Are pacifiers not "socially accepted"?...?

I think that the baby is right.

I have three children, the older two both had pacifiers (or dummies) but the youngest wasn't interested.

1 No nurse has ever told me not to use one, although the sucking action could interfere with breast feeding if mum and bubs are having problems

2 Never spoken to a paediatrician about it!!!

3 Mine wouldn't dare unless I told her to, and if I was against it there would be none about

4 If baby teeth come through crooked it's not a major problem, they only have them until they are 7 - 10, hopefully they'll have given the dummy up by then. It's easier to get a child to stop using a dummy than sucking a thumb!!!!

5 Not sure about this, but since they can't tell what causes SIDS anything's possible.

At the end of the day, there are no right or wrong answers - it's a choice like everything else

Well, this is what I have heard so far.

Nurses at the hospital usually prefer that you wait to give your baby a pacifier if you are going to nurse them. It has to do with their sucking reflex. Once a baby is able to consistently control this, a pacifier is ok. If they are given a pacifier before they develop this reflex, it can make feeding hard for some babies.

Pediatricians will say its ok since by the time they are seeing your baby, they should have developed their sucking reflex (it doesn't take that long) and they are agreeing with the Academy of Pediatrics that is can help prevent SIDS.

The thing about crooked teeth is not really true. I think this is just an excuse people use when their child has crooked teeth. Using a pacifier or not does not determine this.

If you are nursing and your baby has its sucking reflex or if you are bottle feeding, I would say go ahead and give them one.

Of course, after all of this, there are some babies who just don't like pacifiers. :)

Everyone has their own answer. Do what is best for you and your baby, just know that the baby should not have the pacifier past age one for dental reasons. Just like the bottle. The nurse says no because it's a dependent behavior. Your little one won't be able to locate and put his/her own pacifier in until he/she is 6 or 7 mos old. So, if your child is dependent upon it and it falls out while he/she sleeps, you're going to have to keep going to the baby and sticking it back in. That's why I wouldn't use them with my kids. It's a quick fix to quiet a baby. I'd rather have my kids learn to soothe themselves without it. However, if the baby's really fussy, I'd encourage it for your own sanity! It's really a matter of opinion. And as far as SIDS goes, it's because your baby would be sucking on it consistently. I'd have a hard time believing it though because when your baby is in a deep sleep, they aren't sucking and the pacifiers tend to fall out of the baby's mouth anyway. If you're really worried about SIDS, get the Angel Care baby monitor that uses a motion pad in your baby's crib which can detect even the lightest of breathing. If it doesn't feel it for twenty seconds, it sets off an alarm on the parent monitor. Pretty cool. Just do what you think is best for your own baby. After all, you know him/her best!

'Foxfire' is right. I have four children and my first three wouldn't take a pacifier AT ALL, it would have saved some sleepless nights I can tell you!

My last baby, however, has one and I tried her with one when she was about 4 weeks old as she had terrible colic and she settled with it. She was ill with a chest infection about three months ago and got really 'clingy' and 'whiney' so she relied on the pacifier more. As a result she likes one now every time she 'throws a wobbly'. But I don't mind as it's not permanently stuck in her gob!

She has one to go to bed, but spits it out through the night and doesn't really mind as long as sh can reach for it.

I will make sure I wean her off it soon, as I know for a fact, her teeth will start to grow through crooked after 3-4 years old (I wouldn't give mine up and my teeth started going crooked too)!

Just do what you think is OK for your baby, it's not the end of the world if the baby has one for a while.

My baby's Dr. said to use the paci in between meals since my baby likes to suck all the time. My MIL rolled her eyes when we told her that the baby is using one, but it's necessary. I have read a book that it's ok to use a paci, but it would be better to let her use her thumb, but I can't remember the reason why. My niece sucks on her thumb, and it's raw sometimes, but she never used the pacifier. I guess it's all different. Do what you think it's right for you. I, even though my baby isn't much into pacifiers, she does use them once in a while.

I would much rather see a baby or even a toddler with a pacifier than see them sucking on their thumb. That thumb thing is MUCH harder to stop. You cant take away their thumb and I think it is very cruel to put something that tastes hot or nasty on your child's thumb. I mean, the kid is going to know YOU, the person he trusts put something yucky on his thumb.

I NEVER had a nurse tell me not to use one.

My kids had pacifiers and all of them gradually lost intrest in them.

I dont see it as socially unacceptable at all.

In many countries women nurse their babies for several years. I breast fed one of my sons for a little over a year and some people thought it was terrible. OH MY! Isint that why God gave us mammary glads?

I guess I went overboard on my answer. Sorry.

I think it would help to prevent SIDS... I don't think there is anything wrong w/ a baby having a soother... but I would have to agree after 2yrs it's getting a bit old. My daughter is soon to turn three months and I think I'll be taking it away around then just to save any hassles when she's older. I dont' believe it'll make teeth crooked or sucking the thumb either. But either way it's a parenting choice, so what ever works for you and your family.

Yes, it's been proven to help prevent SIDS even though that's not really a concern for you anymore, you're right.

I've never heard of anything about it being not socially accepted. I think that's silly. Everybody I know (save for one little boy) had a binky. My kids have binkies. As for the teeth thing, yes, it can make the teeth come in crooked I suppose, but they make binkies now with crooked nipples to help prevent that. As for the hospital thing - our hospital provides Orthodontic (the crooked nipples) binkies.

So, again, in answer, I've never personally heard anything about them being "socially unacceptable," but I people have their own opinion. Like mine is binks are fine. :) I would do what you feel is good for your child. If your child wants one, then sure, if not, then don't force it. :)

See my son is 7.5 mos old and when i had him they all told me no paci but then others said yeah for certain reasons so who cares who's right or wrong if you feel you want to give the paci go for it and with my little one i actually did give it in the beginning a bit and he doesn't even know they exist n/e more cuz he wasn't really into them to begin with -so yeah let you and your little one/s be the judge of this and if he/she does become to dependent then take all of your pacis and tell them it's at the time in their lives where he/she needs to send all those pacis up to heaven -stringed to a balloon because other children need them who don't have pacis and are younger then them who have now passed the age of needing the paci-just a suggestion it really did work with my nephew.

they are soothing for baby's but they also become attached I'm not going to lie seeing a two year old with a pacifier is ridiculous I've seen some older than that you have ween them off just like a bottle they actually give them to your baby in the hospital if you ask i've never seen a baby who sucks on one end up having crooked teeth its better then them going to sleep with a bottle