Pacifiers: Yay or Nay?

Growing up, every newborn cousin seemed to have a pacifier in their mouth. They were considered essential in my family, and I never thought twice about it until now. It is time for buying baby supplies, and I am wondering if I should bother adding pacifiers to the list. One defense that I have heard for pacifiers is that it is an easier habit to break than finger sucking, but it seems contradictory to give my child something I will just be fighting to take away from them later. Plus, there is nothing that says it is either fingers or a pacifier. Would I not just be better off enforcing healthier self-soothing strategies now, than teaching my child to be dependent on a plastic nipple where bacteria can grow that I am probably going to lose multiple times a day? I have watched so many parents go through the headache of having to break their kid from the pacifier habit. It just seems like a quick and easy solution to fussiness now that will create another, possibly bigger problem later.

Do you use a pacifier? Why or why not?

We didn't go down the pacifier route. I guess for me it was a matter of wanting to be able to understand what my child needed instead of trying to silence her cries. I don't know if I would do it differently with a second child as I definitely see benefits in some situations of using pacifiers . Ultimately I think parents are just doing the best job that they can and honestly it doesn't bother me if someone does or doesn't use them.

In my opinion, using a pacifier is up to the baby. The reason I say this is; my first born took the pacifier with no problems (she was a breastfed baby), but suddenly threw it away one day and changed to sucking her thumb. My second born, (also breastfed) refuses to take a pacifier! You'll put it in her mouth, she will give you this disgusted look, spit it out and closes her mouth with her tongue so you won't try to put it back in (I've tried but that tongue just won't budge). So now I have a cake tin full of pacifiers that none of my kids use. The older one plays with it, and puts it in her mouth as a joke saying she's a baba now....then laughs and spits it out!

MelissavdW27 said:
In my opinion, using a pacifier is up to the baby. The reason I say this is; my first born took the pacifier with no problems (she was a breastfed baby), but suddenly threw it away one day and changed to sucking her thumb. My second born, (also breastfed) refuses to take a pacifier! You'll put it in her mouth, she will give you this disgusted look, spit it out and closes her mouth with her tongue so you won't try to put it back in (I've tried but that tongue just won't budge). So now I have a cake tin full of pacifiers that none of my kids use. The older one plays with it, and puts it in her mouth as a joke saying she's a baba now....then laughs and spits it out!

That's a great way to look at it! Every child is so different and their needs and wants are all very different too. I like your approach!

Some babies do not like pacifiers while others do. I used a pacifier for my baby and I always recommend one for crying babies, it keeps them busy and calm. I do not like babies disturbing especially on a ride in an airplane, it draws attention and makes me feel uneasy. I would always have a pacifier handy for public outbursts.

Both of my children used pacifiers, however, my first did not really use it for very long and was not that hard to break of it. She never really used it for long periods of time and would spit it out after a short time. I just one day stopped giving it to her and she had no problem. My second child used it more often when he was an infant since he was a very fussy baby. I did not have a problem getting rid of it with him either. Both were off them before they were a year old. I think it just depends on the parents and the baby whether a pacifier is needed. If you are not sure about it, you could just have one in case you decide to try it and if it is not for you and your baby then you do not have to use it.

I had a pacifier for my daughter, but I only used it to help get her on a feeding schedule... if she wanted to eat before regular feeding time, a pacifier often held her off for an hour or so. That's not saying it's wise to let a baby be hungry but when trying to get onto a good schedule, sometimes it makes sense to see if a pacifier would satisfy for a little while.

Now all that said, I would never ever use a pacifier to "make the baby be quiet"... because crying meant something was going on. If it wasn't going to satisfy her until a better feeding schedule, she let me know and spit it out.
And there's no way it would have worked during that colic time, either... she would have had no part of THAT, I'm pretty sure.

I can't say but I have always been told that pacifiers do more harm to baby's teeth. I never got to test this theory out because none of my kids wanted to use a pacifier. I tried my second daughter on a pacifier because she was a baby that cried all the time. So I would say nay only because I never needed it or used them.

My kids didn't like the binky (as everyone I know calls them.) A friend of mine has a little girl who used one until she was 3 and a half. I mean she was addicted to this thing. My friend actually had a whole kitchen drawer full of them. The baby would even stash them in her little secret spots, too funny. I did notice that her top front teeth are a bit spaced out and pushed forward.

My little princess never liked it one bit from day 1. Many times I felt she never gave me a chance to be daddy to a baby. She quit the breast after 6 weeks, no Gerber wanted, no baby spoons and hated bibs. The pacifier was constantly spat to the floor and looked and strangely. I don't think it is a definite for all babies at all. Many times I wish I had a baby. I just have this sweeeeeet little girl

Hi mommies!
I act as a human pacifier to my little one. Breastfeeding was the key to her peaceful sleep every night. She only calms after i pacify her with my breast. For me breastfeeding is the best

I think you have to make a decision on whether or not to use a pacifier according to the needs of your child. I did not give my son a pacifier. I was trying to breastfeed and was told by the hospital nurse that a pacifier would interfere with me trying to breastfeed. My son woke up at night every two hours. He could not soothe himself back to sleep at night, and I would have to get up to breastfeed or give him a bottle. With my daughter I decided to try using a pacifier. I was glad I did. From birth my daughter slept through the night. I found this to be a blessing considering I had to return to work when my 8 week maternity leave was over.