When can I give my baby a pacifier?

There will be no pillows, soft toys or security blankets for your baby till they grow up a little. So the pacifier will be their only companion when there isn’t anyone around to play with them. Your baby might call the pacifier anything out of a load of dear names such as binky, soother but it will be his best friend in no time. When to introduce a pacifier to the newborn is a concern for many new parents. In this article, I will provide you an answer to that question along with tips and tricks to introduce pacifiers to your baby.   

CONTENT

1.   At what age can the baby hold a pacifier?

2.   How to introduce a pacifier to the baby?

3.   Why can’t my baby hold a pacifier in his mouth?

4.   Why doesn’t my baby keep the pacifier in his mouth?

5.   Why does the baby pull/push out the pacifier?

6.   Can pacifiers cause tongue thrust?

7.   How to keep the pacifier in the baby’s mouth?

8.   What happens if my baby never takes a pacifier?

1.    At what age can the baby hold a pacifier? 

The purpose of a pacifier is to teach the baby to self-soothe when they are fussy and fall asleep by themselves. A pacifier also helps to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). There is no definite time to introduce a pacifier to your baby but you have to consider few factors before the introduction. 

 If you are exclusively breastfeeding a baby, you have to wait until the baby becomes used to a solid breastfeeding routine. Generally, it will take about 3 – 4 weeks for a baby to become established in a breastfeeding routine. Introducing a pacifier before this age may lead to nipple confusion where the baby will go for the pacifier which is easy to be sucked than latching on the breast. For bottle-fed (Formula or pumped breastmilk) babies, you can start giving them the pacifier as soon as they are willing to hold it in their mouth. 

Babies have reflux to suck when they are born. When something is put in their mouth, breast, bottle nipple or pacifier, they will naturally start to suck it. But they need time to practice and master this skill of sucking. Hence, the baby will not be perfect with the pacifier from day one. 

2.    How to introduce a pacifier to the baby? 

When it is time to introduce a pacifier to your baby, purchase few pacifiers and sanitize them. The baby’s immune system is still developing and we do not want them to fight an unnecessary infection. 

Introduce the pacifier at the right time. You should not give the baby a pacifier for the first time when they are already in a bad mood. Find a time when your baby is full in his tummy and ready to play. This will prevent your baby from being disappointed about the pacifier for not making him full. 

If your baby refuses the pacifier for the first time, do not give up. Keep offering it at random times till the baby is ready for it. 

3.    Why can’t my baby hold a pacifier in his mouth?

Although the babies are born with reflux to suck, they need some time to get used to a pacifier that is new to them. You cannot expect your baby to perfectly suck and hold the pacifier on his first day. But if your baby continues to drop the pacifier out of his mouth, there can be a reason such as the unfitting size of the pacifier or a tongue-tie in your baby.  

Pacifiers are available in the market in different sizes and shapes. Babies also have mouths that are different in size from one to another. So there is no one pacifier fitting well to all the babies. Try few different pacifiers and choose what works best for your baby. 

Having a tongue or lip tie can also be a reason for a baby to drop his pacifier. Babies with tongue or lip ties have difficulties in latching the breast or the bottle and it will be the same for the pacifier. The difficulty to move the tongue / upper lip makes sucking a challenge to them. If you suspect that your baby has a tongue or lip tie, consult your pediatrician. In the meantime, you can give your baby a pacifier that is one piece, which is recommended for babies with tongue ties and lip ties. 

4.    Why doesn’t my baby keep the pacifier in his mouth? 

As long as your baby has a willingness to suck, he will master the skill to keep the pacifier in his mouth with time. Until then, you will need to help him keep the pacifier inside his mouth and replace it when he drops the pacifier. At least till the age of 7 months, the baby will not be able to put the pacifier back in his mouth as the process requires several gross and motor skills. 

The baby will drop the pacifier by himself for various reasons. 

• The pacifier might not fit his mouth properly so sucking the pacifier may feel uncomfortable to the baby. 
• The taste of the pacifier will be foreign to the baby in the beginning and he might refuse to feel that taste. If you coat the pacifier with breastmilk or formula for the first few days, he will get used to the pacifier easily. 
• The baby will drop the pacifier when he is hungry. Who wants to suck something that does not fill your tummy when you are hungry? 
• Your baby can dislike the pacifier for no reason. There will be no specific reason and your baby might have just chosen to dislike it.  

5.    Why does the baby pull/push out the pacifier?

When babies do not want to suck, they will just pull it out from their mouths. It is normal for babies to get done with the pacifier at some point in the day. He will take it back when he feels like sucking the pacifier again. Babies will push out the pacifier for the same reason, just because they do not want the pacifier to be in their mouth or it can be a reflex too. 

6.    Can pacifiers cause tongue thrust? 

Pacifiers can cause tongue thrust when used for a long period. It is recommended to wean a baby from the pacifier by two years old to avoid conditions like this. 

7.    How to keep the pacifier in the baby’s mouth?

A pacifier can make a baby fall asleep soundly at night or soothe himself without the help of anyone. But the baby needs your help to get the hang of it. Follow these steps to make sure your baby loves the pacifier from the beginning. 

Choose the right pacifier

You cannot find the perfect pacifier on the first try. So you will have to experiment with different sizes of pacifiers. Knowing what makes pacifiers different will help you to choose the right ones to experiment with. 

•  Shape – Traditional Bell-shaped pacifiers vary from orthodontic pacifiers in shape.
• Mouth shield – Pacifiers come in mouth shields of different shapes and materials.
• Handle – Pacifier handle can be a ring or a button.
• Age – Pacifiers are offered in different sizes to suit babies of all ages. There are three main sizes for 0-3 months, 0-6 months, and 6-18 months. The 0-3 month and 0-6 month pacifiers are shorter and smaller than the 6-18 month pacifiers. 

Make the pacifier taste familiar

The taste of a new pacifier will be strange to a baby who has tasted only breastmilk or baby formula for his entire life. The baby will directly refuse the pacifier if he does not like how it tastes. So coat the pacifier with breastmilk or baby formula to make sure that the taste is familiar to the baby. 

A bit of reverse psychology!

Play a little game with your baby. When he holds on to the pacifier for few minutes by himself, gently try to pull it out from his mouth. Then you will feel that he is sucking harder to keep it inside his mouth without slipping out. Worked like a charm for me.

8.    What happens if my baby never takes a pacifier? 

Nothing, Yes nothing happens if your baby does not like to use a pacifier. There will be one less thing for you to do when he grows up, no weaning off from a pacifier. Never force your baby to take a pacifier if he does not prefer it because it cannot harm the baby.