Growing up with an anti-pacifier parent, I was pretty much always against them. When NICU introduced pacifiers to my newborn son, I was upset, and thrilled when he didn’t take to them. Then, I had my second baby, and he is barely three months old as of this writing… and also the reason I changed my mind on the topic.
Why I Was Against Pacifiers
When my firstborn didn’t take to pacifiers, it seemed to me that the reason babies liked them was because they were taught and encouraged to like them. That it was how the baby was trained. And while that may be at least partially true, there are a few other reasons that I was anti-pacifier, myself.
The Cons
- An improperly (or infrequently) cleaned pacifier can lead to sickness
- Potential dental problems
- Can create problems breastfeeding
- Needing to wean child at 6 months to 1 year (ideally)
A major reason I was anti-pacifier in the beginning (until I did some more research and talked to an extremely smart friend in the field of science and medicine) was because I believed that the digestive enzymes in saliva that are released when chewing or sucking (like when using a pacifier) could cause harm in the stomach over time. I am including this prior belief in case it has someone else in internal conflict over pacifier use, as well.
Not only was I unable to find solid, reputable research backing this belief, but my friend (who I asked to analyze the situation) responded with:
“So the key enzymes in saliva are amylase and lipase. Those break down carbs and fats, respectively. I would not see an issue with excessive saliva production on an empty stomach.”
With the lack of scientific backing found for that belief and my friend’s response, I am putting that belief on a back burner and ignoring it unless some actual evidence to support it can be found.
Why I Changed My Mind
What initially changed my mind was behavior my mother-in-law and I noticed in my second born child.
He will (when awake and not eating) almost constantly chew or suck on his fingers and hands. Not only does this produce a large amount of drool, but I have been informed that it can lead to rashes on his lower face (from being constantly wet).
Also, vividly in my memory is something a friend told me. Someone she knew sucked on her thumb so much it caused an infection that led to the nail needing removal. Although this is obviously a second-hand story and not necessarily going to happen in every case, it is completely avoidable. As my mother-in-law likes to say, pacifiers can be taken away. Fingers can’t.
When I wrote Best Parenting Tips (So Far) I was the mother to one little boy, expecting my second. Those are still great tips (and I still use them), but it might be time for a part two soon… because I am learning along the way that it is SUPER IMPORTANT to do your own research and not just rely on what people (no matter how “reputable” or “educated” or “informed” they may be) have to say. Some of the most conflicting information has come from the “professionals” or even other parents with “lived experience”, because everyone has a slant or bias (even if they don’t recognize it).
If I hadn’t researched pacifiers more thoroughly on my own, I would be living in internal conflict on whether or not I was doing long-term damage to my child (see above about digestive enzymes) while hoping and praying that I was making the right decisions.
Pros of Pacifiers
We discussed the cons of the situation already and since this is an article about changing my mind, pros of pacifier use fit in nicely here at the end.
- Soothing to baby (can give parents some time to rest)
- If traveling (airplane or changing heights in a car like on a road trip) the sucking can help prevent ear popping (like chewing gum for adults)
- Might offer some more natural relief during teething (my firstborn has had an EXTREMELY difficult time teething and was NOT/is not a pacifier-user)
- Can be taken away if needed (unlike fingers/hands)
In my research on this topic I also discovered that there is some suggestion that pacifier use may reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and possibly even help with digestion (ironically, due to the release of digestive enzymes!).
The Takeaway
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The question of whether or not to give babies pacifiers is a very divided one. To me, it seems to be a personal parenting decision with pros and cons both ways… but had I known about the possible reduction in the risk of SIDS I might have offered my firstborn a pacifier, too.
Please pardon me while I throw out my old, un-researched, biased opinions and gather some new ones… I’m off to purchase a Soothie and a cute animal (or two) to make it easier to find (and safer than a pacifier clip).
Note: I am specifically purchasing Avent Soothie pacifiers from now until something pops up to convince me otherwise due to the shape of the pacifier, ability to use one to offer medication through (with some slight tweaks) and the cute attachable animal (because I have seen pacifier clips wrap – loosely – around a baby’s neck and I never want to see that again).
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
[…] have had a motherhood “pivot” and I’m sure it won’t be the last… read Why I Changed My Mind About Pacifiers for another instance of a pivot and what that looked […]