Pacifiers

[mum06]

How do you get a baby to accept a pacifier? I have a two week old with a high suck need, but I am completely worn out. I've had two kids love pacifiers and two kids hate them, but I honestly have no memories of getting them to accept them. Any tricks?

[akind1]

I think it is they like it or they don't. You can try different sorts of pacifiers. our first try was a MAM and he liked it and we just stuck with that one.

will your LO suck on your finger (or anyone's)? DS started taking a paci much less once he found his thumb!

[Ninetales]

We had to try four pacifiers before we found one that worked. Nuk, Binky, and Soothie were all rejected and finally she liked the MAM.

[mum06]

He will suck on my finger, but no one else's. I've been trying different finger-like pacifiers on him, but he will only suck on them for a second before he starts to cry. I hope he finds something to suck on while we drive! I live far, far away from everything and these car trips are beastly with a crying baby!

[hakeber]

DS would only take the round tipped soft brown rubber ones. HATED all other styles and would give you such a look if you could not produce the round one, but he needed to suck without milk coming, so he would still take it and make this angry grumbling noise the whole time, like under his breath he was cussing us out.

DD prefers her hand. She gets it in now pretty regularly so I don't push it, but she will take it in the car seat because she can't quite reach her hand to her mouth strapped in.

You could maybe dip it in breast milk and see if that helps.

My SIL says that when you put it in the mouth, gently pull on it to initiate a tug of war, and it will encourage them to suck a little harder and hold on to it.

My MIL swore by jam I know!

[Comtessa]

When DD was 2 wks old, my mother got her to take a pacifier by just holding it gently in her mouth (when she was calm and alert, not fussy) for a few minutes at a time to get her used to it. The lactation consultant recommended waiting until 3 wks old to avoid nipple confusion... I probably should have listened to her advice, but mom was determined to get that kid a binky ASAP. In the end, it was no big deal. The pacifier helped loads for car trips and sleeping -- still does, and DD's almost a year old.

She rejected the Soothies but will take anything else. Avent are her favorites. Each kid is different as far as that goes.

[Sri Radha]

My daughter will only take MAM pacifiers, too. I tried many brands.

[Truckerdoo]

My no-fail pacifier-acceptance method is the following:

Put a couple drops of Gripe Water on their tongue. It gets 'em swallowing - at this point, put the pacifier in, and it glues it right in!

It was seriously a life saver to discover this technique w/ my son.

[Ldavis24]

I will second the pull on the pacifier when you put it in baby's mouth. By doing a little tug of war it was the only way I could get DD to take it (she only used one though for about a month).....

I also dipped it repeatedly in breast milk and she thought that was just wonderful

[Critty]

We tried all sorts of ones, I think my mom bought one of every kind in the store. DD would only suck on our fingers until we tried the green Soothies. She still will only use them at almost a year.