Pacifier Weaning
- Having your baby suck on a pacifier in-between feeding is a great way to keep them calm and safe from distress.
- Kids usually do away with a pacifier by themselves between the ages of two and four. However, some have to be compelled to stop sucking on pacifiers.
- While it may sound simple, pacifier weaning can be a difficult process.
- A child’s compulsion for sucking begins as a 14-week embryo, and they become quite used to occupying themselves with a pacifier.
- Still, you have to make sure that your kid does give up a pacifier as its prolonged use can pose risks to the kid’s health.
- Here’s all you need to know on when you have to wean a pacifier away and how to do it as smoothly as possible:
When is the Best Time to Wean Your Kid from the Pacifier?
- The first thing you need to know is that a pacifier can be quite helpful for your baby if it is introduced after they are used to breastfeeding.
- According to experts, having a baby use a pacifier after a few weeks of breastfeeding can reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- However, you need to take the pacifier away between the ages of two and four.
- Weaning a pacifier away from a child from the age of three reduces the chances of dental malocclusions.
- Stopping the use at 6 months can even reduce the chances of ear infections.
- Getting the pacifier away as quickly as possible is important as most of its benefits are obvious while the baby is quite young.
- The more you delay it, the greater the chances of the risks of pacifier use becoming a reality.
- Your child might become dependent on the pacifier to the point that it might be impossible to wean it away for them.
- However, it is important to make sure that you give your child the time and space to shed the hobby by themselves.
- If it’s not possible, you have to be patient and help them with positive reinforcement.
How to Wean Your Kid off a Pacifier
Some tips you need to be mindful of in trying to wean your child off a pacifier in the first 12 to 15 months of use are:
- Be aware of when your baby starts sucking and what compels them to do it.
- Remove the pacifier when your baby doesn’t need to suck it. This helps decrease dependence.
- Delay giving your baby the pacifier if they cry for it. Try to use other ways of calming your baby down.