First-time parents have heard from both sides of the argument on whether giving a baby a pacifier is a good idea. Truthfully, it’s always up to what the parent feels comfortable doing, but pacis are a good tool for soothing a fussy infant. Here are the key reasons to introduce a pacifier to your baby.
Why Do Babies Like Sucking on Their Thumbs and Pacifiers?
It’s common for infants to develop a habit of sucking on their thumbs or pacifiers to relieve stress, but why do they like it? Sucking is a natural reflex that infants use to feed from bottles or during breastfeeding. However, this natural reflex could grow into a habit. While thumb-sucking is typical, it’s a bad pattern that parents need to address early and break.
While common in infants, this behavior leads to frequent tongue thrust issues. The tongue thrusts help with swallowing food and preventing choking. Staying aware of the relationship between thumb sucking and tongue thrusts is essential for parents to know.
A Binky Is a Great Distraction
During the first year of life, your baby might have more doctor appointments than they can count on their little hands. During check-ups, infants need to distract themselves from shots and bloodwork. The sucking motion distracts babies long enough for doctors and nurses to get through each procedure easily. Plus, there’s no stress during the trip back home.
Pacifiers Can Help a Baby Sleep
The first few months of an infant’s life can be hard, especially when adapting to a new sleep schedule. The best way to help an infant settle down for the night is to use a pacifier. Even though your infant’s already cranky from being tired, the sucking motion from the paci tires them out quickly.
New parents should give their babies pacifiers to help them soothe and distract themselves. This technique is helpful for parents of all stages to know. So give your baby a paci they can use to practice self-soothing.
Great for Babies—Not Older Kids
Pacis soothe babies, but children can grow attached to these devices, potentially causing social problems and various health issues. It can be difficult for parents to wean their children off them, but there are tips to help your child wane from relying on a binky for comfort.
Tips for Weaning
There comes a time when a pacifier can do more harm than good. Your parents may tell you how hard it was to wane you off a binky, but now it’s your turn to help your child. Here are some gentle suggestions to help your child cope with growing out of using a pacifier.
Children break the habit at different paces. It might take three days, or it may take a year. Give it time. Here are tips to help you out with breaking the paci reliance:
- Give your child other comfort options.
- Limit the time the child uses it.
- Start a habit tracker chart with your kid, and reward them every time they don’t use their binky.
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