New moms and moms-to-be are likely searching the internet for ways to reduce the amount of crying they hear from their newborns. Isn’t it likely that you’d like to have your hands on an invention that soothes your infant and extends their sleep time? As a result, baby pacifiers have become one of the most common methods parents use to soothe their crying babies.
While most babies are born with an instinct for sucking. It stands to reason that sucking would be an effective method of comforting them. A pacifier’s sucking motion soothes a crying baby, which is exactly what sleep-deprived parents need!
In light of this, many parents are concerned that their children’s habitual sucking could be habit-forming, tooth-altering, or interfere with feedings.
Many people have their own ideas on whether or not pacifiers are beneficial or bad for babies. When weighing the benefits and drawbacks of pacifiers, it’s common to be confused or conflicted.
Should You Give Your Baby A Pacifier?
Is it safe to give a baby a pacifier? Is the use of pacifiers harmful to newborns? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to utilizing pacifiers. The reality is that each baby is completely unique. In other words, what worked for someone else’s baby could not work for yours at all.
Your choice to utilize a baby pacifier is completely up to you! Use pacifiers wisely and your newborn will benefit much. Just keep reading to learn when to use pacifiers, their benefits and drawbacks, and how to keep them safe.
When To Give Newborn Pacifiers
There is no correct or incorrect answer when selecting when to give your newborn a pacifier. However, if you are breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that you wait until both you and your baby have established a nursing habit.
This is often between 3 and 4 weeks of age for the majority of nursing parents.
Pacifiers Pros and Cons
The Pros
Calms a Crying Baby — Newborn pacifiers are a great way to comfort and calm a screaming baby, no matter what the cause may be. When you’re out and about, keep your baby quiet, patient between meals, peaceful for injections, and soothing at night. Sucking on a pacifier is one of the easiest methods to “shut them up,” as babies have a natural urge to do.
Sucking is what makes some newborns happy, but they can’t eat all the time! This extra sucking is provided by the pacifier without inducing overeating in babies.
As an added bonus, if you have a low tolerance for screaming, using a pacifier will reduce your stress level.
Helps Baby Fall Asleep — The sucking motion of a baby pacifier can help a child fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, even if they aren’t screaming. When a baby is in the first few months of life, he or she is still learning how to soothe himself or herself. Your baby’s natural need to suck is already instilled from birth, so sucking can be used to help them self-soothe when they’re upset.
The process of putting a baby down for the night can be challenging if he or she has fallen asleep while being breastfed. You may be able to get your kid to sleep if you can put the pacifier into his mouth. In addition to putting the baby binky back in his mouth when he wakes up during the night, this can help him drift back to sleep.
Ease Discomfort — The pacifier can be a very useful tool if your baby is unwell or colicky, or if they need a check-up or vaccination that may cause fear or pain. The act of sucking might also aid to alleviate pain.
The Cons
Oral or Dental Problems —
A pacifier should be used for the first year of a baby’s life. However, toddlers can still be attached to their baby binky. It’s best to break the habit before 3 years old to avoid long-term impacts on your child’s oral development.
In addition to misaligned teeth, a poorly shaped roof of the mouth, tongue protrusion, and diminished lip and cheek strength can also result from prolonged pacifier usage. This can impact nutrition and speech development. To avoid future mouth issues (or braces), break the habit after a year so your toddler is pacifier-free by 2 or 3.
Baby Becomes Dependent —
It’s possible that the soother will operate well when implanted, but when it’s removed, it can do more harm than good, which is counterproductive. You may have reconsidered your decision if you had to get up every five minutes to put the binky in your baby’s mouth.
Because of this, it can be distressing when a baby’s comforting soother is either lost or taken away from them. Once you’ve found it, it’s impossible to quite enjoy it. That means pacifiers need to be cleaned and reinserted. Is it worth it? You are responsible for making the decision.
Pacifiers Safety Tips
Keep it Clean — Before putting the paci in your baby’s mouth, check sure it’s sterile. Put pacifiers in the dishwasher (if they’re dishwasher friendly) or boil them in water to disinfect them. If the pacifier falls, pick it up and rinse it before re-using it. It’s also OK to clean your baby’s pacifier sometimes – it may help prevent allergies later.
Use Clips & Straps Wisely —
Clips and straps can help prevent those annoying drops of the baby pacifier, but they must be applied carefully. There is no need to knot or wrap anything around your baby’s neck. Pacifier straps should not be excessively long if they are attached to a baby’s clothing, to reduce the risk of strangulation.
Choose Safe Materials — Natural rubber and other safe materials should be used to make baby pacifiers. Avoid pacifiers containing bisphenol-A, which has been linked to a number of health issues (BPA).
Conclusion
Only you can decide whether or not to use a baby pacifier. You are the best judge of your child. Use pacifiers responsibly! You decide when and how to utilize them.
The disadvantages come before breastfeeding is established and after six months. Otherwise, between 1 and 6 months is peak paci time for both you and your kid. Using a pacifier while sleeping may lessen the incidence of SIDS.
The AAP recommends weaning your kid off the pacifier around 1 year old, but until then, enjoy every quiet moment.
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