Pacify

Why do you think Wolfie has stubbly thumbs? I was always sucking my thumb as a child! I didn't have a comfort blanket but my thumb was forever in my mouth, but on asking mum I didn't have a dummy as mum loved to hear my gurgling sounds, not so much now though LOL! Aren't men funny they won't admit they are wrong and even when they are wrong still won't back down and put their hands up and say 'ok I'm wrong' Call it male pride? I call it obstinancy. Still you can chalk that one up to a victory against your ex ha ha ha! Thumbs up my friend (once I take it out of my mouth that is!)

lol...I had the same issue with my husband. And he wouldn't understand even after his aunt (who raised him) said that he was on a pacifier till he was more than 2 years of age and it was VERY hard to get him to stop. I've used a pacifier with both my kids. With the first one, it started when we were travelling and he would need it just to fall asleep. But once he was 10 months old, I just took it off one day and he was fine. The second one too...I started when I was travelling. But he NEEDED it everytime he wanted to sleep. That was worrying for me. And when I tried to stop him cold turkey...it was really hard...especially since my husband would stuff it into his mouth when it was his turn to put him to bed. It took me lots of arguing and really strong nerves (to bear with the screaming) to get my younger one to get off the pacifier when he was around 14 months old. But once he stopped, he wouldn't ask for it even when he saw it. He's 23 months old now...and just the other day he was crying in the night....and my husband said that we wouldn't have had to listen to it (and could have got some sleep) if we had continued with the pacifier. But I'd rather have one sleepless night without a pacifier than many days of sleep with a pacifier in my son's mouth! My husband just wants the easy way out in everything.

I think up to a certain age the pacifier is good for the baby. It satisfies their desire to suck. And it give mom and dad a break when they can't figure out why the child is screaming. If a baby is crying because he is hungry, wet or hurt, he won't take a pacifier. If he is crying due to tiredness them they do. I see no harm in using them when the baby is a baby. When a child is talking with a paci in their mouth, then enough is enough!! I have seen some of these and it is crazy. I run a daycare and my rule is babies get the pacis. If you can talk, and the parents say they need a paci, they get it when the take a nap and that is all. I have one 2 yr old that asks for it all day and he only gets it at nap time. The parents give it to him all day and night when they are home. You can see that his teeth are starting to buck out. The mom says that she wishes he wouldn't need it all the time when he is home and is glad that I only give it to him at nap time.

I must say that there are a lot of things to be considered. First of all, studies show that sucking a pacifier decreases the chances for SIDS. This can be a very good reason to give one at night. While it is true that babies cry for a reason, it is often because they want attention or comfort which is sometimes hard to provide for. A pacifier is a good solution some of the time. The trick is figuring out how to limit it. It is also a good idea to ween them from a pacifier early. Changing the shape of the jaw usually only happens to those who suck a pacifier with a mouthful of teeth, but if your baby doesn't take one by time he or she has a mouthful of teeth then there are fewer issues. On the other hand, the pacifier is much better then the thumb. It can really mess up teeth and jaws and is impossible to take away. As for our son. He didn't take one. He just had no interest in it and that was that. I think this is a subject, as are many, that making an informed decision is most important and that you need to do what is best for you and your family.

I know how hard it is to pacify a child...good review!

Hi Humbug, I sure did give them one all three of my kids and your very right in everything you have said which I found out to my own cost with my youngest son..I couldn't understand a word of what he spoke until he was 5 yrs old and the reason for this was because I'd given him a dummy, terrible and I went through a lot of guilt because I had given him this offending article, they really should come with a warning.

I have never used a pacifier with my son…I dislike this practise for all the reasons stated by you alongwith the fear that it will of course distort his jawline and he may eventually have protruding teeth. Sometimes though some babies nag for no apparent reasons and moms do need a break and the pacifies comes in handy.

I had a dummy when I was a baby but I think I grew out of it after a few months. I used to give my son a dummy when he was a baby. But he did not like it much. It was used only for a few months and than grew out of it too. © ronaldinu 2008

My eldest had a dummy. It just seemed to be what every mother did so I didn't really think about it. My middle lad refused anything apart from my boob in his mouth and solid food when he was a bit older until he was eleven months old! My youngest found her thumb within minutes of being born so she never had one... although in some ways I wish I'd tried to get her on a dummy as She'll probably suck her thumb forever now! It's different things for different kids! None of mine have been damaged by having things different. I must say I do object to mothers that let their kids run around with dummys at the age of 4 and 5. That to me is not nice to see. But just my opinion

No I did not, well, not for the oldest. He didn't even want it. The first few days, when I was still in hospital, he would want food every two hours which is too fast so the nurses would give him a pacifier, but as soon as they left the room I would take it out and comfort him (I also had a extra bottle in the room and milk so I could feed him if he was hungry, nurse or no nurse, I was a bad mommy ). I didn't want him to get used to it, if it wasn't necessary. The second one did have a pacifier for three weeks, because he couldn't suck hard enough and he needed to 'practise' (can't find a better word). As soon as I felt that he could do without I stopped giving it and I never had a problem with it. Have a nice day

Once and she spat it out and refused to have one again. As a result she now sings her head off all day long. LOL. We found that she didn't cry anymore than any other child and was invariably happy. Still is and she's 19 now.

i would like to have baby when i grow up....but wen they cries....it can be annoying...but its d responsibility of parents to know the reason 4 y r they crying.....as we know hat wen we wer babies even our parents looked after us.....they didnt threw us.........

I already have three kids and no I have not given any one of them a pacifier, they say it has psychological impact on the baby and that if he is always on pacifier he will never learn how to soothe himself, and some kids become really dependent with it, as for thumb sucking it is natural and most of the kids out grew it, if you see them thumb suck and gave them pacifier them may get dependent to it and it will be hard for you to take it away

Hi Humbug. I never gave my kids a pacifier. I don't like to see kids walking around with them in their mouths. I used to work in a day care and some of them would come in with nasty looking pacifiers. They would get all sticky and yucky. Also, they can get lost or dropped. If the child is used to having one, then they would be upset if they lost it. My kids sucked their thumbs. That's probably not good either but they had it with them all the time and never lost it LOL. Take care and have a good lotting day.

NEVER! im like you in that whole idea and sense of it. i've seen so much of this. i had 5 kids and not one had one.

My daughters, except my eldest had them (as she sucked her finger). I couldn't take it off her, and by sucking her index finger made her front teeth stick out. (fixed now). As for my other three children I was able to take them away from about 3 years of age. There teeth where all fine? I think it's a hard call.

I tried to give my son a pacifier once and he didn't like it. I didn't mind though. I only offered it to him since it was given to me at my shower. I'm actually glad he didn't take it since I know it isn't good to get babies hooked on them. I can't stand to see 2 and 3 year olds that still use them. Besides, it does really mess up their mouth, teeth when they get older.