Self Soothe or Pacifier?

I did something similar... NOT on the advice of my pediatrician, but because I wanted to encourage the pacifier instead of finger/thumb sucking. (Pedi. did say it was OK to do though) Babies usually suck their fingers until they 'discover' their thumbs... I figured that it will be MUCH easier to break the pacifier habit than thumb-sucking later on in life. So if she was sucking her fingers, I would replace with a paci. Although, I usually let her fuss and soothe herself. The only time I gave her the paci was when she wanted to suck on her hands.

I figure this is one of those instances where the pedi. gave personal parenting advise rather than medical fact. There is no 'right' vs. 'wrong' here... it's simply 'thumb (fingers)' vs. 'paci.' It's kind of like how one doctor might tell you to CIO while another might reccomend going to a crying baby.

My DD isn't really a sucker now though... at 11 months, she only takes the paci. when she's sleeping.

I've never heard that recommendation either. Fingers are always available and very acceptable as a way of self soothing. I'd suggest to your friend that she double check this with her doctor. I think it's possible that she misunderstood him. He may have told her it was OK to use the pacifier when she asked about fingers.

I would be concerned, if I were the mother, that my baby would become totally dependent on the pacifier which would then make it difficult to remove it's use once she starts getting teeth. Fingers are much less intrusive as well as giving the baby immediate feedback when she bites down on them while teething.

I took the pacifier from my son a little over a month ago. I am so glad that I did it. 6 months might still be a little young to ween her off, but if she can handle the crying and crankiness, I say go for it. The older you wait, the harder it will be.

That baby (and eventually child) will have big self regulation problems in all areas. Hand to mouth sets up different reflexes throughout the first year of life. The mind body connection forms in this way, not by an outside source being popped in.

This is a problem for you- why?

Digestive juices on finger nail beds is not a great idea. FYI

best, k

My aunt decided not to use a pacifier for her kids. One in particular had a horrible habit of sucking her fingers years later. I think until about age 4 or so.

Also I used a pacifier with my girls. But when I saw them "nibbling" on their hands, I knew they were actually hungry again. Sometimes they nibbled sometimes they cried at feeding times. At times I let them self soothe or used the pacifier.

I've seen people who didn't want to use the pacifier expect their sitters to wait until that baby self soothed. Not good for the sitter. (I have a girlfriend and if her baby cried one fraction of a second, LITERALLY, I was supposed to immeditaly pick him up. Most times he cried simply because I layed him down to change his diaper or because I walked out of the room.) So if your friend is using a pacifier to soothe her baby, let her. Unless of course, you're willing to be the one who doesn't mine watching a screaming baby trying to self soothe.

I wish with all my heart I had used a pacifier for my daughter. She needed to suck and when I took her bottle away she sucked her fingers. The 2 fingers are crooked, her jaw is recessed, her teeth angled in, her profile is a joke. All because I kept getting told she was too big for a pacifier. I would let her keep it until she was a teenager now if I could go back and do it again.

If kids need to suck they WILL find something to suck. Pacifiers are the least damaging in my opinion.