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-PACIFIER ISSUE-
gracel |
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NUTRITION: -PACIFIER ISSUE-
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Jan 11, 2009 09:35am (EST)
Sucking is a natural instinct. Some babies can be seen on an ultrasound sucking a thumb in utero. Many continue to have a strong need to suck after birth; even after a feeding, they are still eager to suck.
Whether or not you use a pacifier is up to you. Some parents swear by them, finding them a handy way to calm a fussy baby and lull her to sleep. Others object to pacifiers on aesthetic grounds and prefer not to bother with having to pick them up and clean them. (You can guide your baby's hand to her mouth for self-soothing, or slide in your own clean pinkie. Keep those nails trimmed!)
There's no medical reason not to offer your baby a pacifier. Some tips if you do:
If you're breastfeeding, don't introduce a "passie" (or "binky") until your baby has learned how to latch onto your breast and your milk supply is constant, which should have happened by now. When a pacifier is introduced in the first week, a baby can have a harder time learning to breastfeed, since the mouth motions needed to suck a nipple and a pacifier are slightly different.
Avoid "going to the passie" first. Feed, burp, change, rock, snuggle, and respond to your baby's basic needs when she fusses rather than popping a pacifier in her mouth at the first sign of distress. Your child will be less likely to become dependent on a pacifier as a toddler if you use it judiciously now. It should be used to help her relax, not as a substitute for feeding or cuddling.
Don't worry that a pacifier will affect the way your child's teeth grow. Adult teeth don't come in until age 5 or 6, and by then, your baby's "binky" will be just a memory. Children who suck their thumbs, in comparison, may have a harder time breaking the habit by the time they lose their baby teeth, possibly leading to future dental troubles. 
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Posted by gracel | Comments: (2) | Permalink
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