Pacifiers: good for newborn babies or evil?

Question

What's your experience with pacifiers or what has your doctor told you?

Answer 1

pacifiers increase the rate of illness as germs and bacteria can grow on the pacifier, They also increase the chance that teeth form improperly

Answer 2

Depends on if you're breastfeeding.

Answer 3

my 1st son didnt want anything to do with one. my 2nd son is 11 months old and still uses one. actually, i wasnt going to be quick to give him one but, when we were still in the hospital he came back from the nursery with one in his mouth... idk why lol

but he seems to like it a lot

Answer 4

My son is only 5 months but we've used a pacifier from the start. I don't think they're "evil", everyone just has their own opinion on them. I use them but I don't think EVERY parent needs to and I don't expect people to judge me for using them.

I do know it may be a bit of a battle weaning him but we'll face that hurdle when the time comes. In the meantime I know he enjoys having it as a soother and I won't take that away from him.

Answer 5

Pacifiers are good under a couple of conditions.

1) if breast feeding you need to wait a  couple of weeks before using

2) Using an orthodontist pacifier - not one with a flat end.

The pacifiers help to increase jaw muscles and in infancy helps to satisfy their sucking need

Answer 6

My baby was 4 weeks early and spent a week in the NICU. When he was one day old I walked in there and he had the hospital newborn binky in his mouth. He is 4 weeks old and still loves that particular binky. the nurse in the nicu said it has been found that giving the paci to go to sleep has been found to reduce SIDS. I have read that also. I say if the baby likes it, then use it. as long as they're not 3 and walking around with it, its useful.

Answer 7

"Evil"??  lol...wow...

I allow my daughter to use pacifiers (to soothe herself), but she is not overly DEPENDENT upon them.  For example, if she has one a sleepy-time, and it pops out of her mouth, she doesn't fuss to have it popped back in her mouth.  

EDIT:  I do NOT use a pacifier as a "plug".  Babies have a naturally need to suck, and it helps to satisfy that need.  If my baby is crying, I find out why she is crying.  I don't just stick a paci in her mouth!

Answer 8

I tried to give it to my newborn and she never took it. When she was 2 months I gave it to her once and she took it, but she only uses it to go to sleep. She never uses it during the day, never even wants it. Just for naps and bedtime, and sometimes even then she doesn't use it.

It's not bad for babies at all, it is comforting.

Answer 9

There not evil.  My son loves his sucky and it soothes him when he's upset.

Answer 10

Normal healthy breastfed babies do not need pacifiers -they have mom to meet ALL their needs.

For babies that are bottle fed and do not suck their thumb there may be some merit.

Is It "Normal" to Suck Your Thumb?

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detthumb.h...

What should I know about giving my breastfed baby a pacifier?

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/concern...

PACIFIERS: IN OR OUT?

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t10460...

Answer 11

Studies show that it helps to prevent SIDS so IMO...GOOD!  All my babies took them.  And even when my son wouldn't at first I would offer it and he started taking it at about 4 months.  At 1 year of age you can just let them use it at naps and night time and then when they are 2 you can take it away all together.

Answer 12

my son was breastfed for the first month and they actually gave him one at the hospital because he had no problem latching on but still seemed to need something to suck on even when he wasn't hungry. he still uses it occasionally but doesn't seem to need it to fall asleep. i don't think that they are evil. they only time they sometimes have problems is when parents use them just to get the kid to be quiet.

Answer 13

Well, I used to be simply a "NO pacifier" Mom. I have two daughters and neither of them ever used one. It was by their choice though.

Even as a baby, I couldn't get them to keep one in their mouth. I think the reason was because I was breastfeeding on demand. A pacifier was of no interest to them because it wasn't warm, soft, and providing milk.

I began to wonder why parents would even offer their babies a pacifier? If they wanted to suck and soothe themselves, then why not offer the breast or a bottle? I guess I thought it was sort of a lazy way out of constantly preparing bottles.

But, I'm wrong. Studies now indicate that sucking a pacifier while sleeping can reduce SIDS: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/113...

Maybe babies do indeed need a pacifier. I'm no longer judging any parent for the choice that they make.

In fact, I did a few dangerous things with my daughters that they now recommend not doing. I co-slept with both of them until they were well into their toddler years. So, who am I to judge?

If I ever do have a third child in the future, I will more than likely leave it up to the baby to decide. I'll offer them occasional pacifiers and if they don't take it then I won't make them  but, if they do then great.

My doctor has honestly never said a thing either way on pacifiers. He just greatly encouraged me to breastfeed.

I hope my answer helped some and good luck!

Answer 14

Babies need extra suck time not just from the bottle or boob. It does exactly what its name is. It pacifies the baby. 100% good. Plus they help reduce the risk of sids. Because when a baby drinks a bottle or the boob they have to breathe and suck at the same time so when they suck a pacifier it reminds them to breathe while they are sleeping.

Answer 15

I was quite anti-dummy when my son was born, but tried one when he wouldn't settle one night. Worked a treat but he doesn't want it all time - usually if hes tired or sick. When you think about it, if they want that comfort and dont have a dummy, they will use their thumb.....a lot easier to toss a dummy when the time comes.....

Answer 16

I didn't want to use a pacifier, but found that my daughter is one of those babies who, back when I breastfed, would suckle for an hour not getting anything at all just to suck.  Now, I don't know about other moms, but I'm not going to sit there for an hour like that... it would have driven me NUTS.  And I couldn't sleep with her attached, so she wouldn't sleep.  o_O  

Then I read about how it helps reduce SIDS, can help with jaw development and words, and how it helps to clean the gums so that fewer tooth decay happened.  Yes, there were negatives, but these were avoided by taking the binky away in the daytime, making sure I got the right type of binky, and making sure she had plenty of binkies to find in her crib at night.  We will start taking it away completely when she's a year old, and it will be gone by 2 (sooner I'm sure.)  

I don't use the binky as a plug and it's insulting to think that some parents think parents who use a binky would.  I'm sure some do, but to paint everyone with that is ridiculous and plain ignorant.  When my baby cries, I cuddle her.  I hold her.  I snuggle her and meet her needs.  I ONLY reach for a binky after she's been fed and taken care of and wants to do her normal sucking/snuggling time.  She will take it out of her mouth when she's done.  

As for why I stopped breastfeeding because I'm sure someone will be wondering that, it wasn't by choice.  I'm one of those extremely rare women who were told to stop months before she did, and when I finally had to sobbed about it.  The binky allows us to have a more nursing-natural position cuddle time, which is the majority of what she was using it for before.

Answer 17

I don't believe in them. I  think they are more of a convenience for the parents than the child.  Babies cry to communicate their needs, so when you automatically put a pacifier in their mouth, their needs are not met.  Pacifiers are also one more thing you have to add on to the weaning process - breast, bottle, etc.  Instead of plugging your baby when he cries, hold him, talk to him, and have patience instead of using a pacifier

Answer 18

Just as long as you take it away at a reasonable age. It helps at bedtime that's for sure!