Pacifier Only When Waking from Nap?

My daughter is 2 and still has a pacifier... and the doc said it's actually important for her to have that sucking reflex.. and it's fine...she only uses it now for naps and bedtime. It's much easier to take away a pacifier than fingers... My husband's niece is 8... they still have a problem with the thumb.

Also, he might just be putting his fingers in his mouth because he might be starting to teeth... my daughter started doing that at 4 months as well... and had her first tooth at 5 months.

I don't see any problem with giving him the pacifier. Especially, if it's limited to those times. Our son only used in the crib and as time went on, he started using it less and less. At about age 2, we told him he could buy a toy with his pacifier. He did and it was really successful. It allowed him to be in control and so the process went really smoothly. Good luck.

My son is almost 3 and he gets his binkie only at bed time, and has for over a year. He uses it to fall asleep...and then within ten minutes it's fallen out of his mouth and thats that. He doesn't get it during the day, only at bed time. I can't see what harm this would do his teeth cause it's in for such a short time. It falls right out once he's asleep. Even the dentist said it's not a problem until the age of three. I guess four months is a big difference. Honestly, I would tell you that at 4 months it's a need they have to suck..not a habit. If it helps you get some sleep then I would let him have it. Not to mention how it reduces sids. I think I've read the best time to get rid of it is at 9 months because they are transitioning. (you'll have to look that up...I don't remember the exact age) Best of Luck!

Hi M., my son used his fingers to help him fall asleep but never developed a habit of it, he out grew it quickly. Don't assume that he will be like your daughter, every child is different. WIth that said, it is a good time to introduce another kind of lovey like a stuffed animal or blankie. My son took to his blankie and he could mouth it or just hold it in his hands and play with it. Pick something and then take it with you wherever you go so he starts to bond with it. Good Luck,
K. Smith
www.theindependentchild.com

There's no way to predict that, sorry. Each child is different.
Bear in mind, that your daughter's situation, may not necessarily mean it will be duplicated in your son.

At 4 months... they often 'find' self-soothing through sucking, fingers or pacifiers. It's common.
My son did that too.

How you go about it is up to you. But, I personally find nothing 'wrong' with self-soothing. Its a normal natural instinct in babies. EVEN in the womb, they do this. Many child experts will also say that self-soothing is a GOOD thing... in that it shows self-motivation in a baby and that they are doing what comes naturally and it contributes to a nurtured confident baby/child. Nothing wrong with it.

Or, you can try and give him a 'lovey' or something to cuddle with, instead.

Also, if he does wake at night, being he is only 4 months old, this could also just 'signal' that he is having a growth-spurt, and needs to feed, as their intake needs are increasing AND they do just get hungry. Thus, he is sucking his fingers...because THIS is also a "hunger cue" in babies. ie: rooting around for food. It's very common.

So, discern the 'difference' between him having wakings DUE TO 'growth-spurts' & NEEDING to feed (which is common at 3-4 months old), and him just self-soothing and having normal hiccups in sleep/REM during the night...at which time, he's self-soothing through sucking and can go back to sleep.

All the best,
Susan

Oh my goodness, M.,

I am the mother of a 16 yr old and a three yr old, both girls. Neither one of mine took a pacifier. What you dont give them they wont miss. Mine were not finger suckers or anything-habit-doers! They slept when they should and woke up happy, ate when they were hungry...I nursed both of them and yes they nursed and fell asleep on me but not every time.
Babies adjust to what you give them, what you allow them, and I hate to say it but you gave them a pacifier habit!
You can do it, just take it away and hold them. It will take again and again but this will pass!

Wendy

My first two boys used a pacifier until 3 1/2 and 2 years old. My third, who is almost 5, would not take a pacifier and still sucks his thumb. We are at our wit's end. The dentist also told us that it is time to stop. It was so easy to get the boys off the 'plug' compared to what we are doing now. You are right to try to get him on the plug. Let him fall asleep with it a few times and leave two or three in his crib. When he wakes in the night the first couple of times, slide his hand around in the dark until he finds one and help him put it in his mouth. Try to do this before he REALLY wakes up. He should start to try to find it on his own after a few trys and...voila! You and he will be sleeping through the night. I assume you are trying to eliminate the nightime feeding. Sucking a pacifier should help with that. Babies need to suck. If it's not your boob then he will suck his fingers unless you get him on the plug soon. Good luck!

Thumb sucking yield very well to Homeopathic treatment. as long as you find Classical homeopath. if in doubt, turn to NCH website for referrals. http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/
Good Luck
V

Hi,

My son was interested in his fingers for about a day, but really preferred a pacifier almost immediately. He only used it during naptime and at bedtime (after about the first four months of life or so). He would spit it out after he fell into a hard sleep. We took it away cold turkey on the advice of our pediatrician at 15 months (she probably would have wanted us to get rid of it a bit sooner, but we waited until we thought he was ready). He looked for it briefly the first night we didn't offer it and then gave up--by hugging his special doggie. I think the trick is to wait until they have a special blankie or animal before taking away the pacifier.

My son has always been a great sleeper--I bet yours will be fine, too. If you're nursing at night to comfort him, I bet that's why he wants to suck--so I bet he either needs his fingers or a pacifier. Or, you can continue to just comfort him, too. That might take more time and patience, but eventually I bet it will work.

Good luck!
:-) D.

I have no problems with pacifiers, my 3 children all used them until about 18 months. But if you give your son a pacifier in the crib you will most likely still have to get up with him because he will lose it. He knows where his fingers are and you don't have to search the crib and then the house looking for a pacifier in the middle of the night while he is crying for it. Just because you have had a hard time with your daughter does not mean it will be the same for your son. Good Luck!

Go with the pacifier for naps and bed time but make that the only time he gets it.

All 3 of mine had no pacifier or thumps and fingers. We just didn't allow them. But you have experienced the fingers and you can't make them disappear one day. If your son only gets it at night and naps then it will be really easy to take it away, infact he might just give it up all by himself. When he gets use to going down to sleep this way try forgetting to give him the pacifier and see if he doesn't really need it. The thing is at this age they really don't remember day to day stuff so when he learns to lay down and sleep forget the pacifier and see how he does. Play this game until it works. If you decide to leave the pacifier with him then try to take it away at 1. The younger the better because they forget faster the younger they are. Good Luck! J.