So my MIL has this huuuuge issue with pacifiers. I've read up on them and what I've seen is there is a risk of ear infections and down the line if your baby is using them past 3 years old it might cause dental issues.
Sometimes my baby gets really fussy and she loves to stick her hands in her mouth to soothe herself but hasn't quite figured out how to do it (or maybe it's just that her fingers are still too small). So for maybe 30mins a day I'll use a pacifier to calm her down and keep my sanity.
What is your experience with pacifiers? Did you not use them? At what age did you quit using them? Did you experience any dental issues?
My mother tells me I both sucked my thumb and used pacifiers when I was little and I've had no dental issues. I have a feeling that if they were so detrimental you wouldnt see such widespread use of them and whole walls filled with them at baby stores.
Please weigh in!!!
Question for Mommies!!
January 19th, 2011 at 08:56 pm
January 19th, 2011 at 09:02 pm 1295470974
January 19th, 2011 at 09:12 pm 1295471573
Child #1 - loved the pacifier. As first-time parents, we liked it too. Child #2 came one year later and didn't like the pacifier. Child #1 gave up the pacifier at about 18 months when she fell in love with her sippy cup.
Child #3 - liked the pacifier. Didn't use it with #4 or #5, just because at that point it was "just another thing to keep track of" (and when #5 came my kids were 7,6,3 and 1).
None of my children had issues giving it up. None of them have lingering tooth issues due to use.
If you don't have a problem with it, I say use it. Your MIL will have opinions on every child-related issue from here to teen-agedom (when to potty train, when not to let them eat x, y or z). You're the mom!
January 19th, 2011 at 09:13 pm 1295471626
Child #3 - liked the pacifier. Didn't use it with #4 or #5, just because at that point it was "just another thing to keep track of" (and when #5 came my kids were 7,6,3 and 1).
None of my children had issues giving it up. None of them have lingering tooth issues due to use.
If you don't have a problem with it, I say use it. Your MIL will have opinions on every child-related issue from here to teen-agedom (when to potty train, when not to let them eat x, y or z). You're the mom!
And I should add that my child who was plaqued with chronic ear infections did not use the pacifier.
January 19th, 2011 at 09:18 pm 1295471916
January 19th, 2011 at 09:40 pm 1295473214
January 19th, 2011 at 09:48 pm 1295473724
January 19th, 2011 at 10:10 pm 1295475011
DD used hers whenever she needed it. And then totally gave it up at 8 mo.
DS uses his whenever he wants it. I avoid just stuffing it in his mouth. But he has it around for when he wants it. He's 8 mo. now and still uses it. I figure if need be I'll have to wean it away about the time he's 1.5yr.
January 19th, 2011 at 11:16 pm 1295478984
I resisted it at first because I had the same reservations you did. My mom was finally like "oh my god already just use one it's no big deal." She was right.
Your mother in law had her turn to raise babies. Now it's your turn. You do what works for you.
January 19th, 2011 at 11:57 pm 1295481437
January 20th, 2011 at 01:57 am 1295488638
January 20th, 2011 at 04:08 am 1295496518
So wise. I remember rolling my eyes at a lot of this stuff thinking, "Who cares - by the time they are 5, 10, 15, what will it matter???" It's much easier to parent when you are over thinking this kind of stuff. I can attest to that!
January 20th, 2011 at 04:09 am 1295496574
Um - I meant to say when you are NOT over thinking - I can't edit that last one so am correcting myself here.
January 20th, 2011 at 04:53 am 1295499183
But sucked her thumb for a long time. My M-I-L wailed about it all the time. One day I said to her, "Look how your kids turned out." I never heard another word about it. :-)
January 20th, 2011 at 01:04 pm 1295528661
Meh..
January 20th, 2011 at 08:54 pm 1295556840
January 21st, 2011 at 07:33 pm 1295638381
January 21st, 2011 at 10:35 pm 1295649334
January 21st, 2011 at 10:49 pm 1295650155
January 22nd, 2011 at 11:43 am 1295696597
All three of my girls sucked their thumbs. My oldest DD stopped at 5, but my 5 yo DD and 3 yo DD have yet to stop. I'm not worried about it; we have yet to have dental problems with any of them.
January 23rd, 2011 at 03:28 am 1295753319
January 26th, 2011 at 10:26 pm 1296080813