opinion on pacifiers?

Question

in the hospital,the second night after having my first child a girl sitting next to me who also had a baby comented on the fact that i was using a pacifier she said she thought it was slack parenting using one and that parents use them so they dont have to deal with a crying baby i was about to go back to sleep and my darling little baby was also peacefully sleeping while her child was crying and crying and may have gone to sleep had she given it a pacifier.what do you reakon are they really that bad?they have sure saved me a few times!

Answer 1

I bet she went home and broke down and gave the baby a pacifier too! That's what I did with my first child! I read all those books that said if you breatfeed, your baby will get and should get all her sucking needs met with your breast...well, 3 days in and my baby cried unless she was asleep or nursing and my nipples were raw and sore. That pacifier saved us all!Sometimes I wonder where the people who write those books get some of that crap!

Answer 2

I am 14 weeks pregnant and will definitely use a pacifier. I was a dental assistant for a few years so my only concern with them is orthodontically. Once you child start to get teeth the pacifier needs to be weened away as the pacifier can move the teeth to grow in the wrong direction. Its very simple to ween them. Babies like passies because it gives them something to suck on. Simply poke a couple holes in the pacifier with a needle daily until when your child it sucking the passie goes flat. When the child has a hard time keeping it in his or her mouth they will lose interest. Then say we have the give the pacifier to the baby fairy she will take it to babies who need it your a big boy or girl now. Anyway, Long story short there is nothing wrong with using one at an early age. Best Wishes!

Answer 3

How rude of that lady next to you to be sooooo judgemental. I think whatever works is good. There is nothing more stressful than a crying baby so if the pacifier is working then it is a good thing. The only negative about a pacifier is when the baby becomes dependent on it to sleep so that when it drops out of their mouth you have to get up & put it back it every time (then it becomes a prob). I gave my 3 babies pacifiers as soon as i got home from the hospital but gave them away when i was getting woken every hour, every night having to put them back in. Don't worry what others say, it's your life, your baby & your mental health to think about.

Answer 4

it is a personal choice but I think they are the best thing ever invented. Great for soothing. Not to be used in place of feeds or cuddles but I doubt I would have survived being a single parent of twins without the beloved dummy. Always make sure you stick with the newborn size no matter what the age. Much better for the teeth. Try to get rid of it by 12 months. if you can't then use it just in bed after that. mine were 2.5 when I got rid of it. A bit late really but live and learn. I would always use them as long as the baby takes it. But always cover the bases before using it for crying...hungry,wet,cold. If all good then use the wonderful dummy

Answer 5

Babies love to suck and a pacifier is a viable option. My kids never took a pacifier when they truly wanted to nurse. My only concern I had was I didn't want a 3 year old with one. So, at 12 months, I through them out! Babies don't need to suckle that much by then.

Its hard to be slacker parent with a newborn!! Babies make sure they are the number one priority. She was jealous and insecure, and nervous. She was trying to make herself feel better.

Answer 6

Nothing is wrong with a pacifier if they are used for a short time.Alot of babies who is on them will not learn to express their feelings the proper way because everytime they cry a pacifier gets shoved in their mouth.I have 6 kids.The first 5 would not take a pacifier.They was not fussy babies.My 6th one did take a pacifier and he was fussy.He had to have that pacifier in his mouth everytime he did not get his way.I tried to take it away from him at 4 months of age but his dad was not willing to listen to him fuss and gave it back.I got him off of it at 6 months of age.I have seen alot of parents shove that pacifier in their baby`s mouth as soon as they started to cry.It`s wrong to use one to shut a baby up but I think since a baby`s natural thing is to suck then using one a few times a day will not hurt.I do think it was wrong for her to try to put her parenting skills off on you.

Answer 7

I can't believe that woman would say something to you, I'd be fuming. Pacifiers are comforting for infants, but can become a crutch later if the parents allow it. My son was in the NICU for a while and they gave him one when I was away briefly, but it really did comfort him and he eventually, at around 3 months, outgrew it himself and starting sucking his fingers at night before bedtime and when he was upset. I think that woman will have karma in the form of a screeching baby for being so rude to you. Enjoy your rest, comfort your baby and keep a close eye on the pacifier use.

Answer 8

Hi. On our first child, a boy, he used a pacifier from day one, and on his first birthday, he walked to the trash can and threw it away with a little coaxing from us. Not anything big, if he had wanted it a little longer, he could have had it. But he chunked it, and never had a problem not having it.

Our second child, a girl, never, wanted one until she was about a year old. Now she likes it, but can live without it. Sometimes goes to bed with it, sometimes does not.

Our concern was also with dental issues, as someone posted on here. We have had 2 dentists and several pediatrians tell us not to worry about the dental aspects of it until about the time the 2 year molars (I think that is what they are called) come in. So, as we know, we get more lax with each child addition, we are not so worried about it. But, she too will throw hers in the trash when the time is right.

As far as the chick in the hospital...I would very seriously doubt she is the perfect parent. So I would not pay here very much attention, in fact I would tell here to take a flying f...uh...a walk and leave you alone. That your child is none of her damn business.

Answer 9

I think this is about personal choice. I have two boys, both had dummies, but neither from birth. My first was given a dummy by his grandmother (against my wishes) when he was 2 months, and my second needed it at 2 weeks. When I say needed it, he was confusing being hungry for comfort, so always wanted to breastfeed. I knew he wasn't hungry because his weight was above normal, and he was healthy and happy...I checked with a child health nurse, who agreed. So I gave him a dummy only when he was looking for that comfort.

Both of them seemed to benefit from the sucking motion at bedtime, and both threw their dummies away at around the same age...14 months.

I don't agree with giving a baby a dummy from the start, personally, or for the sake of keeping them quiet (had a friend who did that, for that exact reason), but I think they have a place, dependant on the child. While I didn't want my first born to have one, his neurosurgeon suggested it for a major operation he had to have at 6 months, as a way of giving him comfort.

Answer 10

I personally see nothing wrong with using a pacifier with an infant. Sometimes they need to sooth the sucking reflex but that doesn't necessarily mean that they need fed. Now what I do have a problem with is a parent shoving a bottle in a babies mouth EVERY time it cries. I mean, feed the baby when it's hungry, but not every single time it cries. My former SIL was like this.