Each baby, just like each adult, is an individual, with their personal preferences. For instance, some babies will take a pacifier while others won’t take a pacifier at all.
This, of course, can be a huge problem, since a pacifier is a great parenting tool to not only help your baby to soothe, but also to help keep them safe while they sleep.
In this article, I’ll go through all of the benefits to using a pacifier, and give you some tips and tricks that you can try to get your little one to (maybe) accept one. Let’s get right to it!
Why Should I Use A Pacifier?
There are plenty of reasons to have your little one utilize a pacifier, so let’s take the time to examine the benefits of this useful little device.
Soothing – First off, the most obvious reason to use a pacifier is to help your little one to soothe when they are upset or when they are sleeping.
A pacifier will remove the need for your baby to nurse when they are upset, which will give you a break. And, let’s be honest, if you are a new parent, you need any break you can get!
SIDS – SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is, quite frankly, terrifying. It is the reason that babies nowadays should sleep on their backs, without any blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals in their bed with them.
Pacifiers have been shown to help prevent this horrible occurrence, as it helps your little one to breathe correctly while they are sleeping. The loss of your baby’s pacifier will also startle them awake if they should accidentally get themselves into an unsafe sleeping position.
Reasons A Baby Might Reject A Pacifier
There are several different reasons that a baby won’t take a pacifier, which we will examine in this section.
1. Pacifier Type – There are several different pacifier types out there on the market, and each baby seems to have a favorite. For each of my kids, I had to try a different type of pacifier until I found one that worked for them.
So if you have already tried one kind of pacifier and your baby didn’t go for it, don’t give up! You have plenty of different options, such as this pacifier, or this one, or this one.
2. Teething – Sometimes, when a baby is starting to get teeth, their favorite pacifier just won’t cut it. In this case, you can continue to offer it to your little one, but if they don’t seem to want it, don’t force it on them. You can also try putting it in the freezer to help soothe their sore mouths.
3. Outgrowing It – As babies change and grow, so too do their personal preferences. Don’t be surprised if they just up and decide one day that they no longer want to use a pacifier, even though they used to love it. They are people after all, and people can change their minds!
How To Get A Baby To Take A Pacifier
If you really would like your baby to use a pacifier, there are several different things that you can try, which is what we’ll cover in this section.
Don’t Force It – First off, there are just some babies out there that will not take a pacifier, no matter how much you want them too. It is important to realize that if your baby doesn’t want one, don’t force them to take one.
It has to be said, however, that if they don’t want one during one stage of their life, that doesn’t mean they might not want one later, or vice versa.
Wait For A Calm Period – Even though a pacifier is meant to soothe your infant, that doesn’t mean you should introduce it when they are upset. Rather, try it out when they are feeling happy so that they have a chance to get used to it without having to calm down first.
Breast Milk – If you are breastfeeding, you could always put a little bit of breast milk on the tip of the pacifier before you give it to your baby. This will help to bring them comfort and help them to realize the pacifier is there to help soothe them.
Favorite Type – As I said before, there are a bunch of types of pacifiers out there that you might need to try before you strike on one that your little one will take too. Don’t get discouraged if the kind of pacifier that worked for one child doesn’t work for another one either since they have their likes and dislikes.
How Soothing!
It can be frustrating if you have a baby that won’t take a pacifier. However, if you follow the tips and tricks that I laid out in this article, you might be able to get them to come around to the idea. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article, and have a wonderful day!
