Mute button or protector against SIDs?
Pacifiers are something that really seems to have so many different pros and cons, all totally dependant on what you’re reading or who you speak to.
Last week I was speaking to a lady who was expecting twins (!!) and she told me that she had been reading a study that advocated soothers as a possible preventative for SIDs, so felt that she really had to have some in her arsenal and encourage her newborns to use them. On the flip side of that, another mum-to-be who I was speaking to at my son’s preschool (it’s montessori) was dead against using soothers for her own kids as she felt they were often used to ‘mute’ babies and had read an article that suggested using a pacifier could cause issues with speech and communication.
Personally, I’m not a fan of pacifiers and I haven’t used them for any of my kids. Mainly because they never really wanted them but also I just feel that they are a physical barrier for the child to overcome if they wish to talk or communicate and all too often I have seen a child start to scream and a pacifier shoved in their mouth almost as a ‘switch off’ for the noise, which is not for me. The boys do have teddies each though so I find they sooth themselves that way.
As always to each their own, I just wondered what you felt about the topic?
Harriet x
We used one with our first following the health visitors advice but didn’t with our second and glad we haven’t and gone with our instincts as I am not a fan of them.
It seems to work for some and not for others right?
It was advised that Toby had a dummy to help him swallow the acid back down, because his was silent reflux so the dummy made extra saliva to kind of cool the acid. I’d prefer not to have one, but he only has them at bed times and the moment he wakes up he hands it back! His speech is excellent but I can imagine if they’re used all the time it could impede on speech xx
I’m totally with you. I HATE them with a passion, Jack had one for 3 months and Phoebs 2 months, then they were gone!! I just don’t get why kids that can talk still use them?! x
Oh Harriet I HATE soothers with a passion. My boy religiously has one hanging from his mouth. Every since he turned one I have wished daily that we had never gave him one. He loves his nom noms…
Oh no!? Really!! Ahh what a nightmare Kellie – but just think, once he DOES let it go, he is less likely to thumb suck…! H x
I absolutely cannot stand them and vowed never to use them, but Finn was born very poorly and had to have procedures like a lumbar puncture without any relief so the staff gave him a dummy. He quickly became very attached and I never leave the house without at least 3 now as he won’t sleep without them. I do think using them well is important and I don’t let him crawl around with it, he has it for sleep and when he is very unsettled
Same as me then Bex, I really wasn’t a fan at all but I learnt an awful lot about how helpful they could be when I was selling them at Mothercare. I really always thought they were the devil, but how wrong I was! We still don’t use them but I have a much better understanding of why anyone would 🙂
We never gave a dummy to our baby, but I know some parents really think they work.
I think it depends on the individual, but yes if they work for you, great stuff!!
I think dummies have thier place but I feel they need to be dispensed with by the child’s first birthday. This way you get the benefits in the first year but none of the speech problems later.
I have to say I quite like them for my kids but only at night or nap time. The sucking is quite soothing for them and a natural instinct or so I’ve read. My son was done with his by age 1 though so I was lucky as it can be a nightmare to wean them off them! Each to their own though x