.