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I've heard around one year is a good time even though I know a lot of kids use it longer and I don't see anything wrong with it. I think it's better (if they are really depended on it) to start slowly only use during bedtime and car, then just bedtime, and so on...
My kids never really cared for a pacifier. I guess I was lucky. I've seen 4 years olds with them.
Before I had my daughter I said I was going to do my best to NOT have her use a pacifier. But then after nursing sessions she always seemed to want to nurse. And I knew she was getting enough milk so I just thought she wanted to "suck."
When she was always gnawing away at her hands I started weighing her myself and pumping a bit to see how much was coming out.
Based on the fact that she was gaining at an awesome rate AND I could pump 7oz at a time even while I was nursing I started to look into pacifiers as an option.
I found out that some baby's have the need to suck more than others. And that pacifiers can help with that need. I also read, in many places including pamphlets in my daughter's ped's office, that it reduces the risk of SIDS and that they make them so they do NOT interfere with baby's teeth or mouth.
So with that, at 2 months I gave one to her. She loved it. She stopped suckling on everyone who held her and she seemed to use it to sooth herself, not to mention she slept better
So my goal was to have it gone by 12 months. I just wouldn't mention it or put it near her to see and she would go without it most days/weeks. But then about a month ago when her verbal skills got even better, she started screaming "want my binkAAAAYYYYYY!!!" She would do it out of nowhere. So what I did was leave it somewhere she could see and if she needed it she could choose herself to get it.
But THEN she would loose the one and beg for another. I have 5 so I started to leave 2 out. Then she'd loose the two and scream for the other. I tried to divert her attention and go outside or play a game or have a snack but the screaming would go on for an hour AT LEAST..
So now we are up to 3 pacifiers sitting on a dish on the end table. She carries one in her mouth and one in each hand. If I move them when she's not looking she will cry for hours.
I need a plan. Someone who has done it before. What did you do specifically and I will try it. It's becoming a crutch for her and I think she has outgrown it's purpose. But I have no experience with this and neither does anyone I know.
She's 18 months, am I overreacting maybe? No, I think it's time, right?
Wow, that is a long post. I tend to write alot on my husband's days off
I would ask your dentist. As with sippy cups, thumb sucking etc, oral fixations for comforting a child can cause dental issues down the road. If you call a pediatric dentist, they'd probably be able to answer your question.
My daughter will be 3 in December and is still using hers, but only at night (and nap time). Our pediatrician isn't overly concerned about it but said it's probably time to try and start weaning her from it. It's not going to be easy, as she is really attached to it. As soon as she is in bed she's looking for it. I wish we had started the process sooner.
I will say that she used to use it throughout the day but my wife just took it away from her one day and it was not a problem at all. She never asked for it or anything. Maybe it was because she had it for bedtime. I think she was about a year or so when that happened.
Any tips anyone can offer on how to get her to stop using it would be appreciated.
I would ask your dentist. As with sippy cups, thumb sucking etc, oral fixations for comforting a child can cause dental issues down the road. If you call a pediatric dentist, they'd probably be able to answer your question.
Agreed... I always thought that you should start weaning at one for this very reason. Not sure about the age but definitely at some point it could cause dental issues.
I would ask your dentist. As with sippy cups, thumb sucking etc, oral fixations for comforting a child can cause dental issues down the road. If you call a pediatric dentist, they'd probably be able to answer your question.
I did. Like I said, I don't think the paci is dangerous to the mouth/teeth like thumb sucking or sippy cups. Most pacis/orthedonic ones are approved by the ADA even with teeth.
I'm mostly worried like you said about the "comforting" aspect of it...
Please don't worry about a pacifier. They're little for such a little while, let them have it at least for naps and night time until 3 or so. My ped said until 4 was perfectly acceptable.
Its one thing for a 2.5yr old to have a pacifier for naps and another one for a 4yr old to walk around all day with one.
You throw them away. That way, YOU cannot go back to them when she has a meltdown. My 1st wanted nothing to do with a pacificer, but #2 did for the sake of soothing. I threw them out at 12 months.
When we moved into our new home, we let our son, who was almost 2 at the time, to go to nap & bed with a sippy cup. It became a complete comfort & crutch for him as well as for us.
Just took it away one night & that was about 6-8 months ago. He's been asking for it again and will keep up with it for a good hour or two at bedtime.
The answer is no & there is no easy way to transition from such things as pacifiers and sippy cups at bedtime. But over time, be it 2 days or 2 weeks, your child will get it. All infants and toddlers are stubborn, so it takes some work but you are the parent.....
If you are on FB, there is a Circle of Moms application that may have quite a bit of insight since you can specifically pair up with moms who have children the same age & may be doing the same thing at the moment.
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