short term pacifier use

[Boot]

Has anyone successfully used a pacifier for only a few months? DD is 7 weeks. I have an overactive letdown and she gets gassy so I can't nurse her to sleep. I think she has a little reflux as well.

She does like sucking my little finger and it soothes her but can't mean some awkward positions for my hand and arm. I keep thinking 'I wish I had a detachable finger' and then I remember 'duh, it's called a pacifier' (or dummy in our house).

The thing is, I really don't like them. I eventually gave one to DS at 5 months when he got his first tooth and he still has one at 3!

I don't want to go down that route again but I wonder whether I'm doing DD a disservice. After all, it's my hang up that's stopping me from giving her one.

I'm considering using one to help her sleep in the short term (in line with the Happiest Baby on the Block philosophy) but I'm wondering if it's really doable to take it away after a few months. Thoughts?

[texaspeach]

we started using one at 2 weeks because of oald and over supply. we stopped using it 6 weeks later when he decided he didn't like it anymore.

[blessedwithboys]

i did this w/ds2 after i got a callous on my finger from him sucking so hard.

side note: have you tried nursing while laying flat on your back? that worked for me w/ds1

[akind1]

We haven't tried to wean DS completely off yet - he is only 4.5 months, but he only gets or wants one when sleepy. most of the time he'd rather have his thumb anyway. I am hoping that we can stop using it around 6 months or so. defo before a year.

my mother said I gave my paci up around 6 months old. my little sister had hers until she was 4.

[briome]

Yes, did it twice. I really don't like them either but it helped in the car and placeds like that untill my boys could figure out time a little better. We used them maybe from 1m old to 4. I used a slow spot wean untill it was just for in the car, then we just lost them and didn't look anymore. When you do lose them make sure it is when you have help (weekend?) or something because mine both made up the extra sucking by nursing more the next few days....that was fine, then it evened out and wasn't bothersome at all.

[texmati]

We are trying to wean ds off of his-- at 6 months.

[Novus]

DS was literally attached to the pacifier for the first few months of his life because he needed to suck 24/7. By 6 months, I had decided that I'd let him self-wean from it, regardless of how long it took, but we also made more of an effort to only give it to him when he was upset/in the car/falling asleep. At about 7 months, he started mostly playing with it (rather than sucking on it) and really only used it "the right way" while falling asleep. One night, I didn't have one handy so I tried putting him to sleep without it and he did fine and we haven't looked back.

[elmh23]

Ds1 had one from about 2 weeks old to 10 months old when he gave it up (the same week he cut his first tooth and his daddy went out of town on business, it sucked!) Before then, he had a high need to suck and had it with him for at least 16hrs a day. I was rather surprised he gave it up on his own!

[mamazee]

Some babies do only use them for a short period of time. My older dd only used one for maybe two months at the most.

But I have to say I'm kind of uncomfortable with the idea of introducing something for comfort with the intention of taking it away later. What if your child really loves it? I can see trying to wean the child gently off it, but I can't see creating power struggles or tears over a pacifier. I guess it depends on what you'll do if you want your child to give it up at 6 months, or a year, or whatever, and your child has strong feelings to the contrary. I'm of the opinion that comfort items shouldn't be taken away if the child still wants it for comfort, even if you end up with a 3-year-old paci user.

But that's just my opinion - just throwing it out as one perspective for consideration.

[hakeber]

DS spat his out at 5.5-6 months. The look on his face was like "are you crazy? Why would I want that? and then he drifted off to sleep without for the first time since he was born, and so we put them away and he never seemed to want one again.

[JessieBird]

DS used one temporarily at about 3 mos when he had a super early bout of teething. He couldn't yet hold any chew toys in his mouth with his hand yet so I reluctantly gave him a pacifier to chew. It worked wonders and I took it away with no problems at all two weeks later.

Then at 6 mos, my let down all of a sudden went crazy and he got terrified of nursing. I read somewhere that letting them suck on a pacifier for a few moments before nursing calms them down and "primes the pump" so to speak so they forget their fear. (I expressed too to ease the let down.) Worked like a charm but this time I couldn't take it away. He has been absolutely obsessed ever since. He can't sleep without one in his mouth and one in each hand too!!! I've managed to get rid of them when we're playing around the house and mostly when we're out and about but he still absolutely demands it in the car and for bed. He's 16 mos now.

It drives me crazy because I just hate the sight of the things and hate that it stops him from babbling. But I've posted here a few times about it and the mammas have always convinced me that it is my problem and if he loves it so much I just have to foget about it. DH feels the same way so I guess I'm thoroughly out-voted.

[CanBoo]

Both dds started using a paci around 2 weeks. Could not take the finger sucking either. One was hurting my wrist, the other sucked the skin off my finger!

DD1 decided on her own to ditch it at 8.5 months. Cold turkey. Hard week, but then we were free. So yes such thing is possible.

DD2 is 10 months and still loves hers. I think I could still take it away from her, but I don't mind at all, as long as it is a "bed only" thing... Mind you, she's also used it around the house over the last few days because she started being obsessed grinding her new teeth. (you hear those nails on the chalkboard ?) I use it as a distraction. As soon as this passes though, I intend to go back to the bed only paci use.

[artgoddess]

DD refused to take one. But DS took one when we offered, around 2.5 or 3 weeks. Same issue, screaming his head off wanted to comfort nurse them freaking out because he was FULL and more milk was coming when he sucked. We went to the county fair when he was about 8 months old, and a goat in the petting zoo took it. so we had no choice to do the rest of the day and the hour long ride home without it. We were worried, but he did fine. So DP took the opportunity to just throw any at home away.

[briome]

If you think of the 'comfort item' in this case as a subsitute for the nipple (that is what both of mine REALLY wanted) I DO think it is fair to gently remove it especially when offering the thing they REALLY wanted all along as a resubstitution. Aiding your child in a transisiton, whatever that may be, in a gentle, sensitive way IS appropriate---if it wasn't how could anyone move houses, go on vacation, go shopping, have another child etc. Obviously, both my boys did respond well to being offered the breast more when the paci was no longer avalible. IF your child does not respond well to that idea it may take longer, take another item, technique, to continue comfort.

[Plarka]

We stopped giving it at 8 months as advised by our health visitor, she said 8-10 mo is the easiest to stop giving it.