Is the Pacifier Worth it?

Oh the pacifier, my husband’s and I most beloved/hated thing in our home. I really wanted to avoid using one because it just seemed like too hard of a habit to break and something about the pacifier being in the forefront of all of her milestone pictures was not ideal.

When we first met her pediatrician, he was very open and accepting of our wishes as far as her care moving forward; the only thing that he inserted his own personal opinion on was to not offer a pacifier…ever. He had a blatant disdain for them and there we were nodding our heads saying, “Oh yeah, our kid won’t have one.”

Well, 3 weeks into her little life that went out the window. When she was sick in the hospital getting poked and woken up every hour, the nurses gave her a pacifier coated with sugar water to calm her down. So yeah, she learned to love a pacifier. Hell, I would learn to love a pacifier if it had sugar all over it. But in that instance it helped a lot and we were fine with it because it soothed her through a really uncomfortable situation, and luckily for us it didn’t cause nipple confusion.

So here we are. We are constantly running around the house looking for one when she is inconsolable. They are forever dropping on the floor and getting dirty. She wakes herself up when it falls out of her mouth and God forbid we leave the house and forget to bring one with us.

Is it worth it?

In spite of it all, it is. It allows us to bring her out places and helps keep her calm. In a couple of months when we are going to fly with her for the first time it could come in very handy. I can’t attest to what life would be like if she had never had it, but I know for now it makes life a little easier. I’m sure I won’t be saying those words when it’s time to wean her away from it, but I’ll save that worry for another day.

If you are a paci family or thinking about using them, here are some of the benefits:

• They can lower the risk of SIDS
• They can help your baby fall asleep
• For some, they can encourage your baby to self soothe – when the pacifier falls out they may turn to their thumb to satisfy the sucking reflex and be able to fall back asleep on their own
• It can make long drives a little smoother
• They can offer a little distraction when its time to get their shots

Are these all things boobs can do? Yep. But sometimes you have to call in the bench while varsity takes a breather. 

Lisa is a baby-wearing, breastfeeding, cloth diapering new mama. She loves running, yoga, video games and exploring all things about natural parenting.