How do you encourage your baby to take a pacifier?

Question

My baby has an intense sucking need. She is just now finding her hands and fingers and is trying to suck on them. I would rather her take a passy. I have heard that babies that do not get that sucking comfort have oral problems in the long run. How can I encourage the passy instead of the fingers?

Answer 1

My son did that for a little while, and we didn't want him sucking his thumb, so every time that he tried we put a pacifier in his mouth.

Answer 2

Some babies simply prefer their thumbs or fingers.

As fas as having dental problems in the long run, I sucked my thumb until I was almost 4 and my teeth are straight!!! Most dentists will tell you that in most cases thumb sucking is ok up until the age of 4 or 5.

Some other positives to thumb suckers are less problems with oral thrush, less crying at night because they are able to self soothe without a passy, and not having to worry about weaning from the passy.


The only thing you can do is offer it and if your baby takes it, he takes it.

Good Luck

Answer 3

Get new nipples for the bottles and put smaller holes in them. The child will have to suck harder to get the milk and therefore get more sucking.

Why try to encourage the child to take a pacifier and the have the problem of breaking that BAD habit when the child is older. Once the child starts to use their hands sucking the fingers usually is finished. Sucking a pacifier goes on and on and children are running around with the dirty things in their mouths and still you cannot break the habit.

Answer 4

i know i will get a lot of flack for this but here goes any ways.why would you want her to suck on a pacifier. i think pacifiers are the worst habit to start and the hardest to break. have you ever seen a baby cry for his passy only to find out the parent for got to bring it.how many times do you see a baby drop their passy and the parent stick it in their mouth to clean it then stick it back in the babies mouth.yuck NOT TO MENTION ALL THE GERMS YOU JUST PASSED TO YOUR BABY.then there's that 3 or 4 year old still walking around with in there mouths. i say let her suck her fingers.she will stop that on her own. i say no passyes ever. this comes from a mpther of 6 and grand mother of 9.

Answer 5

Something new each day! I thought it would be easy, automatic once the real thing was removed.
That said, why not remove the alternatives - no, I don't mean the baby's digits. I mean things small enough to get baby lips around and substitute the 'passy' .... with a taste of honey on it or somedsuch?

Answer 6

All babies do not like pacifiers and in reality that can be a good thing, because it is hard to ween alot of children off of them.

Pacifier or not at a certain age, the hands are way more interesting to them in their mouth then anything else, but that will pass.

Ultimately, look at it from the babies perspective; how would like someone trying to make you suck on something you didn't want in your mouth : ) If you see she is realllly not interested in the paci, don't force it on her.

Answer 7

I agree with Angie's nurse also. My 6 month old son usually only takes his pacifier when he goes down to sleep, otherwise he's chewing on his fingers, toes, my arm, whatever he can get into his mouth. I don't want him dependent on his pacifier so that when it's time to get rid of it, I have a huge fight on my hands. My oldest never did take a pacifier and only sucked his thumb. He is now two, and rarely sucks his thumb-usually only when extremely tired!

Answer 8

My daughter was like that also, but she didn't want anything to do with a pacifier......at first. She took to it after a few days and I weened her off of it when she about 9 months old. I would discourage thumb or finger sucking, because you can take away a pacifier, but they have full access to their hands.

Answer 9

I had 2 thumb suckers and 2 pacifier suckers, 1 didn't take anything.
I would take the thumb suckers anyday. No dental problems and they never lost it. They quit early on by the time they were 2 or 3.

Answer 10

use a pacifier that has the same nipple as her bottles. OR if your breast feeding the closest to being like a real nipple. ALSO what i use is gripe water ( yes i mean gripe not grape ) it is made for baby's and helps them with minor tummy gas and such you can buy it over the counter in any grocery/drug store. all i do is dip the end of the soother in the gripe water and put it in my daughters mouth she takes it instantly. :) good luck